5 boiler fixes to try before calling an engineer

Turn your thermostat up to see if it gets your boiler working again.

If your boiler is misbehaving and you’re not getting any heating or hot water, there are a few things you can try before calling an engineer. These simple fixes could save you time and quickly get you back to being cosy.

1. Double check the basics

First of all, if you have a prepayment meter, check that you’ve got enough credit. Next, test whether your other gas appliances, like your cooker hob, are working correctly, or whether the switches in your fuse box have tripped.

2. Think back to if you’ve had a power cut recently

If you have, your boiler’s timer might have reset - which means getting it working again could be as simple as re-programming it with your times. Take a look at its instruction manual for a reminder on how to do this.

3. Check your boiler’s pressure gauge

If it’s showing a reading of one bar or less, low pressure could be the reason why your boiler’s not working. Topping up the pressure yourself is usually straightforward - follow the steps in your boiler’s manual or watch our how-to video.

How to check your water pressure.

4. Check the temperature on your thermostat

It could be that your thermostat is set at too low a temperature to trigger your heating. Try turning it up to 21°C to see if that gets your boiler working again.

5. Reset your boiler, or check that its pilot light is on

Finally, try resetting your boiler according to its instructions. If yours was made pre-2004 it’s likely to have a pilot light instead of a reset function, so check that the pilot light is on. If it’s not, you may be able to relight it yourself according to its manual.

Still no heating or water?

If you’ve tried all our tips and they didn’t bring your boiler back to life, we’re here to help.

If you’re a HomeCare customer, just log in to your account to book a repair.

If not, you can book a one-off repair, with or without ongoing cover.

Or we can help you find the perfect new boiler for your home if the time has come to replace it.

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