Gas boiler - Any Plumbers out there !?!

[snowangel_uk]

My gas boiler is the type which has hot water on demand (you turn the hot tap on, and after 10 seconds or so it starts to run warm). Obviously I don't have the central heating function switched on at the moment, but last night after I used the hot water the boiler and pipes continued to rumble away all night. Should this happen ? Or should it be going back to a more silent (standby?) mode after a short time (which it has before).

Hope this makes sense - I have only lived at the house for a week, and am not familiar with this type of boiler !

[Steviegb]

Depending on which make and model it is, some have a flow switch which can stick,after you have turned the hot water off. Some have what they call a preheat mode which will fire your boiler up as and when reqd to keep your water at a certain temperature in your boiler so it dosent take as long to warm up when you use it.I would suggest a good corgi registered person to come and have a look at it.

[snowangel_uk]

Thanks for the answer Steviegb - I have spoken to my letting agents, who say the landlord is reluctant to send anyone out !

[Hymie]

It could be a control board fault, causing the central heating pump to run continuously.
If this is the fault, you will be paying for the electricity running the pump.

I would recommend switching off the electric supply to the boiler when not required for long periods, to save money and complain a lot more to the letting agent.

Tell them that the fault could be affecting the safety of the boiler and that they will be held liable should any incident follow. Put this in writing to them (so that they cannot deny receiving notification of the fault).

[Hymie]

Better still, tell them you have had a friend (who knows about gas boilers look at it � not touch it), and they said that the fault might cause a fire and burn the house down.

Tell them that you don�t want to switch it off because you need the hot water, but don�t mind if it burns the house down since it is not yours.

[snowangel_uk]

Hi Hymie - Thanks for taking the time to reply. Will get on to the letting agents again today.

For the time being I will take your advice about turning off the electicity supply - one quick question (I really know sweet F.A about gas boilers !) if I turn the electricity supply off, will the pilot light stay on until next time I switch the electricity supply back on (cos I am not too confident in relighting it). Thanks !

[Hymie]

My gas boiler pilot light stays lit, with the mains supply to the boiler off.

I guess it might not on some boilers � check that you know how to re-light it before switching it off.

[Velvetee]

Your Landlord should have cover with British Gas. Mind you, I've just found out the problem with my boiler isn't covered by the insurance.

[Hymie]

What I omitted to add was that if it is your central heating pump running continuously, due to a fault, it will �only� be costing you around 20 pence/day.

Even so, that works out at over �70 per year.

[snowangel_uk]

Hymie - took your advice, and wrote everything down in an email to the letting agents. They have now come back to me to say the Landlord has agreed to let a plumber go round, which will either be this afternoon or early next week. They also advised to switch off the electricity supply when I don't need the boiler on. Many Thanks for all the time you took to respond (and Thanks also to the other people who also posted useful advice).

[Hymie]

Snowangel, glad to be of assistance � remember that the Tenant-Landlord relationship should be symbiotic, in that the landlord gains financially and you have somewhere to live.

I would recommend that you thank the landlord for fixing the boiler promptly (which he/she should do anyway), and point out that both of you have a vested interest in the upkeep of the property.