Repairs Troubleshooting
In an emergency situation
Repairs Troubleshooting
Maintaining your home and remaining safe is important, however issues due crop up occasionally. We have prepared this handy troubleshooting guide to help you deal with any issues in the first instance.
The below guide is worth exploring and troubleshooting will save additional inconvenience or unwanted call out charges if the issue is your responsibility.
All issues should be reported by email as per the tenancy agreement. In an emergency, please call the office.
If it’s out of hours then call the emergency contact number and leave a message. We shall try and return your call as soon as possible.
Please do not text or WhatsApp as these messages may not be picked up.
Gas
If you suspect an escape of gas, turn off the gas supply at the meter immediately and call Transco FREE on 0800 111 999.
Please be aware of where your gas tap is located – this shuts off the gas supply to the property and should only be turned back on, by a qualified person, once the problem has been addressed.
Water
If you have a water leak, turn the water mains off at the stopcock immediately. Please be aware of where your stopcock is located. The stopcock can be turned on temporarily for necessary usage, but it shouldn’t be fully turned on again until the leak has stopped.
If there is no water to your property, please check the Scottish Water website or call FREE on 0800 0778 778 as there may be an issue in your area.
Boiler / Hot Water Issues
Some issues can be resolved quickly and simply by referring to your boiler instructions. This can usually be found on the inside panel of the boiler. If you cannot locate your boiler instructions you can download them for free by clicking here www.freeboilermanuals.com
Check the boiler pressure. This is one of the simplest and most common issues. Constant water pressure is essential to the efficient functioning of your boiler system.
A number of things can cause pressure to drop. It may be that there is a leak somewhere in your boiler system. Or, if you bled your radiators recently, it may be that pressure was lost then.
Check the water pressure gauge or indicator, which is typically on the front of your boiler.
For most boilers, this should be set around the 1.5 bar. The position set when the boiler was installed is sometimes shown by a red indicator needle. Digital displays will refer to the BAR reading.
Each boiler will come with specific instructions about its pressure system. Check your user manual to see if you can re-pressurise your boiler yourself or check YouTube for a video showing how to top up your boiler pressure.
After topping up the pressure, ensure you close the top up tap and run the hot water taps to allow water to flow through the system.
Repeated drops in pressure should be reported as it is a good indication that there is a problem with your boiler.
Still not working? Try these easy checks.
- Check if the pilot light is on
- Check if the radiator valves are turned up
- Check the meter – If you have a pay-as-you go gas meter make sure there is sufficient credit
Is the thermostat turned up to a temperature high enough to activate the boiler?
Is there a timer that needs to be adjusted? Have the clocks gone forward or back?
Has there been a power cut recently? Your heating clock programmer may have returned to its factory settings when the power came back on. Test the central heating by setting it to come on in 15 minutes time – if that works, simply re-enter your preferred settings.
Try putting your heating on maximum for a short while to see if you can get it back into action.
Try turning the electrical supply to the boiler off and on – the switch is usually near the boiler or in the airing cupboard. This might reset your boiler and resolve the problem.
Electric
Power outages can be caused by a number of issues, including power cuts.
Check the fuse box and make sure the trip switches are set to the ON position, if this does not work you should try turning off all switches and then turning back on to ensure they are in the full ‘on’ position.
Try checking with your neighbours. If other homes are affected you should contact your local DNO (distribution network operator). Your chosen electricity provider sells you energy but it’s your local DNO who maintains the power lines that connect your home to the network.
In the event of a power cut contact your DNO to report it using the relevant number below.
Scottish Power – Emergency Scotland: 0800 092 9290
http://www.scottishpower.co.uk/support-centre/emergency-information/electricity-emergency
If your sockets are tripping the power then follow these steps.
Turn off every socket and turn each one on in turn to see which socket is tripping the electrics. When you’ve found the correct socket, the problem could be with the socket or the appliance plugged into that socket. Try the appliance in a different socket – if the electricity trips again, it’s the appliance.
If the problem is caused by the socket or an appliance supplied by the Landlord, please contact the office. If the problem is caused by an appliance belonging to you, you should have the appliance checked by a competent electrician to ensure it is safe to use or alternatively, you must safely dispose of the item.
Is the thermostat turned up to a temperature high enough to activate the boiler?
Is there a timer that needs to be adjusted? Have the clocks gone forward or back?
Try putting your heating on maximum for a short while to see if you can get it back into action.
Try turning the electrical supply to the boiler off and on – the switch is usually near the boiler or in the airing cupboard. This might reset your boiler and resolve the problem.
Water Leaks
Leak coming into the property? – If its bad weather and there is a leak from the roof then please do what you can to reduce the damage caused by the leak and try to catch the water. Bad weather will limit call outs from roofers until it’s safe to attend.
Property above leaking in your property? – Inform the upstairs neighbour and ask they investigate the cause and if required arranges for a plumber to attend to as the leak is likely to be coming from their property.
If you cannot make contact with that neighbour and the water ingress is becoming excessive contact the office in the first instance. If we are closed you will find the emergency number on our answerphone. We will be limited to what we can do but can give additional advice.
Leak from your property affecting neighbours? – Check no water is running (ie bath/shower/taps) and all appliances are off.
Locate the stop cock (usually located under sink or by utility meters), turn off any water supply and contact the office. If you cannot locate the stop cock or stop the leak, please contact our emergency number.
Condensation Issues
Ventilate the property adequately! We know it can seem silly to open windows when you are trying to heat the property but windows MUST be kept open for a reasonable time throughout the day and use window vents where fitted.
The air must be allowed to circulate and ensure the property is properly heated – this may involve keeping heating on low for a constant regulate temperature of 15-18 degrees.
- Increase ventilation in the bathroom by using the extractor fan where fitted or open the window.
- Keep the bathroom doors closed when bathing.
- Clean the bathroom properly using anti mould spray.
- Increase ventilation in the kitchen when cooking by using the extractor fan where fitted or opening the window and keep doors closed. Keep lids on saucepans when cooking.
- Ensure your extractor fan is cleaned frequently.
- Ventilate cupboards and wardrobes.
- Do not push furniture right up against radiators or walls to allow air to circulate.
- Do not dry clothes on radiators, unless ventilation is increased.
Kitchen Appliances
If they are not working, please call or email the office. Although breakdowns are an inconvenience, they are not deemed to be an emergency.
Online videos may offer some immediate solutions or advice.
Bathroom Issues
If the shower is not working, firstly establish whether the shower is electric or thermostatic (if there is a cord or switch then it is probably electric – ensure the switch is on).
Once you have this information, please email the office. Details about the shower will help establish which trades to send.
If the toilet is blocked, they usually become blocked due to too much toilet paper or heavy loads attempting to travel down the pan. Whilst it can be a messy job, a blocked toilet is usually easy to fix. Remember, if you have a blocked toilet, don’t keep flushing to try and clear it. This could cause it to overflow and flood the bathroom.
Blockages must be first attended to by the tenant by using a strong drain cleaner and/or plunger. To draw out the blockage and encourage it to go down the pipes, follow these steps:
- Find a plunger. If your plunger is too short, a mop with a plastic bag tied around the head can be used as a longer plunger that may reach further down the toilet pan
- Press a plunger down firmly into the toilet and then pull upwards slowly
- Repeat this at least 10 times until you hear water going down the pipes
If this does not fix the problem, please contact the office or if it’s out of hours call the emergency number. If it is found that recent debris ie foodstuffs or hygiene items are the cause, you may be charged for this call out.