In the cold winter months your boiler is put under additional strain and stress as you rely on it more and more to heat your home and make your household comfortable.

However, over the cold snap you may be one of the unlucky ones who experiences problems with boiler breakdown including a total failure of the heating system.

To add to any concerns you may have about your existing boiler, it has also recently been found that the new condensing boilers that the majority of UK households have installed have major problems associated to them working correctly in the winter months. This is surprising to learn as even though these boilers are considered to have better energy efficiency and households are encouraged to install them (especially with Government legislation) they are prone to breakdown issues. This fact is backed up by the findings from British Gas who in Yorkshire alone had over 60,000 call-outs regarding broken down boilers last year.

The reason for the condensing boiler breakdown seems to be due to the same reoccurring problem being when the cold weather causes the pipe which takes waste water from the back of the condensing boiler freezes. This causes the boiler to stop working, shutting down the whole system and in some cases causing permanent damage to the boiler.

This type of issue isn’t common in older boilers as they produced hot gases which heats the water in the system and around 25 per cent of these gases are let out of the waste pipe in the form of hot steam therefore freezing doesn’t happen. But, in condensing boilers these gases condense into water which is then fed back into and around the system.

One of the ways to plan for such a breakdown is to install radiant heat technology which uses embedded pipes in the walls and floors and therefore reduces the possibility of the pipes becoming frozen. Even though this is a common solution and feature of many houses in Europe it is not common in the UK and therefore would costs thousands for a home to try and back engineer this type of technology. Therefore, in the UK the only way to try and prevent freezing is to lag and insulate as many of the visible and external pipes as possible.

Another problem associated with the boiler is that the water vapour that is produced by the boilers can be slightly acidic which can cause erosion to the boiler parts which causes it to breakdown. Unfortunately, when this happens the parts will need to be replaced.

The best solution in both cases is prevention. It is therefore important to get the boiler serviced regularly as this will keep it in the best economic care and prolong the life of the boiler and its parts. It will also alert you to any potential breakdown issues which you can fix in a timely manner to ensure that you aren’t one of the unlucky ones shivering in winter when the boiler breaks down unexpectedly.

Guest Article by Sarah Wain

Gas boilers are comprised of many complicated components that all have the potential of breaking down during the boilers lifespan.

Even with installing a reputable and well-made boiler all boilers are prone to problems. However, it should be noted that all these boiler issues can be planned against and can be diagnosed early by looking out for tell-tale early warning signals.

The most common boiler problems and the tell-tale signs of faults occurring are highlighted as follows:

• Thermostats and time switches – over time thermostats can become faulty and give inaccurate readings and temperature settings (such as putting the heat on or off at the wrong times). Time switches are timer and clock devices that can often go wrong as well. If either the thermostat or time switch fails then it jeopardises the whole operation of the boiler.
• Circuit boards – the circuit boards in boilers can fail. These circuit boards control the workings of the boiler and when the circuit board fails, the boiler will fail completely. Often this is a sign of a bigger problem as a pipe leak can often put water on the circuit board leading to boiler breakdown.
• Condensation pipes – these pipes take condensation from your boiler to the drain outside. Some times in winter and cold weather the pipe is prone to freezing and this will cause blockages which can back-up to the boiler causing boiler problems. Signs that the condensation pipe has frozen include a bubbling sound coming from the boiler or the condensation pipe.
• Pressure, water leaks and the water pump – a boiler needs the correct pressure to ensure it operates at its optimum performance level. You should keep an eye on the pressure gauge to make sure your boiler isn’t losing any pressure. Regarding water leaks these can start off small and can gradually cause a loss of pressure in the boiler. It is also essential to check the water pump is circulating water through the system correctly. If it isn’t it will mean that water isn’t circulating to the radiators.

To repair boiler problems it isn’t recommended that you try to carry out any repairs yourself. You should always employ the services of a qualified and approved gas engineer. It is also recommended that you get your boiler serviced annually to prevent any future faults or expensive repairs. Remember that servicing a boiler is extremely important to test the boiler against the stress that it is put under and to alleviate against wear and tear over time.

Guest Article by Sarah Wain

The end of summer is fast approaching and with September experiencing some last minute sunshine you will still be enjoying the break you are having from heating your home over the summer months.

However, during the summer period you should have been thinking ahead to the winter months and getting your boiler and central heating system serviced and if necessary repaired or replaced over this quiet period.

This is because summer is the best time to get the condition of your boiler checked-out by a qualified tradesman and there are many reasons why.

Firstly, if your boiler does have a problem then it can be fixed on your own time and the repair doesn’t become an emergency as if it arose over the winter months. Having this flexibility of time would just not be a factor in winter months.

Secondly, the price may be cheaper in the summer as the engineer and their resources will not be so pressed and booked up. Many companies offer households incentive schemes in the summer months to replace their boilers as they find that their engineers are less busy over this period. Currently, British Gas is running a £400 boiler scrappage scheme on selected new boilers. This means that households who are with British Gas can get a quote to trade-in their old boiler to a newer more energy efficient Worcester boiler and save £400. The only proviso is that the quote and installation needs to take place by the 2nd October 2011.

