FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Why is my heating system is losing pressure?
How do I know if my condensate pipe is blocked?
How often should I have to top-up the pressure in my heating system?
What should I do if the bottom of my radiator is HOT but the top is COLD?
- This is normally due to a build up of air in the radiator. This can usually be cured by bleeding the radiator using a bleed key. Have a cloth ready to catch the drips as the water can be dirty.
What should I do if the top of my radiator is HOT but the bottom is COLD?
- This can be more of a challenge. This can occur on older systems and is often due to a build up of sludge or Magnetite in the bottom of the radiator. Excessive deposits in a central heating system indicate that the water has not been treated with a corrosion inhibitor over the life of the installation, or perhaps the inhibitor has been emptied at some point and not topped up? Other indications are noisy pumps sticking valves poor warm up times intermittent radiator warm up and boiler overheating. Although it is often possible to effect an improvement by adding a chemical 'central heating restorer' to the system or disconnecting the radiator and flushing it out outside with a high pressure hose ultimately the the most permanent remedy is professional flushing & cleaning. Click here for more information on Powerflushing
How often should I have my boiler serviced?
- It is vital, for safety and efficiency, to have the boiler serviced annually. BOILER iQ charge £50.00 for this which includes an electronic test of the boiler emissions using specialist equipment which checks the level of Carbon Monoxide produced within the boiler.
What should I do if I smell gas?
- Turn off the gas supply at the meter. Open windows but do not turn any electrical items on or off. Call Transco on 0800 111 999 in the first instance. If the leak is on your pipework/equipment (the customer side of the meter) Transco will normally turn off the supply and advise you to contact your local Gas Safe registered engineer. Call us and we will attend asap.
How long will my boiler last?
- This very much depends on the type of boiler chosen, and the quality of the system it is connected to. It is usually worth purchasing the best boiler you can afford as they are not all the same inside. The most expensive boiler is not always the best and we would always recommend discussing your options with your installer. BOILER iQ recommend Vaillant and Worcester Bosch products as a premium brand, and we also believe Alpha boilers represent good value for money on a lesser budget. We suggest that condensing boilers, depending on type, will last around 10-12 years.
My hot water is not warm enough?
- On a Combination Boiler this is usually due to sludge and scale build up in the DHW heat exchanger. This is not a DIY job to rectify, and can be indicative of more far reaching corrosion problems in the system. In a normal, cylinder fed system, the 'cylinder stat' could be set too low. During winter months, the boiler thermostat will need to be set nearer the maximum than in summer, due to the extra demands made by the central heating.
What is a condensing boiler?
- Conventional boilers emit hot exhaust gases from the flue when they are operating. A condensing boiler transfers much of this wasted heat to the water in the boiler, before it reaches the flue outlet. An excellent idea, which saves on fuel use and therefore operating costs. During normal operation, condensing boilers lower the temperature of their exhaust gases below 100 degrees, at which point plumes of water vapour can be seen coming from the flue outside. For this reason condensing boiler flues should be sited sensitively. Whilst there are gas consumption savings to be made from a condensing boiler, their actual efficiency is dependent upon the system design of the heating circuit. A condensing boiler is more complex to manufacture and this is reflected in the higher purchase price. Some experts say that the payback period for a condensing boiler can be 3 years.
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