Emergency One-Off Gas Boiler Repairs

Types of Emergency Boiler Problems

Most boiler problems require urgent attention because they can quickly escalate into expensive repairs or they could even be a potential safety risk and put the people in your property in danger. Only a Gas Safe registered engineer will be able to diagnose any boiler issues and spot any serious signs of trouble, so it’s best to contact one as soon as you can.

You may need to call out an engineer for emergency one-off gas boiler repairs when:

• Your boiler unexpectedly breaks down in winter and you’re left without heating and hot water.
• Your expansion tank, cylinder or pipes are leaking water.
• Your boiler’s pilot light keeps going out or is yellow (rather than blue).
• Your boiler is making clanking, banging or tapping sounds.
• Your boiler keeps switching itself off, even though its pressure level and thermostat are absolutely fine.

Remember, you should never attempt to repair boiler problems yourself, unless it’s something very simple such as defrosting a frozen condensate pipe or re-pressurising your boiler.

Warning Signs of a Dangerous Boiler

A broken boiler can be a serious hazard and some emergency one-off gas boiler repairs can actually save your life. Although less common, the following signs of a faulty boiler could leave the members of your household in real danger:

• Visible signs of soot or black marks around the boiler.
• You can smell spent gas or fumes (if so, switch off your boiler straight away).
• You are frequently getting headaches or feeling dizzy, nauseous or breathless (which could be caused by carbon monoxide poisoning).

 

If you are alerted by any of these warning signs or are concerned that your boiler is dangerous in any way at all, you must switch off your boiler and contact a Gas Safe engineer immediately.

Important note: Carbon monoxide is a deadly gas that has the potential to kill. When inside the body, carbon monoxide can cause nausea, headaches and dizziness before symptoms become much worse. As carbon monoxide is often difficult to detect, we recommend you ask a Gas safe engineer to install some carbon monoxide detectors in your property to reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

The Cost of Emergency One-Off Gas Boiler Repairs

It’s difficult to say precisely how much an emergency one-off gas boiler repair will cost because many engineers will charge for the time it takes them to fix your faulty boiler. Also, the price you’ll pay will depend on the extent of the damage and the complexity of the work involved to get your boiler back up and running. Some engineers and companies will give you a fixed price boiler repair quote, which should cover parts and labour, as well as the call-out fee and the time required to fix your boiler. As a rough guide, you’ll be looking at paying between £150 and £400 for an emergency one-off gas boiler repair.

How to Prepare for Boiler Emergencies

By being prepared for a boiler emergency, you’ll be able to stay calm when the worst happens and, hopefully, solve any problems quickly. Here are a number of things you can do to ensure you’re ready if and when emergency one-off gas boiler repairs are needed.

Keep Your Boiler Manufacturer or Insurer Phone Number Handy    

If your boiler is relatively new and still under warranty or you have taken out a boiler insurance policy, keep the manufacturer or insurance provider phone number close to hand to save time when your boiler breaks down. An advisor should be able to tell you over the phone whether you are covered for the particular emergency you are faced with and the steps you need to take to get your boiler repaired. Some manufacturer’s and insurance companies will arrange for a Gas Safe engineer to come to your home, whereas others may require you to do this. However, if you smell gas, you must call the 24-hour Gas Emergency Service helpline on 0800 111 999 immediately.

Find Out the Quickest Way to Get Hold of Your Landlord

If you rent, it’s up to your landlord to sort out any problems with your boiler including emergency one-off gas boiler repairs. Most landlords will have an engineer who they prefer to use when boiler issues arise, and some will even have boiler insurance. To save time when a fault occurs, find out the quickest way to get hold of your landlord in the event of an emergency. For example, it may be that your landlord responds much quicker to emails than a phone call. But if you smell gas, call the 24-hour Gas Emergency Service helpline on 0800 111 999, then contact your landlord to inform them that there is a potential gas emergency.

Research Trusted Engineers and Keep Their Numbers in Your Phone

When your boiler breaks down and you aren’t covered by a warranty or insurance, you’re likely to search the phone directory or internet to find an emergency one-off gas boiler repairs engineer in a hurry. The trouble with this is that you may not spend as much time doing your research, which is important to make sure you choose a professional who is Gas Safe registered and fully qualified to fix your boiler. With this in mind, we suggest you do some research now so that you can keep the numbers of only trusted engineers in your phone to enable you to be ready to make a call when your boiler stops working. Don’t forget, winter is the busiest time of the year for heating engineers, so it’s always wise to have a few phone numbers stored in your phone.

Think About Investing in Some Electric Heaters

If your central heating does decide to pack up on you and you’re told that it will take more than just one day to fix, you’ll need to think of alternative ways to keep warm in your home. Obviously, you can wear more layers of clothing than usual but extra shirts and thick jumpers won’t keep you comfortably warm for long during the cold winter. The only other thing you can do is purchase electric heaters, so you may want to think about investing in some in case emergencies do arise in the future.

Have an Alternative Living Arrangement Plan

It can sometimes be unsafe to stay in your home whilst emergency one-off gas boiler repairs are being carried out, which is especially true if the problem involves a gas leak. Also, some boiler problems can be very complicated and it might take a professional a few days to put things right, so it’s a good idea to ask family or friends about the possibility of staying with them if a boiler emergency presents itself. This way, you won’t have to worry about where you’re going to stay if your engineer tells you that it isn’t safe or practical for you to live in your property whilst the repairs are being done.

Emergency One-Off Gas Boiler Repair vs Boiler Replacement

A replacement boiler is never going to be cheap, regardless of the boiler type and brand you choose. Although it usually costs less to fix a broken boiler than replace one, you still need to make sure that you’re spending your money wisely. The need for an emergency one-off gas boiler repair now could be a sign of things to come, meaning you may have to face more problems further down the line.

Here are a few things you need to consider before choosing an emergency one-off gas boiler repair over a replacement boiler:

The age of your boiler: If your boiler is between 10 and 15 years old, it’s at higher risk of breaking down.

Boiler performance: It probably isn’t worth bringing your boiler back to life if it has been under-performing and you have had it repaired multiple times already.

Cost of repairs: An old boiler may be more costly to repair and your engineer may struggle to find some of the parts needed to fix your boiler.

Energy efficiency: If you’ve had your boiler for over a decade, it won’t be as efficient as a modern A-rated condensing boiler, which means your existing boiler will be more expensive to run.