There’s nothing worse in the middle of winter than finding your boiler has packed in. With temperatures in London often well below freezing during the winter months, finding yourself suddenly without heat is no joke at all. The problem is, when boilers break down we often panic and call the number of the first engineer we happen upon. Finding a good engineer in such a big city can be difficult, and the risk with calling the first number you come across is that you may end up with someone who, seeing you are desperate, will charge you way beyond the standard rate.
First of all, you need to stop panicking and consider whether you actually have to call out an engineer at all. Whilst many boiler problems require an expert, if it is something simple then it’s possible you may be able to fix the problem yourself. After all, if you live in Greenwich, heating repairs can result in huge charges – particularly if the call-out is in the middle of the night.
For example, if your boiler breaking down is accompanied by loud banging sounds coming from your radiators, it may be that trapped air is the problem, in which case you might need to bleed them by opening them with a radiator key, or check that your water tank is full as the trapped air could be due to there not being enough water in the system.
If the problem can’t be fixed, then it is time to seek out a heating engineer. Sometimes the fastest way to do this in an emergency is online: Look up ‘Greenwich heating repairs’ on a search engine and you will quickly find many websites hosting details of boiler engineers in your postcode. Whatever you do, though, don’t just call the first number you see. Check out your local engineers to see if other users have recommended them and above all, make sure they are fully certified.
If you don’t have access to the Internet then you can call directory enquiries to find out about local engineers – but this can be risky as you don’t always know about their credentials. Another option is to find out whether any friends or neighbours have recently had their boilers repaired and whether there is anyone they can recommend. It’s always best to go for a local Greenwich tradesman who has been recommended by a friend – but of course, in a real emergency you may not always have the time to do this. Whatever you choose, make sure the plumber shows you their ID card before they start the work, and if they can’t – however dire your emergency – then send them packing and call someone else. Never let an uncertified engineer loose on your boiler.
First of all, you need to stop panicking and consider whether you actually have to call out an engineer at all. Whilst many boiler problems require an expert, if it is something simple then it’s possible you may be able to fix the problem yourself. After all, if you live in Greenwich, heating repairs can result in huge charges – particularly if the call-out is in the middle of the night.
For example, if your boiler breaking down is accompanied by loud banging sounds coming from your radiators, it may be that trapped air is the problem, in which case you might need to bleed them by opening them with a radiator key, or check that your water tank is full as the trapped air could be due to there not being enough water in the system.
If the problem can’t be fixed, then it is time to seek out a heating engineer. Sometimes the fastest way to do this in an emergency is online: Look up ‘Greenwich heating repairs’ on a search engine and you will quickly find many websites hosting details of boiler engineers in your postcode. Whatever you do, though, don’t just call the first number you see. Check out your local engineers to see if other users have recommended them and above all, make sure they are fully certified.
If you don’t have access to the Internet then you can call directory enquiries to find out about local engineers – but this can be risky as you don’t always know about their credentials. Another option is to find out whether any friends or neighbours have recently had their boilers repaired and whether there is anyone they can recommend. It’s always best to go for a local Greenwich tradesman who has been recommended by a friend – but of course, in a real emergency you may not always have the time to do this. Whatever you choose, make sure the plumber shows you their ID card before they start the work, and if they can’t – however dire your emergency – then send them packing and call someone else. Never let an uncertified engineer loose on your boiler.
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