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Boilers can break down at the worst time - especially when the temperatures drop. Some of the most common boiler faults can be easily fixed by an engineer. However, more serious problems can cost you around £300 or more.

Boiler experts at Boiler Plan have shared what the five most common boiler faults are, how to spot them and what you should do to solve them.

This is a common problem that a lot of homeowners experience, especially when using their heating more frequently.

If you’ve found that only the bottom of your radiator is getting hot, then it may need bleeding.

You can easily do this yourself, and should ideally be done once a year to ensure air doesn’t get trapped in the system.

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Sometimes it’s only certain radiators in the home that are getting hot, which could mean your heaters need re- balancing.

To do this, all you need to is readjust the valves to ensure each radiator is getting enough hot water to work effectively.

However, if your radiators aren’t heating up at all, this could mean they need a chemical flush.

This is due to a build-up of sludge which an engineer will need to fix for around £300+.

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Kettling is when your boiler sounds like a kettle and is making a bubbling noise.

Kettling is more common in areas with hard water as your boiler will have to work harder.

If your boiler is making a bubbling sound, then it could have a build up of sludge and may need its system flushed which can cost around £300+.

Boiler Plan recommends keeping an eye on this problem to avoid any long-term damage.

The first thing to check here is your thermostat.

If your boiler pressure is normal and your thermostat is set correctly, an internal component may not be working.

An engineer will have to identify the problem which could cost between £50-£60 depending on what the issue is.

When the pilot light goes out, it can be quite alarming.

Boiler Plan explained that the pilot light is a small flame which will ignite a more powerful gas burner to help the boiler heat up.

If it’s off, it’s likely to be shutting down the gas supply.

Boiler Plan said the first thing to check is the gas supply.

If your gas stopcock is turned on but your boiler and gas appliances aren’t then you need to immediately contact your gas supplier.

If there are no problems with your gas supplier, then your pilot lighter may be broken and need replacing.

A new thermocouple can cost around £100+ to fix and will require an engineer.

The most common cause of a leaky boiler is a broken internal component which could be due to the pressure being too high inside the boiler itself.

This will unfortunately need replacing, which could cost around £250.

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