Boiler Repairs
in Torbay
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Same-day attendance for most breakdowns.
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Honest diagnosis
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Fair pricing, no upselling.
What to expect when you call
Calling out an engineer can feel uncertain when you don't know how it works. Here's the process, start to finish.
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1
You call
Phone direct on 01803 451011. Describe what your boiler is doing (or not doing), the make and model if you know it, and any fault codes showing on the display.
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Diagnosis on site
We aim to attend within 24 hours for most jobs in Torbay, though larger work in progress or holiday periods can extend this. The £99 call-out covers diagnosis and the first hour: removing the casing, checking pressure, inspecting the components, and identifying what's actually wrong. You get an honest answer, not a sales pitch.
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Quote and decision
Once the fault's identified, you get a clear cost for the repair: parts, labour, and total. If a part needs ordering, you'll know when the return visit can happen. If the boiler is genuinely beyond economic repair, you'll be told straight.
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Repair and test
Many repairs can be completed in a single visit using parts carried on the van. For less common parts, you'll be told what's needed, when the return can happen, and roughly what the second visit will involve. Once the work is done, the boiler is tested under normal operating conditions and you get an explanation of what was wrong and how it was fixed.
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Aftercare
If anything's not right after a repair, ring us and we'll come back to sort it. Most of our work comes from repeat customers and word of mouth across Torbay, so a call from a returning customer always gets priority.
Pricing
Straight prices, no hidden charges, no membership fees.
Payment by card, bank transfer or cash on completion of work. Landlords and letting agents can request invoices for accounting purposes.
Boiler brands we repair
All major UK boiler brands serviced. If yours isn't listed below, call and ask. We'll tell you straight whether we can help or refer you to someone who can.
Simon is a manufacturer-accredited installer for Viessmann, Vaillant, Glowworm and Ideal, having received specialist training direct from each manufacturer. He works on most other UK boiler brands too. If yours isn't shown, give him a call and he'll let you know.
Common boiler problems
The faults we see most often, what causes them, and what fixing them usually involves. If your symptoms sound like one of these, it gives you a head start before you call.
Boiler losing pressure
What you might see: The pressure gauge on the boiler reads below 1 bar. The boiler may shut down or fail to fire up. Radiators feel cold or only warm at the top. You find yourself topping the system up via the filling loop, only for it to drop again within days or weeks.
Common causes: A leak somewhere in the system (often hidden under floors or behind radiators), a failed expansion vessel, a leaking pressure relief valve, or a leaking automatic air vent on the boiler itself. Slow weeps from radiator valves, towel rails, or pipe joints are common in older installations.
Typical fix: Diagnosis starts with a system pressure test to locate the leak. Visible leaks are repaired in place. Hidden leaks may require a leak sealer or, in stubborn cases, lifting floorboards. AAV replacement around £150. Expansion vessel replacement £250 to £350.
No hot water but heating works
What you might see: Radiators warm up normally when the heating is on, but turning on a hot tap produces only cold water, or water that warms briefly and then runs cold. The boiler may fire when the tap opens and then cut out.
Common causes: A failed diverter valve (the part that switches the flow of hot water between heating and taps), a faulty flow sensor, a blocked plate heat exchanger, or scaled-up DHW components in hard-water areas.
Typical fix: Diverter valve replacement is one of the most common boiler repairs. Plate heat exchangers can sometimes be cleaned with a chemical flush rather than replaced. Flow sensor replacement £150 to £250.
Banging, kettling or knocking noises
What you might see: A rumbling or kettle-like noise from the boiler, particularly when it's running hard. Sometimes accompanied by banging from radiators or pipework. The boiler may be running hotter than usual or cycling on and off frequently.
Common causes: Limescale or sludge build-up on the heat exchanger restricting water flow, causing the water to boil locally rather than flow smoothly. Kettling is the most common diagnosis. Other causes include a failing pump, trapped air in the system, or thermostat sensor faults.
Typical fix: A power flush of the system to remove sludge, or a chemical clean of the heat exchanger. In severe cases, the heat exchanger needs replacing. Once cleaned, an inhibitor is added to prevent recurrence. Pump replacement £250 to £350. Full system power flush £600 to £900.
Boiler showing a fault code
What you might see: A code on the digital display, often starting with F or E. Common examples: Ideal F1 (low water pressure), Ideal F2 (flame loss), Vaillant F22 (low water pressure), Vaillant F75 (pump or pressure sensor), Worcester EA (no flame detected), Glowworm F22 (low pressure).
Common causes: Each code points to a specific fault. Pressure-related codes usually mean a leak or a topped-down system. Flame loss codes can mean a gas supply issue, blocked condensate pipe, or failing flame sensor. Pump codes can mean a seized pump or air lock.
Typical fix: Diagnosis depends on the code. Some are simple resets after topping the pressure back up. Frozen condensate pipes (common in cold snaps) are thawed on site and usually covered by the £99 call-out alone. Other faults need part replacement, with electronic control board (PCB) replacements ranging from £250 to £600 depending on boiler model.
