Book Your Boiler Servicing in Bolton Today

We provide boiler repairs in all areas of Bolton and the surrounding region including Horwich, Westhoughton, Farnworth, Walkden and more. Wherever you’re located, we’ve got you covered.

Even older boilers can often be repaired cost-effectively. Our engineers will advise if a repair is worthwhile or if it would be safer and more economical to replace your boiler.

No. We provide free call outs and quotes in Bolton so you only pay for the repair work needed with no hidden fees.

For minor boiler faults, we can usually complete repairs within the same day. More complex issues may require ordering special parts which we will try to source as fast as possible. If you have any other questions, please call our friendly team on 07968 039 148.

Pilot light going out – the most common reason for this happening is a faulty thermocouple.  It can also be caused by damaged seals. The thermocouple: It is the sensor that sits in the pilot light flame

Losing pressure – if you have a pressurised system, you may notice it keeps losing pressure. This may be due to a water leak or expansion vessel failure causing damage to the pressure relief valve.

• Check on the pressure gauge that the water pressure is at least 1 bar
• Check the outside warning pipe if water is leaking once the system is pressurised 

Radiators not hot – this can be due to a number of reasons and is one of the top boiler faults. If the radiator is hot at the bottom but not at the top, this may be because there is air in the radiator. You can rectify this easily by bleeding the radiator. If it is not because of air, it may be due to a broken pump i.e. hot water is not being circulated to the radiators or a build-up of corrosion in the pipes which may require a power flush to rectify.

No heat or hot water – potential causes include broken diaphragms and airlocks, failure of motorised valves, issues with the thermostat or low water levels.

Leaking and dripping – a variety of issues could cause your boiler to leak water. It will depend on where the water is leaking from to determine the cause.

Strange banging, whistling or gurgling noises. This occurs when high-pressure water is travelling through a tap or a ball valve and, while running can cause a loud whining noise. Also, when the valve or tap is turned off, fast-moving water comes to an abrupt stop, causing a shock wave through the pipe work resulting in a loud bang. –, alternatively, it could be that the water pressure is too low or it’s kettling

Frozen condensate pipe – Thawing a frozen condensate pipe should ideally be done by a qualified engineer.

Thermostat issues – if the thermostat is losing accuracy or turning the heating on/off when it’s not supposed to it might be time to invest in a newer, more energy efficient one. This could be due to a faulty thermostat

Kettling – hearing a strange rumbling noise? When lime scale builds up on your boiler’s heat exchange you get kettling.

No central heating or hot water

• Check pilot light, make sure the light is lit.
• Check that the central heating programmer is set to “on”. It may have been turned off in error.
• Check that the thermostats are turned up to the correct level.

Check that the electricity supply is switched on and that the central heating fuse has not blown. If both are fine but the programmer is not receiving power, there may be a loose connection

If a motorised valve is fitted (to control the flow of hot water from the boiler), slide the manual lever to open it. If there is resistance, the valve is not opening properly. This could indicate a burnt-out motor. 

If the pump isn’t working, you can try to start it manually. Turn off the central heating system and wait until the pump is cold. Remove the screw in the middle of the pump and turn the impeller (the pump’s manual starter). On some models, this is a small screw that is turned with a screwdriver. On others, there is a small handle attached. If this doesn’t work, try tapping the pump casing sharply, but gently, with a mallet 2 or 3 times, or remove the pump, and flush clean water through it with a hosepipe. Do not submerge it in water. If none of this works, replace the pump.

If the pump is running, but the boiler does not light, check that the pilot light is on and that the gas supply is turned on at the meter

If a combination boiler will not light, check on the pressure gauge that the water pressure is at least 1 bar

Radiators NOT getting hot when the heating is turned ON:

Sometimes pump failure, sometimes failure of the motor in the motorised valve. With pump failure, sometimes the upstairs radiators will continue to heat up by natural convection leaving just the downstairs rads cold.

