Anyone have any advice? Boiler not working for a year
Posted by Whimsical-Cloud@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 49 comments
Hi, I'm just looking for some advice on what to do. I live with my mum and my siblings. I'm the eldest at 23, and the youngest is 8.
Last December, our boiler stopped working.
My parents own the house, and they bought it on credit cards, as they couldn't get a mortgage. My dad doesn't live with us anymore, and has nothing to do with us.
My mum ended up borrowing and being gifted some electric heaters, and I think we have 5 in total. But they're too expensive to run all at once, so we mostly just had one on last winter, and swapped it between rooms. Thankfully our shower is electric, so we do have hot showers.
My mum doesn't work, although she's doing a few week course now, and she's hoping she gets a teaching assistant role after it. It's through the job center I think.
I'm currently in the process of finding an apprenticeship. When I had a job in the past, I paid £300 in board for about 2 years. So no one in the house currently works at the moment, and money is incredibly tight. I do have savings, but most of it is in a specific account for a house in the future.
We have had several companies for a government grant scheme come round to see if we qualify for free insulation or a new boiler and stuff, but each and every one of them has said that we'd only qualify for free insulation, or nothing, and not a new boiler.
We're heading into autumn/winter now, and it's just starting to get chilly in the house. My mum has no money to fix it. She hasn't got enough to see if a guy will come out and give us a quote. I'm not yet in work and I can't currently help.
Is there anything anyone knows of that can help?
Thanks in advance
Bobbyfloppy@reddit
It has a condensate pump. I’d guess this has failed. The live supply for the boiler is usually wired through the condensate pump so if the pump fails it doesn’t overfill and leak. OP it’s probably a very simple fix for someone who knows what they are doing. What area of the country do you live?
Big_Arachnid9001@reddit
Yeah I had something similar and it ended up being a pressure issue rather than the pump, so definitely worth checking that as well.
Sometimes it’s just low pressure stopping the boiler firing properly, especially if it’s dropped over time.
If you're in Tunbridge Wells, this page explains the common boiler issues and what causes them:
https://boilerrepairtunbridgewells.co.uk/emergency-gas-engineer-tunbridge-wells/
Helped me narrow down what it could be before getting it sorted.
Whimsical-Cloud@reddit (OP)
I've suggested to my mum to get someone to look at it, so we at least know the problem and how cheap/expensive it'll be, but she won't entertain the idea bc she doesn't have the money :( It's been bugging me, but I do understand that money is tight, and I'm trying to get an apprenticeship asap so I can support the family again. We live near the Burnley area, in the North West
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Yob_Yob@reddit
You're 23 man, get a job and pay for the boiler to be fixed by someone who isn't a mate of a mate doing you a favor (who will just break it more). Walk down to your local Tesco's and ask for a job stacking shelves if you have to.
Whimsical-Cloud@reddit (OP)
Unfortunately it does not work like that anymore. No matter how many businesses I walk into, I can not get a job by simply asking. Everywhere wants you to apply online. I have tried already. I am looking. I also have my own aspirations, and while I can put money forward to my mum when I get work, I cannot afford to pay for a new boiler if we need a new one. My mum bought the house, not me, but I am prepared to help.
Yob_Yob@reddit
I'm genuinely not trying to be an ah. But the question I think you should be trying to find an answer to isn't how to fix your mums boiler (largely unless its something seriously simple you shouldn't try to fix it), the question is how can you get enough money to get a pro over to sort it. This is just my opinion (get bum sore if you like) but at 23 you should really be employed or earning money. Its not a put down at all to go get a job you don't want long term. Coming up to Xmas so should be a lot of temp jobs coming up.
Also - you should be prepared to help to hats off for that.
Whimsical-Cloud@reddit (OP)
I get what you're trying to say. Mostly, I was hoping if anyone knew of any other government grant schemes that could help, considering my mum has tried one, but we don't qualify bc the boiler efficiency rating is good, even though it does not work. Also, I can send my mum the replies, and hopefully she'll try get a professional come and look at it so we know whether it's a cheap/expensive fix.
