As spring brings with it the promise of brighter, warmer weather, some people can forget about their boiler and put off arranging maintenance checks, inspections, certification and repairs for much longer than they would over the winter.
In some respects this is understandable; a broken boiler over the winter can lead to frozen pipes, frozen homes and uncomfortable if not outright dangerous living conditions. It is telling that most emergency callouts for boiler engineers happen over the winter months.
However, if your boiler breaks down at any time of the year, it is essential that you book a repair as soon as possible, as the consequences of a damaged boiler could be far more serious than you might expect.
Legal Consequences For Landlords
If you are renting and your boiler breaks down, your landlord is legally obligated to arrange for repairs as part of Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 in a “reasonable time”.
Whilst the exact time frame is not specified, it is typically agreed that not having hot water and central heating is classified as an emergency for renters and arrangements should be made to fix the boiler within 24 hours.
Whilst homeowners do not have that same legal timescale to worry about, they should try to arrange repairs sooner rather than later.
Carbon Monoxide
The main reason why you should prioritise repairing a broken boiler is because it is often not merely inconvenient but can be potentially dangerous.
Gas boilers can leak carbon monoxide, and besides the loud alarm of a CO detector, a telltale sign is if your boiler has a pilot light that is giving off a yellow or orange flame rather than a blue one.
Carbon monoxide is extremely dangerous and an emergency callout should be arranged as soon as possible in order to ensure the safety of the occupants.
If you start to feel dizzy, nauseous, fatigues or suddenly develop a headache, seek urgent medical advice and get either outside or into a room with open windows and fresh air.
Gas Leak
Often discovered through the characteristic foul smell of mercaptan, a gas leak is dangerous for multiple reasons, especially if your boiler is in a kitchen.
Leaking natural gas creates a fire or explosion hazard, given that if the gas is allowed to leak for a significant period of time, it would only take a small spark to cause a conflagration or an explosion.
For this reason, if you smell gas, turn off your gas shutoff valve and call a Gas Safe registered engineer to arrange for a repair or contact the gas emergency services. Open any windows and doors you can and extinguish any naked flames.
Beyond this, natural gas can also cause carbon monoxide poisoning, making a gas leak extremely dangerous.
Water Damage To Walls
Damage to pipework or seals within the boiler can cause water to leak out of the boiler, and if this is the case, it is wise not to take any risks.
Water running down the walls can cause damp, mould or staining near the boiler, it can warp skirting boards, and can potentially cause issues with electrical wiring near the boiler.
It can also be a sign of structural issues with your boiler, which can be potentially dangerous.
A malfunctioning boiler can also exacerbate damage to pipes, particularly during cold nights if the pipes are allowed to freeze over, expand and potentially burst.
Potentially Non-Functioning Utilities
A non-functioning boiler will naturally mean you cannot access hot water from the taps and the central heating will cease to function, but it could also potentially cause other utilities that rely on the boiler to cease functioning.
Some showers do not have their own heating unit and rely on hot water generated from the boiler instead. Some washing machines function in the same way rather than using their own heating elements.
In both cases, a malfunctioning boiler would cause a lot more hassle than a lack of hot water and it is important to get a repair appointment booked as soon as possible to ensure that your home remains safe, comfortable and habitable.
Increased Heating Bills
In some cases, a boiler will still technically function whilst it has actually malfunctioned but could be costing you significant amounts of money through wasted energy and increased bills.
If this is the case, much like with a burst water main, it is vital that you get in touch with a professional to identify and fix the source of the issue as soon as possible.