Please only call the national Gas Emergency Number 0800 111 999 if you have a gas emergency, can smell gas or you suspect you have a carbon monoxide issue.

Issues with your boiler

If you have an issue with your gas boiler or any other gas appliance please call a Gas Safe registered engineer or your gas supplier. The gas emergency number won’t be able to assist with boiler issues.

For a Gas Safe registered engineer in your area call 0800 408 5500 or visit: www.gassaferegister.co.uk/find-an-engineer

How to thaw a frozen condensate (boiler) pipe

To thaw frozen boiler pipes, hold a hot water bottle, or heat wrap, around the pipe. Alternatively, pour hot, not boiling, water over the frozen end of the pipe.

If the boiler fires up, it’s fixed. If it doesn’t then pour hot water on the pipe again. If your pipes are still frozen, call your supplier.

Are your radiators cold?

There could be a number of reasons that mean your radiators aren’t heating up properly. It’s not always a fault with your central heating system and carrying out a few basic checks first could help fix the problem in no time:

• Is your thermostat too low? If no radiators are heating up check the thermostat in your room and on the boiler itself. Your manufacturer’s manual will provide details on the correct settings
• Is the timer set correctly? We’ve all set a timer for our central heating to come on and then realised we forgot about 24-hour clock so check and make sure all the timings are correct
• Is your boiler’s pilot light out? Your boiler’s manual should have instructions on relighting this but you should also find details on the back of the boiler’s front panel

How to deal with frozen pipes

If the freezing temperatures have got hold of your pipes, it’s important to defrost them as quickly as possible to help reduce the risk of them cracking or bursting. Follow these steps:

• Find out where the blockage is. Feel along the pipe and if a section feels much colder than the rest, that’s probably where the blockage is
• Use a hairdryer or hot water bottle to melt the frozen blockage. Never use a naked flame or pour boiling water on to the pipes