Pilot light goes out (older boilers)
What you might see: No heating or hot water at all. Looking at the boiler, the small permanent pilot flame has gone out and won't relight, or relights briefly and then dies.
Common causes: A failed thermocouple (the safety device that detects whether the pilot is lit), a blocked pilot jet, a faulty gas valve, or a draught from a flue or air vent blowing the pilot out.
Typical fix: Thermocouple replacement is the most common repair on older standing-pilot boilers, £120 to £180. Pilot jet cleaning is occasionally enough on its own. If the boiler is more than 15 to 20 years old and still has a permanent pilot, this is also a good moment to discuss whether replacement makes more sense than repeated repairs.
Radiators cold at the bottom
What you might see: Radiators that feel hot at the top but cold at the bottom, sometimes with a noticeable temperature line halfway down. Heating bills creeping up because the system has to work harder to warm rooms.
Common causes: Sludge build-up in the bottom of the radiator, a classic symptom of an unclean system. Iron oxide and debris settles at the lowest point and prevents proper circulation. This is one of the main reasons system inhibitor is added during installations and services.
Typical fix: A power flush of the whole system (£600 to £900 for an average house), or in milder cases, removing and cleaning individual radiators. After cleaning, inhibitor is added to prevent the sludge returning. A magnetic system filter (such as a MagnaClean or similar) can be fitted to catch debris in future.
Heating won't come on (wireless thermostat)
What you might see: The heating doesn't come on when the thermostat asks for it, or the heating sometimes comes on at the wrong times. The boiler itself looks fine and shows no fault. Most modern setups use a wireless handset that talks to a receiver wired into the boiler.
Common causes: Flat batteries in the handset are by far the most common. The handset runs on batteries while the receiver runs on mains power, so the receiver looks alive even when the handset is dead. The handset and receiver can also lose their wireless sync, causing the boiler to ignore the signal.
Typical fix: Check and replace the batteries in the handset first. If that doesn't fix it, the handset and receiver are re-paired. Diagnosis is usually quick and many cases are covered by the £99 call-out alone.
Delayed ignition (small bang on start-up)
What you might see: When the boiler tries to fire, you hear what sounds like a small explosion or bang inside the unit. The boiler may then run normally, or after several failed attempts it locks out and shows a flame failure code on the display.
Common causes: The ignition electrodes are dirty, worn, or set with the wrong gap. The boiler tries to ignite the gas but the spark isn't landing where it should, so unburnt gas builds up briefly and then catches with a sudden bang rather than a clean light. Boilers attempt three ignition cycles before locking out.
Typical fix: Clean or replace the ignition electrodes and reset the correct gap to manufacturer specification. Usually a single-visit job. Often covered by the £99 call-out plus minor parts if the electrodes need replacing.
Typical part replacement costs
Most boiler repairs come down to one of a small number of common parts. Here's what they typically cost. Final price depends on the boiler model and what's actually wrong, but these ranges cover the majority of jobs.
All prices include parts. Major work such as a power flush is usually a separate booked visit. You'll always get a clear quote before any work goes ahead.
Repair or replace?
Sometimes a repair is the right call. Sometimes the boiler is past its useful life and a replacement makes more financial sense. Here's how we think about it on site.
Usually worth repairing
- Boiler is under 8 to 10 years old and has a single, identifiable fault
- Repair cost is less than 30 to 40 percent of the cost of a new boiler installed
- Parts are still readily available from the manufacturer
- The boiler hasn't had repeated issues over the past two years
- Fault is in a non-critical component (diverter valve, pump, sensor)
Worth considering replacement
- Boiler is over 12 to 15 years old, particularly if it's a non-condensing model
- Multiple separate faults in the past 18 to 24 months
- Heat exchanger failure or main PCB failure on an older boiler
- Parts are no longer manufactured or are prohibitively expensive
- The system is inefficient and energy bills are noticeably high
- You're planning home improvements that affect heating demand
Where the repair cost is high, you'll get a proper conversation about it on site: the diagnosis, the likely cost, what we'd do if it were our own boiler. You decide. No commission, no upselling, no pressure to replace something that has more life in it.
Recent repair jobs
Real jobs from Torbay with photos and diagnoses. If your symptoms match, give us a call.
Leaky Glowworm Automatic Air Vent
Slow pressure loss with no visible leak. Diagnosed and replaced.
Read the full explainer →
Ideal Logic Dirty Injectors
Trumpeting noise at low rate. Injectors cleaned, fault cleared.
Read the full explainer →What customers say
Google reviews from customers in Torbay. Read all 22 on Google.
"We have used Simon over a number of years to regularly service the boiler and carry out repairs when necessary. He provides a knowledgeable service with professionalism. I always recommend him to friends and neighbours."
"I have used Simon for my family since he did a full boiler replacement for us. He recommended the boiler for us and this has been very successful. He has since replaced our daughters boiler as well. He has done full service each year since installation and has always been very professional and polite and prompt. Fully recommend him."
"Simon is quite simply marvellous. He has installed, repaired & serviced boilers for me over many years. He has come out on Boxing Day when needed, no job is ever too small & he turns up quickly."
Boiler Not Working?
Call Simon direct. Most enquiries answered same day.