How much does it cost to fix a heating fault in Gloucester?
No heating at home? Post the job for free and it goes to local heating engineers who cover your area. If it’s urgent, choose the emergency option and we text them straight away.
Free to post, and only the tradesperson who takes your job on gets your details. Read our privacy notice.
Before the engineer arrives
It’s worth checking the simple things first, as some of them you can sort yourself.
- Does the boiler have power? Check its switch, and whether anything has tripped at the consumer unit.
- Look at the pressure gauge and compare it with the range in your manual.
- Write down or photograph any fault code on the display.
- Check the thermostat is set above room temperature and calling for heat. If it runs on batteries, try new ones.
- Check the programmer or app, and the clock after a power cut.
- If the radiators are warm at the bottom but cold at the top, they may need bleeding.
In freezing weather, a frozen condensate pipe is a common cause with condensing boilers. It’s the plastic pipe that runs from the boiler to a drain outside. Many manufacturers suggest thawing it by pouring warm, not boiling, water along it, then resetting the boiler as the manual describes.
If the manual says you can reset the boiler with its reset button, try it once. If the fault keeps coming back, leave it. Don’t take the casing off or try to repair a gas boiler yourself. Any repair must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
What to include when you post
The more the engineer knows, the better chance they’ll fix it on the first visit.
- The make and model of the boiler, with a photo of the display
- Any fault code, and the reading on the pressure gauge
- Whether the hot water still works
- Whether some radiators heat and others don’t, or none at all
- What you’ve already tried, such as a reset or bleeding radiators
- Whether it’s gas, oil or LPG
- Whether anyone at home is elderly, unwell or very young
If the boiler is still under warranty, say so. The engineer may suggest you call the manufacturer first.
Choosing an engineer
For a gas boiler, check the engineer is Gas Safe registered and that their ID card covers gas boilers. For oil, you need someone who works on oil systems.
Before the visit, ask:
- whether the call-out, diagnosis, labour and any parts are priced separately
- whether they carry common parts for your boiler, or will need to order them
- what guarantee comes with the repair
- whether they’ll tell you what failed, and if anything else looks worn
If the boiler is still under the manufacturer’s warranty, call the manufacturer first. Some warranties only cover repairs by their own engineers, and outside work can affect your cover.
Not quite the right job?
See every job on our Plumber page, or post it anyway and describe it in your own words.
Before a tradesperson starts work
Registrations
Some work must be done by a registered professional. Work on a gas boiler, cooker or fire must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer, which you can check on the Gas Safe Register.
Our business check
Limited companies are checked with Companies House and sole traders upload their insurance certificate. Trade registrations are confirmed by the tradesperson when they sign up.
Get the price in writing
Ask for a written quote that sets out the work and the price before anything starts. Your contract for the work is with the tradesperson.
Questions
What people tend to ask before booking this job. For anything specific to your home, ask the tradesperson who takes it on when they get in touch.
If there are vulnerable people in the house or it is very cold, choose the emergency option when you post and we text local engineers straight away.
The make of boiler, any fault code on the display, the pressure reading and whether you have hot water. Photos of the display help.
It can be air in the system, sludge, a stuck valve or the system needing balancing. If a radiator is cold at the top, bleeding it often helps. If it's cold at the bottom or in the middle, it may be sludge, which is a job for the engineer.
Many sealed systems have a filling loop you can use, and the manual explains how. If you're not confident, or the pressure keeps dropping, leave it for the engineer, as that often points to a leak. Don't open the boiler casing.
Pour warm, not boiling, water along the outside section of the plastic pipe from the boiler, then reset the boiler as the manual describes. If it keeps freezing, ask the engineer about insulating or rerouting it.