As for me working. I've held a job for over 3 years already, and I quit work about a year ago bc I had safeguarding concerns at where I was working, and it tied in with my family going through an awful time and it was beneficial to my mum for me to be off work as I could help out with the kids while my mum took my dad to court. I'm not a lazy woman who just wants to live off my mum forever. I really really want to get back to work now. I'm trying to get an apprenticeship in the motor trade, and I had an interview last week. I have also applied to lots of cleaning jobs, and interviewed for one a couple of weeks ago. Believe me, I am trying. I've visited over 25 garages, phoned countless more, and applied to over 40 jobs in the last few months. It's easy to say I should be working, but actually trying to get back into work isn't as simple as walking into a shop and getting hired
Yob_Yob@reddit
Shame on me for assuming you were a guy earlier, sorry and sorry for the situation. Motor trade is a hard path at the moment, what do you want to do ultimately?
Lots of the grants for gas boilers have died a bit since the push towards heat pumps, I believe you can (as you said earlier) still have your house insulated which can be a double edged sword however the heat pump grants still involve you having to pay a company 3-5k even with the grant.
There are no easy answers, igni.org.uk has an eligibility checker for the free gas boiler grant which I suspect you have already found? British Gas also has a 0% over 3 years for a new (and installed) boiler, they have terms upto 10 years but that isn't at 0% might be worth finding out how much that is?
The other energy provider (EDF and Octopus) have various offers and adverts for grants which you can check out but as said earlier many are related to heat pumps which may not be a good fit for you.
Re-jobs, might also be worth speaking to your old school or college to see if they have anything, my 2nd ever job was back at my secondary school where they remembered me and found me a temp role until I could get another permanent job.
Whimsical-Cloud@reddit (OP)
Lol it's alright. It does seem that way. I really really want to be a mechanic. My bf used to be a mechanic, he's an auto electrician now, but he's been teaching me bits and pieces. I've replaced brakes and stuff on my mum's car to save her money. I don't want to give up my dream, but I've been trying to get a cleaning job or something on the side, just so I've got some money coming in. Unfortunately I was 'homeschooled' (more like not-schooled) so I don't have an old school that I can go back to and ask for a temp role or advice.
Thank you. I will send my mum the links. I'm not 100% sure which one she found before. And I'll have a look into the British gas thing too. We're with octopus energy (my mum loves the free electricity hours) so I'll let her know about those too. Thanks again!
Yob_Yob@reddit
Good luck with the boiler and also with the job hunt. I really hope it works out for you.
Reading through the other comments, the suggestion to check the condensate pump was a good one and you wouldn't be doing anything desperately unsafe by checking that out. Its the white wall mounted unit the condensate (also white) pipe is going into towards the bottom of one of your pictures. As the other poster (who called me an AH earlier lol) said the pump is likely off the same feed as the boiler, if its failed it might be blowing the fuse. Screwfix has new condensate pumps for £60. If you follow the wire from that pump back you should be able to find where its fused.
Opening the boiler up is a big no no though so don't be tempted to do that.
Whimsical-Cloud@reddit (OP)
Thank you.
I'm not personally going to touch the boiler. It's in my room, and my dad put the fear of god into me about touching it. I think he was right for that one thing at least lol.
But going off what people are saying, it sounds like it might be a cheapish fix, so I might be able to convince my mum to idk, spend a little less on me at Christmas so she can get someone to come look at it instead. My mum wants to look at the fuse I think, but I don't know anything about that either.
I gotta say, your first comment did rub me the wrong way, but you're not as bad as I thought you were lol. Thank you for the advice
Yob_Yob@reddit
I was thinking on my reply a little today. Although it might be an easy fix please please still try to get the boiler serviced in the future. A flu leak can be odorless and you have kids in the house.
Whimsical-Cloud@reddit (OP)
Well, my mum isn't budging on getting a professional round. She can't afford it, as she found it would be about £89 to get someone to come out just to look at it, without fixing it. She applied for the affordable warmth grant yesterday, but idk if that'll get us anywhere. If that doesn't work, then I'm just gonna drag some money out of my LISA account and pay for it myself
Whether or not the boiler will end up being serviced regularly idk. I'll do my best. My mum joint owns the house with my dad who's off in the Philippines with some young vulnerable woman, and also isn't allowed contact with us, and my mum can't afford anything bc she's hardly worked a job in her life. Life sucks lol, and I feel like I'm venting sorry
I do have an in-date carbon monoxide detector. I appreciate the concern.
