Your boiler has stopped working. It’s cold outside. Maybe you have children or elderly relatives in the house. It’s a stressful situation — but there are some simple steps you can take right now that might fix the problem or at least help you stay warm while you wait for an engineer.
Step 1: Check the Obvious Things First
Before calling for an emergency engineer, run through these quick checks:
- Check the pressure gauge: Most combi boilers won’t fire if pressure drops below 1 bar. If the gauge reads below 1, the system needs represurising. Check your boiler manual for how to do this — it usually involves opening a filling loop valve.
- Check for error codes: Modern boilers display fault codes on the screen. Note down the code and Google it for your boiler model — it often tells you exactly what’s wrong.
- Check the thermostat: Make sure your room thermostat is set above the current room temperature. Smart thermostats sometimes lose settings after a power cut.
- Check the programmer: Has your timer been reset? A power cut or a simple knock can change the settings so the boiler isn’t calling for heat.
- Try a reset: Most boilers have a reset button. Hold it for 3–5 seconds and allow the boiler to attempt a restart. Don’t do this more than 2–3 times — repeated failed restarts can cause further issues.
Step 2: Check the Gas Supply
Is the gas supply to the property working? Check that other gas appliances (cooker, gas fire) are working normally. If there’s no gas at all, contact your gas supplier or call the National Gas Emergency line on 0800 111 999.
Step 3: Keep Warm While You Wait
If the boiler can’t be quickly fixed, prioritise keeping the household warm:
- Use electric heaters to heat one or two key rooms
- Use extra blankets and insulate the house as much as possible (close curtains, block draughts)
- Boil kettles for hot water bottles
- Check on elderly or vulnerable neighbours
Step 4: Call a Gas Safe Engineer
If the basic checks haven’t resolved the issue, it’s time to call a professional. Always use a Gas Safe registered engineer — it’s a legal requirement for gas work, and using an unregistered person is dangerous and potentially criminal.
Step 5: Prevent Future Emergencies
The best way to deal with a boiler breakdown is to prevent one. Annual servicing dramatically reduces the chance of an unexpected failure. Engineers can often spot deteriorating components before they fail completely.
PPS Gas & Electric offers fast-response callouts across Leamington Spa, Warwick, and Warwickshire. Our Gas Safe engineers carry a wide range of common parts, meaning many repairs are completed on the same day.
Call PPS Gas & Electric on 01926 778709 or visit ppsgas.com to book your appointment today.