If the central heating is working but there is no hot water

Check that the thermostat is set to 60°C.

If you have a motorised valve, check that it is open. If it won’t open, you’ll have to call a heating engineer.

If you have an air release valve by your hot water cylinder, it may need bleeding. You should find the valve on the pipe, which enters the heating coil.

No Hot Water or Central Heating

First check that the programmer is set to ‘on’. This may seem really obvious but it can turn off by mistake.

Check the temperature is set higher than the current temperature of the house. If it is lower, it will switch off.

Take a look to see whether the heating pressure is set to the correct setting. If you’re not sure, check the manufacturer’s instructions and set it to the recommended pressure setting.

If your cylinder has a motorised valve, you’ll need to check whether it’s working properly, as this could help you diagnose the problem. You can check whether the valve is opening by sliding the manual lever. If there is any resistance, the valve is not opening automatically. In this situation, you’ll have to call a heating engineer.

If the upstairs radiators are hot but the downstairs radiators are cold

This is probably due to a jammed pump.

If the downstairs radiators are hot but the upstairs ones are cold

Check that there is water in the feed-and-expansion cistern. If it is empty, the ball valve has probably jammed. Bleed the air from the system.

Radiators getting hot when the heating is turned off?

Water intended for the hot water circuit can leak past into the radiator circuit, making the radiators warm even though the heating is turned off. 

Whichever reason is causing the radiators to get hot, a drain-down is required to allow replacement of the faulty component, but there is no reason not to cope with the problem by turning off the radiators that are getting hot. No harm will be done.

Showers

There are many manufacturers and shower types on the market today. They can mainly be divided into three areas:

Gravity showers – Rely on the head of water in the storage tank to push the water out of the shower Pumped showers – Use an additional pump to force water out of the shower head.

Electric showers – Rely on mains’ water pressure to push the water through the shower head.

Expansion noise: This occurs in hot water or central heating pipework. As heated water passes through the pipes, it expands and the pipework creaks. The same happens as the pipes cool.

1. Inspect clips/brackets
2. Inspect notching
3. Inspect insulation and padding

Water hammer: This can be a common complaint when the CWSC is refilling after hot water has been used. Either a juddering sound is vibrated in the pipework as the FOV shuts off, or the FOV shuts off suddenly sending a shock wave down the pipework.

1. Inspect FOV and tap washer
2. Install flow restrictor
3. Change to an equilibrium valve
4. Inspect clipping distances

Thermostat failure: The hot water temperature will be affected. If the stat fails open, the customer will have no hot water; if it fails closed, the temperature will continue to rise, potentially to dangerous levels.

The customer will notice both faults but these will need to be inspected carefully.

Indicator: No hot water; hot water too hot; cold water warming up; steam in loft area; open vent discharging.

• Replace cylinder stat

Immersion element: failure: In a direct cylinder the customer will have no hot water, in an indirect cylinder the customer may not know until they need a backup heat source.

Indicator: No hot water; fuse blowing; MCB tripping

Failure of coil: If the coil fails, the pressure from the CWSC is slightly greater than the pressure from the F&E cistern. This means water is forced into the primary system and will cause the warning pipe on the F&E to discharge. Also, the hot water may be slightly discoloured when drawn off. Indicator: F&E overflow dripping; hot water discoloured.

• Replace cylinder with a current approved part L cylinder

Loss of air bubble: This will only occur in a single feed cylinder or certain unvented cylinders. With the single feed cylinder, the hot water will be discoloured when drawn off. With the unvented cylinder, the pressure relief valve will discharge when the water is heated.

• In both cases the secondary system will need draining to the base of the hot water cylinder
• Then the system can be refilled, which will reinstate the air bubble

Water boiling: This should be evident to a customer, with steam in the loft area, the open vent discharging and water dangerously hot when drawn off.

This occurred when old immersion heater thermostats failed with the element still powered. If older immersions are found they need to be replaced with new immersions that contain a non-self-resetting thermal cut-out.