Yob_Yob@reddit
Haha, thank you. I read your initial comment very differently too, with the back ground you've given since I would have written it very differently and it has been a good reminder to me to not jump to conclusions about someone and what kinds of problems they are facing. You took it really well too, I would have probably told me to F off!!
Evening-Tour@reddit
Boomers gonna boom.
That walking in off the street stuff ended in the 90's
Yob_Yob@reddit
Not even close.
Evening-Tour@reddit
Uh buddy, and when you ask then about it they tell you to apply online. Halfords will get you to go to Jobs - Recent Jobs, they arent saying stroll up to the counter, they are just advertising the vacancy, that you then apply for online. So there is no point on advantage to walking into the store, you can just check online.
Like I said your idea of walking in off the street, getting an application, or talking to a manger and getting a job ended in the 90's.
You are so out of date and unaware.
Boomers gonna boom
Yob_Yob@reddit
Haha, why make an assumption about my age? You're getting hung up on something minor. There are plenty of jobs about and its pretty naive to suggest that all jobs need an online application or to encourage the OP to fix his own gas boiler.
Evening-Tour@reddit
You sugested OP walk into Tesco and Halfords, they are online for applications, dont you remember those were your examples?
You need to be a gas safe registered engineer to work on a gas boiler, working on it yourself can lead to gas leaks, fires, carbon monoxide release or potentially an explosion, unless you are on the gas safe register it is illegal to carry out most work on a gas boiler.
Jesus you are just full of bad advice.
Boomer is a state of mind, and you have it............. in abundance.
Yob_Yob@reddit
What are you even talking about? You've said nothing helpful to anyone here. I bet you spend your life mooching around on here making passive aggressive useless comments trying to get a rise out of people just so you can batter them down and prove what a clever person you are while your own boiler is likely broken and you can't afford to have it fixed either.
I did suggest they walk into a few shops - seeing as the internet application doesn't seem to be working out so well maybe they should still give the walk in idea a go. Not every business advertises online, or insists on an online application, how defeatist do you have to be?
Evening-Tour@reddit
I only seem clever compared to you, and that's not exactly something to brag about.
I'm literally just repeating your own suggestions back to you and pointing out where you're wrong. If that's getting a "rise" out of you, it's probably because you're embarrassed, as you should be.
You're suggesting people work on their own gas boilers. If I were you, I wouldn't criticize anyone else—you're giving advice that could get people killed or, if they survive, prosecuted.
Log off, look in the mirror, and give yourself a shake to see if you can snap yourself back into coherence.
Yob_Yob@reddit
What an earth are you talking about? I've categorically said to NOT TOUCH the boiler, this all started when I made an off hand commend about getting a job so the OP could pay a professional. You are delusional.
You're so triggered you can't even read whats been written properly but congratulations on your promotion lol
Whimsical-Cloud@reddit (OP)
to fix her own gas boiler, lol
Bobbyfloppy@reddit
What use is this reply?! Arsehole comments isn’t going to help the OP
Yob_Yob@reddit
Try again, any idiot who tries to give the OP advice on how to fix their boiler is doing them no favors at all, if anything they are encouraging a pretty dangerous situation.
Nun-Taken@reddit
Has anybody been to try to fix the boiler? Do you know it’s not a simple fix?
Whimsical-Cloud@reddit (OP)
No, I have been pestering about that. My mum has a friend who gave her a number for a guy who might come round for free. But he doesn't know much about boilers, and would only be able to help if it was a simple fix, and he's not answered my mum's messages yet. But she's not got the money for a professional to come out and give us a quote
Nun-Taken@reddit
Got a picture of the boiler?
Whimsical-Cloud@reddit (OP)
Bifanarama@reddit
And what's wrong with it?
Whimsical-Cloud@reddit (OP)
So initially it had a leak, hence the tea towel on one of the pipes. But then the power went off, and it would not come back on. It just does not work
Lundierpants@reddit
If there is no power I would check the fuse in the plug/fuse spur it could just be that.
Whimsical-Cloud@reddit (OP)
I've let my mum know, and she's going to try order some fuses and have a look at it. Thanks for the suggestion!
LittleSadRufus@reddit
It will probably need to be repressurised when you get it up and working again. Google the model number for the manual, but usually there's just a valve to turn to let more water into the system.
