No hot water? Let's get it sorted
A cold shower is the last thing you need. Try a few safe checks below, then get a free call back to set up boiler cover for the next breakdown.
No hot water is one of the most common boiler problems, and it often has a simple cause. There are a few safe things you can check yourself first. If those don't bring your hot water back, the fault needs a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Smart Plan is a home service plan, not insurance, run by UK Boiler Company Ltd, which has been trading since 2014. Boiler cover is for breakdowns that happen after your plan starts, so it won't pay for a fault you already have today, but it can look after the next one.
Safe checks to try first
These checks are safe for any homeowner to do. They take a few minutes and often fix the problem without an engineer. Don't open up your boiler, touch any gas parts, or attempt any work inside the appliance. If you ever smell gas, stop here and call the Gas Emergency line on 0800 111 999.
Quick things you can safely check
- Hot water switch or programmer: it's easy to knock the hot water to 'off' by accident. Check the programmer and any room thermostat are set to call for hot water.
- Boiler pressure: look at the pressure gauge on the front of your boiler. It usually sits between 1 and 1.5 bar when cold. If it's well below that, low pressure can stop hot water working.
- Power, gas and water: make sure the boiler has power, your gas supply is on (are other gas appliances working?), and the water mains are on and not affected by a local outage.
- Fault code on the display: note any error code shown. Check what it means in your boiler's manual, and only follow the manufacturer's reset steps if the manual tells you to.
- A frozen condensate pipe in cold weather can shut a boiler down. If your manual covers thawing it safely, follow those steps; otherwise leave it to an engineer.
Boiler heating works but no hot water
If your radiators are warm but you've no hot water from the taps, that points to a fault inside the boiler rather than something you've switched off. On combi boilers the usual culprit is a stuck diverter valve, the part that decides whether the boiler heats your radiators or your hot water. A worn flow sensor can also stop the boiler firing up when you open a hot tap.
These are jobs for a Gas Safe registered engineer. Diverter valves and flow sensors sit inside the boiler, and working on a gas appliance without the right registration is both unsafe and against the law.
When to call a Gas Safe registered engineer
If the safe checks above haven't worked, it's time for a professional. Smart Plan cover repairs are carried out by a national network of thousands of Gas Safe registered engineers we work with. Never attempt repairs inside your boiler yourself: gas work is for registered engineers only.
If you smell gas, hear hissing near the meter or feel unwell with symptoms of carbon monoxide, don't wait. Leave the gas alone, open windows, get everyone out and call the Gas Emergency Services on 0800 111 999.
Boiler cover at a glance
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Who attends | A Gas Safe registered engineer from our national network |
| Cover limit | £500 if your boiler is under 7 years old, £200 if it's older, per 12-month period, parts and labour included |
| Call-out fee | £95, paid in advance, in set cases: the first 30 days of a new plan, excluded issues, or no access |
| Call-out hours | Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 18:00, unless it's an emergency breakdown |
| Faults already present | Not covered: cover is for breakdowns after your plan starts |
| Product type | A service plan, not insurance |
Want repairs covered going forward?
If you'd like your boiler and central heating looked after next time, Smart Plan lets you build your own cover and pick only the modules you want. The boiler & central heating module covers parts and labour up to £500 if your boiler is under 7 years old, or up to £200 if it's over 7 years old, per 12-month period.
Smart Plan is monthly rolling cover, though once you've used a service a 12-month agreement period applies. It's a service plan, not insurance. You choose what to cover and leave out what you don't need.
No hot water: your questions answered
Why have I got no hot water but my heating still works?
Heating and hot water run on separate circuits, so one can fail while the other carries on. If radiators are warm but taps run cold, it's usually a fault inside the boiler such as a stuck diverter valve or a worn flow sensor. That needs a Gas Safe registered engineer to put right.
What can I safely check myself when my hot water's not working?
You can check the hot water is switched on at the programmer, look at the boiler pressure gauge (usually 1 to 1.5 bar when cold), make sure there's power, gas and water to the boiler, and note any fault code. Only follow reset steps your boiler manual describes. Never open the boiler or touch gas parts.
Will boiler cover fix the fault I have now?
No. A fault that exists before your plan starts is not covered. Boiler cover is for breakdowns after your plan starts, with parts and labour included up to your cover limit.
Is there a call-out fee under a cover plan?
A £95 call-out fee, paid in advance, applies in set cases: a call-out in the first 30 days of a new plan, a fault that falls under an exclusion, or a visit where the engineer can't get access.
How do I set up boiler cover?
Ask for a free call back and we'll ring you to set up your plan. We aim to call you back within one working day, Monday to Friday, 08:00-18:00. Nothing is set up and no payment is taken online.
What should I do if I can smell gas?
Stop and treat it as an emergency. Don't switch anything on or off, open your windows, get everyone out of the house and call the Gas Emergency Services on 0800 111 999.
Cover the next breakdown: get a call back
A cover plan is for the next breakdown, not a fault you already have today. Get a free call back to set up cover for next time. We aim to call you back within one working day, Monday to Friday, 08:00-18:00. It's a service plan, not insurance.
A service plan, not insurance. Nothing is paid online.
Call us today
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hello@smart-plan.comBy post
2nd Floor, Melrose House
42 Dingwall Road
Croydon
CR0 2NE