Common central heating problems and what to do about them
The cold winter days are here again, so it’s time to spark up your boiler to keep your house warm and comfortable during the frosty weather. Ideally, you should have been running your central heating system at intervals through the summer, but who turns the heating on when it’s 30 degrees outside? After leaving the system dormant for so long, you’re bound to encounter a few problems – here are some of the most common and some quick fixes you can try to solve them.
My radiators have cold spots at the top
This is maybe the simplest problem to fix, because bleeding radiators is a simple and straightforward job these days. Turn off the central heating then arm yourself with a radiator key or a slot head screwdriver, a cloth and/or bowl to catch the drips and you’re good to go. First insert the key or screwdriver in the valve and stand by with the cloth or bowl. Now turn slowly and gently anticlockwise until the water runs – be warned, in newer radiators you’ll get a jet rather than a dribble. Then quickly turn clockwise (to the right). Switch the heating on, add pressure using the filling loop if necessary, and voila! You’ll have radiators that are warm all the way through.
My overflow keeps running – help!
This is another easy fix – you’ll need to locate the ballcock in the header tank (usually in the loft) and make sure it’s unjammed. If you can’t access the ballcock, then turn off the valve that controls the inflow of water and see if that fixes the problem. If you have an immersion tank, contact us for experienced plumbing help.
My boiler’s making a funny noise, what can I do?
This is a three-step fix. First, turn it off and on again – sometime boilers make a ‘kettling’ (chugging sound) when first lit. Second, locate the air bleed screw and vent any excess air. Three, call Anglian Pumps and let one of our experienced plumbers flush the system.
If you’re having problems with hot water or a loss of pressure in your heating system, contact us for help and advice.