No hot water? Don't put your life on hold! Use our expert guide to find the root cause of why you have no hot water.
There’s nothing more miserable than returning home on a chilly spring evening to find there’s no hot water to wash or take a shower.
Despite avoiding the ‘Beast from the East' this year, most of us are still reliant on our central heating well into March and April.
So if you’ve no hot water, how do you track down the cause?
Different heating systems have different points of failure, but since we’re talking mainly about UK residents on our blog, we can assume that you’ve got a gas boiler or an electric water heater on your property.
Before calling an expensive emergency plumber, run through our checklist to see if you can fix the fault yourself.
Be aware that any whiff of gas is a sign of a serious problem. If you smell gas, immediately call your provider and don’t touch any power switches or appliances in your home.
Easy Fixes for Gas Boilers When There’s No Hot Water
If you’ve got a gas boiler, and you’ve suddenly lost your hot water, there are a couple of easy things to check.
First things first: the pilot light. Depending on the design of your boiler, the pilot light might be clearly visible, or it could be hidden inside the boiler out of sight.
Some boilers - especially older ones - are susceptible to draughts which can blow out the pilot light.
Consult the manual to re-light the pilot light. A quick Google will do the trick if you’ve no manual handy.
My Boiler Isn’t On!
This is another easy fix. If your boiler appears to be dead, check your electrical supply, because you may find that a switch in the consumer unit has tripped, and that could stop it from working.
Also, have a look at the little dial on the boiler to check the water pressure. If it’s below 1, or in the red zone, you need to add water to increase the pressure. Sometimes, this problem is accompanied by a rattling noise, so you might be aware of an issue already.
Finally, check your thermostat just in case you’ve made a mistake with the programming. Perhaps the batteries have run out in your controller unit, or maybe your WiFi thermostat’s program has been wiped somehow.
No Hot Water via Electric Heater
Electric water heaters are similar to gas heaters. Check timers and water pressure in the same way.
Ensure that the water is flowing through the heater as it should, without the pressure being too high.
If all else fails, it could be that the element has failed inside your electric boiler, and you’ll need to call someone out to have a look at it.
Managing the Cost of Boiler Repair
If you can’t fix the fault yourself, you’ll need to get an expert to come and have a look at your boiler or water heater. Be sure to hire someone with the appropriate Gas Safe credentials if a gas supply is involved.
Reliable & affordable boiler repairs
Before you hit Facebook to look for a local engineer, give Go Assist a call and get a quote for a fixed price repair.