If your boiler breaks down, first make sure nobody is at risk: if you smell gas or suspect carbon monoxide, leave the checks, ventilate and call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999. If there is no danger, make a few safe checks (power, gas supply, pressure, thermostat, a reset), switch the boiler off if it is leaking, then keep the house warm and note the details the engineer will need, whether you are in Hitchin or anywhere else we cover.

First: is anyone at risk?

Most breakdowns are inconvenient rather than dangerous. A few are not, and they come before anything else.

Only a Gas Safe registered engineer may work on a gas appliance. Never remove the boiler casing or try to adjust anything inside it, however simple it looks online. Anything beyond the checks below is a job for a boiler repair engineer.

Safe checks while you wait

These checks are all things a homeowner is allowed to do, and they solve a surprising number of breakdowns. Work through them before the engineer arrives, because even if they do not fix it, they help diagnose it.

1. Check the display. Write down any fault code or flashing light, and take a photo. The code is often the fastest route to the cause.
2. Check the power. Is the display lit? Check the fused spur next to the boiler is on and the fuse has not blown, and check the consumer unit for a tripped switch.
3. Check the gas supply. Does the hob work? If you have a prepayment meter, check it has credit. If nothing gas works, the problem is the supply, not the boiler.
4. Check the pressure gauge. Most sealed systems sit around 1 to 1.5 bar when cold, but check the user guide for yours. If it is low and your manufacturer’s guide allows it, repressurise using the filling loop. If it drops again quickly, there is a leak or a fault, and our guide to a boiler that keeps losing pressure explains why.
5. Check the thermostat and timer. Turn the room thermostat above the current temperature, around 20 degrees, and make sure the timer is calling for heat. Replace thermostat batteries if it is wireless.
6. Press reset, once or twice at most. If the boiler locks out again, stop. Repeated resets can mask a fault that needs an engineer.
7. In freezing weather, check the condensate pipe. If the plastic pipe running outside has frozen, pour warm (not boiling) water along it to thaw it. Our frozen condensate pipe guide shows how.

If none of that works, it needs an engineer. You can also compare your symptoms with our guide to a boiler that will not fire up.

If the boiler is leaking

Water from the boiler, the pipes underneath it or a pressure relief pipe outside needs dealing with quickly.

• Switch the boiler off at the fused spur.
• Put a bowl or towels under the drip and move anything valuable away from it.
• If the leak is heavy or there is any water near electrics, turn off the water at the stopcock.
• Do not touch anything inside the case, and keep children and pets away.

How urgent is it?

What is happening	How urgent	What to do now
Smell of gas, or CO symptoms	Emergency	0800 111 999, ventilate, get out
Water leaking from the boiler	Urgent	Switch off at the spur, contain the leak, call an engineer
No heating or hot water in cold weather, vulnerable person in the house	Urgent	Keep warm with safe electric heaters, call for an emergency visit
Boiler locked out, low pressure	Same or next day	Repressurise if allowed, call if it keeps dropping
Loud banging, kettling or gurgling	Soon	Turn it down or off if it worries you, book a repair
Heating works but no hot water, or the reverse	Soon	Book a repair, use an immersion heater if you have one

Staying warm and keeping water running

Most breakdowns mean a day or so without heat or hot water at worst. A few steps make it much more comfortable.

• Heat one room. Close doors, draw curtains, and use portable electric heaters in the room you are using. Keep them away from bedding, curtains and children, and never leave them running unattended overnight.
• Never use outdoor gas heaters, camping stoves or barbecues indoors. They produce carbon monoxide.
• Use the immersion heater if you have a hot water cylinder with one fitted. It gives you hot water independently of the boiler.
• Boil a kettle for washing up and a basin wash if you have a combi and no hot water.
• Check on vulnerable people. Babies, older people and anyone who is unwell feel the cold faster. Tell the engineer when you call, as it affects how urgently you need someone.
• Protect pipes in a hard frost. If the house is going to be unheated in freezing weather, keep a heater running in rooms with exposed pipes and leave loft hatches open so some warmth reaches the loft.

What to tell the engineer

A few details save time on the phone and on the visit:

1. The boiler make and model, usually on a label on the front or underneath.
2. Any fault code or lights, with a photo.
3. What happened just before it stopped: a noise, a smell, a power cut, a frost, recent work.
4. The pressure reading on the gauge.
5. Whether it is heating, hot water or both that have stopped.
6. Whether anyone vulnerable is in the house.

What happens when the engineer arrives

A Gas Safe engineer will confirm the boiler is safe, read the fault history and test the part the code or symptoms point to. Most breakdowns are down to a single component, such as a fan, a sensor, a valve or an ignition part, and many can be replaced on the same visit if the part is on the van. If the part needs ordering, the engineer will make the boiler safe and tell you when it can be fitted. If the boiler is old and failing repeatedly, they will tell you honestly whether a repair is still worth it. Our guide to repair or replace sets out how we decide.

What it costs with Vantage

In normal working hours there is no call-out fee. Gas faults start with a fixed-price Gas Safe diagnostic visit, and if we can fix it on the same visit, part of that diagnostic charge comes off the repair. After the first hour, time is charged in half-hour steps, and parts are quoted before we fit them. Evening, weekend and overnight visits are charged at the out-of-hours rates. Every rate is published on our prices page, so you know what you will pay before we arrive.

Our engineers are Gas Safe registered (956889), carry fully stocked vans and repair and service all the major brands. Every repair comes with a 12 month labour guarantee.

Frequently asked questions

Should I turn my boiler off if it has broken down?

If it is leaking, making loud unusual noises, or you suspect gas or carbon monoxide, yes: switch it off at the fused spur. If it has simply locked out with a fault code, write the code down and take a photo before you switch it off, and do not keep resetting it.

Is no heating or hot water an emergency?

It can be. In cold weather, or with a baby, an older person or someone unwell in the house, losing heating is urgent. Our phone is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and we offer 24/7 emergency cover.

How many times can I reset my boiler?

Once or twice. A reset clears a lockout, but if the fault comes back the boiler is telling you something needs fixing. Repeated resets can hide the cause and, in some cases, make it worse.

Can I use electric heaters while my boiler is broken?

Yes, portable electric heaters are a safe stopgap if they are used sensibly. Keep them clear of curtains and bedding, plug them straight into a wall socket rather than an extension lead, and switch them off when you go to bed or leave the room.

Why does my boiler keep breaking down?

Repeat breakdowns usually come from an underlying problem: a slow leak causing pressure loss, sludge in the system, a failing part or a boiler near the end of its life. A proper diagnosis finds the cause rather than resetting the symptom, and it will show whether repair or replacement is the better option.

Emergency boiler repairs in Hitchin and across Hertfordshire

We repair boilers in Hitchin, across North Hertfordshire and throughout Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire. For a broken boiler, see our boiler repair service or call 01462 506374. The line is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and we offer 24/7 emergency cover.