If a cylinder stat fails, the water will continue to heat but will then be controlled by the boiler stat, which should cut out at approximately 80-850C.

Cold water warming up

This can happen due to the hot and cold water pipes being too close together and so the heat from the hot water pipe transfers over to the cold water pipe. Hot water pipes should be installed above cold water pipes to avoid this transfer of heat, and insulated to avoid heat loss. As already mentioned, if the hot water cylinder overheats, the vent pipe discharges into the CWSC and this can also warm the cold water up. The hot pipe should be above the cold pipework, and if there is any possibility of heat transfer the pipe should be insulated.

Airlocks

This generally occurs in low-pressure systems, when the pipework is not installed correctly, and it can be a constant nuisance especially when commissioning. A common situation is when horizontal pipework slightly rises, allowing air to be trapped and water pressure is too low to push the air out of place. Indicator: No flow of water or intermittent water flow.

• Install pipework correctly

Blockages

These generally occur due to debris in the system and will affect the flow rate at draw-off points. At the commissioning stage, the system will need to be flushed out to remove any debris.

Limescale

This is very apparent in hard water areas and can cause blockages, jam components, reduce efficiency and cause unsightly build-ups. Sometimes most noticeable on shower heads where the flow rate from the rose reduces over time.

Indicators: Reduced water flow; build-ups on draw-off points; stiff valves.

• Install a water softener or install a scale inhibitor

Temporary hard water 

Can cause maintenance problems in plumbing systems. If hard water is heated above 650C, it loses its calcium and limescale is formed. Look at the inside of the kettle.

• The limescale insulates the water from the heat source
• The limescale can cause blockages
• Ideally, hard water needs to be treated before it enters a domestic water system.

There are instances when warm water comes out of cold taps

• A hot pipe touching a cold pipe
• The hot pipe has been installed below a cold pipe

Both these situations relate to heat gain: a cold pipe should always be installed below a hot pipe to prevent heat gain.

 Under-sink pipes

The kitchen sink might be the most commonly used area of plumbing in the home, so it makes sense that it’s a common area for problems. The pipes under the sink, often doubling as a kitchen storage area, can often play suspect to leaks.

Often, this is caused by the pipe being knocked out of place. Usually tightening the affected area will solve the problem. In the case of extreme damage or scrapes, where an actual hole in a piece of pipe is causing leakage, the pipe may need to be replaced.

Blocked pipes

Blocked pipes can cause water to drain annoyingly slowly down the sink or even prevent it moving completely. In bathrooms, drains usually become blocked by hair or shampoo and other bathing products; in kitchens, scraps of food and cooking oil are the main culprits

Water softener (or Base Exchange unit)

The only true way to totally prevent scale, scum and tide marks is to fit a water softener.

This is a process where water is taken through a zeolite or resin bed before flowing out of the top of the vessel to the tap. The resin holds the calcium within the filter. The unit is then back-washed by a brine solution to allow the process to resume.

Balancing the system

1. Open all the radiator valves on the system fully.
2. Fire the boiler.
3. Feel which radiator heats up first, mark it 1 and close the wheel head valve off.
4. Feel for the second, third, fourth radiator etc until all the radiators have been marked in a sequence of heating.
5. The final radiator to heat up and to be marked should be the index radiator.

Now count the number of full turns it takes to close the lock shield valve from the open position.

Divide the number of turns by the number of radiators, plus one installed in the system.

Eg: My system has 9 (9 + 1 = 10) radiators and the lock shield valve rotates 5 full turns

5 / 10 = half a turn

This is a rule-of-thumb method but shows the principle of Balancing the system Now fire the boiler up again and allow the system to warm up and reach temperature. Feel the radiators as they warm up. 

They should be warming up uniformly. When the system is warm there should be a 100C temperature difference between the flow and return pipework. This can be measured by using clip-on thermometers or digitally.