And your radiators will likely need to be bled.
Also be prepared for new leaks in the system, as it has been out of service for so long and bits may have corroded. Just check every so often in the first few days.
Lundierpants@reddit
No problem, be sure to 3 amp fuses no other will do!
GordonLivingstone@reddit
The pipe that has the tea towel on it looks like the condensate pipe.
In normal use, water drips through that pipe and has to be gotten rid of.
The condensate pipe looks to be going into a pump unit. That has a tank. When the tank fills with water, the pump starts and pumps the liquid through the black pipe to somewhere it can be dumped.
If the pump fails to work, the fluid will back up and fill the white pipe - which might be why you had a leak. If the water backs up, the boiler will likely switch itself off.
So, your condensate pump may be faulty. Might be as simple as a fuse or the white or black pipes may be blocked. Or the motor could be faulty.
When you say the power went off, do you mean that nothing on the boiler lights up or that the screen lights but it doesn't start?
It could also be an unrelated problem. If it does light up, then it may well display a code saying what is wrong. The boler service manual would say what the codes mean. If it doesn't light up at all then a fuse might have gone or maybe the power gets cut if the condensate pump overflows.
Really, given that you obviously don't understand boilers, you need to hire a Gasafe engineer to look at it. It isn't legal for anyone else to try and fix the gas systems. Paying that money would likely save enough money on electric heating to be worthwhile.
Whimsical-Cloud@reddit (OP)
Okay, so the boiler has no power at all, and nothing lights up. Neither me, my mum, or anyone else in the house knows about boilers. I've suggested she gets a professional to look at it several times, so we at least know how cheap/expensive the problem may be, but she won't entertain the idea, bc she doesn't have the money.
She's going to look at the fuse I think, but idk. I get nervous about things I don't understand, and I'm aware boilers aren't the safest thing to mess around with if you don't know what you're doing
carnage2006@reddit
Does water leak from the white pipe or is water dripping onto it?
Whimsical-Cloud@reddit (OP)
Water was visible on the pipe that's got the big circle round it, but was actively dripping from the point that's got the small circle. As far as I'm aware, it's not currently leaking, but it was, before the boiler lost power. So it was dripping down onto the white pipe, but not from the white pipe
Violet351@reddit
You need a gas qualified plumber to look at it. someone that doesn’t know what they are doing could make the situation worse. It might be cheaper to fix it than pay for electric heaters all winter but you need someone to look at it first. If you can’t afford to repair it, there are some electric blankets or oil filled radiators which are cheaper to run than the small electric heaters.
TheBestBigAl@reddit
Just for clarity OP: in this case "could make the situation worse" means "could unknowingly cause a gas leak that kills the whole family".
Whimsical-Cloud@reddit (OP)
Appreciate it. The guy is a plumber I think, and he was just gonna come round to see if it's just a fuse has blown in the plug, or if it's something that he can't help with. But he's been pretty busy I think, and hasn't answered my mum's messages yet.
The boiler is in my room, and I'm very aware of the worst case scenarios if it goes wrong. I'm going to try to convince my mum to at least get a professional round for a quote, and I'm hopefully getting a job soon, and I'll definitely be paying for someone to come look at it if my mum doesn't. I don't fancy a second cold winter in the house.
Rude-Possibility4682@reddit
Looking at the pressure needle on that dial, it should be in the green zone, not near the red. Plus the water leak from inside, the expansion chamber have split, or a pipe leading too it. It may run with a new fuse, but not for long. I would suggest a qualified engineer looks at it, before you turn it on.
Rude-Possibility4682@reddit
Looking at the pressure needle on that dial, it should be in the green zone, not near the red. Plus the water leak from inside, the expansion chamber have split, or a pipe leading too it. It may run with a new fuse, but not for long. I would suggest a qualified engineer looks at it, before you turn it on.
slightlyoddparent@reddit
https://www.gov.uk/apply-boiler-upgrade-scheme
Have a look at this.
txe4@reddit
That's the wrong scheme, that's the heat pump one.
OP probably needs ECO4.
I don't think there's a condensate pipe in OP's pic so it's probably eligible.
Whimsical-Cloud@reddit (OP)
Thanks. I sent the link to my mum, but I'm pretty sure this is the one that she's tried before, and we don't qualify for some reason
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