Boiler Breakdown Repairs in Coate

On systems with a cylinder, heating and hot water are usually controlled by a motorised valve. If it sticks in the hot water position, the cylinder heats but the radiators don't. Check the programmer is calling for heating and the room thermostat is turned up, then call me if the radiators stay cold.

Yes, Coate is within the area I cover, along with Old Town Swindon, Chiseldon and the rest of Swindon nearby. It's about 7 miles from Highworth. Give me your SN3 postcode and your road name when you call.

Leave the heating on a low setting or frost mode rather than switching everything off, so the pipes are protected. Ask a neighbour to check on the house and give them my number. If the boiler breaks down while you're away, they can note the code and pressure reading, and turn off the stopcock if there's a leak.

On an older open-vented system, an overflowing feed and expansion tank usually means the float valve isn't shutting off, or a coil in the hot water cylinder has failed and water is passing between circuits. Either way it needs looking at. Note whether water is running from an overflow pipe outside and call me.

Cold weather puts boilers under the most strain, so weak parts often give way then. It also freezes condensate pipes and pipes in lofts or garages. Tell me where the boiler and its pipes are, and whether the fault clears when it warms up. That points to the likely cause.

If only the hot water is discoloured, it may be corrosion in an older cylinder or debris in the system. If the cold water is discoloured too, the cause is more likely your water supply, and your water company is the right first contact. Tell me which taps are affected when you call.

Some parts are specific to one boiler model and have to be ordered in, which means the repair is finished once the part arrives. If that applies to your boiler, ask what has failed and what happens next, so you know where things stand.

That usually points to an unbalanced system, stuck thermostatic radiator valves, or poor circulation sending most of the heat to one radiator. It isn't always a boiler fault. If the boiler is running normally, mention it when you call, as it helps tell whether the system or the boiler is to blame.

Soot or staining around a boiler or its flue can be a sign of poor combustion, which can produce carbon monoxide. Switch the boiler off, open a window and don't use it until it has been checked. If a carbon monoxide alarm sounds or anyone feels unwell, get outside and call 0800 111 999.

For a boiler that has stopped, calling is better, because I can ask about the code, the pressure and the boiler type while you're standing next to it. The form is fine for jobs that can wait, like a service or a new boiler enquiry. If you do use it for a breakdown, include your phone number.