Finally, if you have to replace your boiler completely, by doing it in the summer months it will mean that you won’t experience any loss of heating as it won’t be on anyway. This would be a real problem in the cold winter months. Also, by replacing a boiler over the summer months it will start saving you money as soon as you need to use it as the newer boiler will be much more energy efficient. This will mean that when your first energy bill of the winter months arrives, though it will be more than your summer consumption it will be less than you have experienced in the past.

If you haven’t had your boiler serviced yet this year or you know that it needs repairs or possibly replacing then it is recommended that you should look to do this as soon as possible. There is still time to book this in before the busy winter period starts and don’t forget to look out for boiler scrappage schemes to help you financially. Make sure you aren’t left in the cold this winter by getting your boiler serviced, repaired or replaced today.

Guest Article by Sarah Wain

Soccer club Torquay United may have been rueing more than one mistake on Saturday afternoon, which saw them squander a one goal advantage to finish all square with visitors Southend United.

The Gulls, who play their football in League Two, were left red faced when a fault with their boiler left them unable to enjoy a post-match shower at the Plainmoor game. Had the team had boiler cover in place, they may have been able to enjoy a warm wash after the muddy game, rather endure cold showers or head for home in their kit.

According to the local Herald Express, the heating incident “rounded off an afternoon of much effort and plenty of mistakes” for the team, who currently lie a few points off the play-off zone in the basement division. After watching the team fail to overcome their play-off rivals, newspaper reported David Thomas commented: “An ‘if only’ afternoon – and those cold showers must have gone down a treat.”

Of course, it’s not the only time this season that a football team may have been left wishing they’d invested in boiler insurance. Last month, Premier League paupers Blackpool FC suffered the indignity of their third boiler breakdown of the season, leaving their opponents Liverpool facing a cold shower after a shock defeat. After the game, Tangerines boss Ian Holloway admitted that his own players were annoyed by the lack of warm water. “My lads were embarrassed and freezing again themselves. Cold showers!” he told the Mirror, before adding that the club’s chairman Karl Oyston had finally been persuaded to invest in a new boiler at the Bloomfield Road stadium. “We have managed to talk him into buying the right type of boiler now, that won’t break down. He has told me that he will do, but he wouldn’t sanction it the other week.”

Of course, with the right sort of insurance in place, shelling out for a new boiler doesn’t have to cost earth. Along with covering the cost of repairs and an annual service, many comprehensive policies also offer money off a new boiler if the old one has been written off by an engineer. Whether you run a football club or a home, no one wants to be left out in the cold – or left to foot the bill when things break down. However, the right sort of insurance can nip both of these problems in the bud. Back of the net!

Guest Article by Alex Smith

The cold weather is a reminder that if your boiler is going to break down, it will do so on the coldest day of the year.

This is not only due to the law of fate, or bad luck, but if you think about it logically, then during the winter the boiler is being used more (and therefore stressed mechanically more). And on those bitterly cold days, the boiler will likely be hammered, constantly working to provide extra heat for the hot water tank and radiators.

And that is the most likely time it will fail. Modern day boilers are more reliable, but they are also more complex than they ever used to be and therefore, can be prone to problems.

Consider for a moment when condensing boilers were first introduced on a large scale into the UK. These new boilers could return energy efficiency rates of plus 90%. They do this by taking two grabs at the energy being produced by burning the gas. Firstly, there is the heat from the fuel burning process. But then there’s all that waste heat that traditionally went up the flue, or chimney. By catching that second lot of heat, boilers became dramatically more efficient, but at a cost. They are more expensive to install and because of the extra bits (for example drain piping and flue fans) needed to fulfil their role, potentially more prone to breakdown.

And in the first major UK winter for many years, a problem did crop up. A liquid is formed – known as condensate – during the collection of the heat from the waste gases. This is collected from the boiler via a length of pipe to an outside drain. When the temperatures dropped, these pipes froze and the boiler, rightly identifying it could not work properly with a blocked pipe, shut down. A simple problem, with a simple solution (de-frost the pipe), but for many users it was a nightmare until the problem could be diagnosed and put right.

Nowadays modern boilers have temperature control systems which prevent this problem, but the point is well made, and should be noted: modern boilers are potentially more prone to breakdowns.

And if this is the case, then homeowners need to know that there is a service on which they can rely. Emergency plumbers are notoriously expensive and their call-out charges can give people palpitations.

But a new service from British Gas can help to quell people’s fears. They have produced a new fixed price repair service for anyone with a boiler, or central heating system.

And the great advantage is with the British Gas service, that they will provide a fixed price before their engineer starts work. And this one price will include all call-out charges, labour and parts; all agreed before the job starts and therefore not depended on the size of the job. And what’s more, if the boiler isn’t fixed, then there’s no charge.

All work is carried out by Gas Safe registered engineers (remember, that’s the law, not registered, can’t work on a boiler) everything is protected by a guarantee of a year.

British Gas also supply a 24/7 free emergency helpline.

So, if your boiler throws a wobbly, try the guys and gals at British Gas.

Guest Article by Neil Camp