What to do in an emergency

Emergencies Out of Hours Service

Please be advised that our 24 hour emergency cover is for genuine and real emergencies only

We would be grateful if you could familiarise yourself with the location of the stopcock, fuse box and circuit breakers at your property.

Before contacting the emergency call-out engineer please ensure that you have checked all obvious solutions such as a blown fuse, tripped circuit breaker, a blown light bulb and check through the manuals for any appliances first as a call-out fee will be charged for any call-out where the engineer cannot find a fault. Please note that domestic appliance engineers do not provide an emergency service.

Loss of keys/lock out by tenants is chargeable, and we would therefore suggest that it is advisable to leave a spare key with a neighbour or friend.

If you have any questions about any of the above please do not hesitate to contact us.

All offices

How can I get my central heating working?

If your central heating or hot water isn't working, try the steps below. But if your boiler panel needs tools to remove it, don't touch it, call an engineer.

What to do:

• Check the gas, electric and water supply is turned on
• Check the room thermostat (if you have one) is turned up and the clock timer is on
• Check your boiler's pressure gauge (if you have one) is around 1 bar, you should find it on the front panel
• If your system has a permanent pilot light, check it hasn't gone out
• Try putting your heating on full for a while to see if this triggers any heat
• Check the boiler timer's set to the right time
• Set your heating to come on in 15 minutes - if there's been a power cut recently, your central heating timer might have returned to its factory settings so you'll need to reset it
• See if you have a reset switch on the front of your boiler. You can check your user manual to see what to do
• Try turning the boiler on and off. The switch is usually nearby or in an airing cupboard
• Check your pipes haven't frozen. If it's been very cold, the condensate pipe of your boiler can freeze
• If your boiler has a small plastic or steel tank in the loft, it will likely be an open vented system boiler, and you may need to check if the float ball valve has got stuck. If you can safely get to it, you'll find it in the small plastic or steel tank which will have low, or no, water. Gently move the float ball valve arm to free it but don't use force. If you free it, your water should begin to circulate again
• If you have a sealed or combination boiler, see if the system pressure has dropped and stopped it working.

This is sometimes caused by water leaks:

1. Check the pressure gauge on your boiler is set at 1 bar. A red needle might show the original position it was at when it was installed.
2. Look in your user manual to see if you can re-pressurise the boiler yourself - you can also find instructions on the inside of the control panel.

Protecting your home this winter

During the winter months we would like to draw your attention to the following steps you need to take to protect your home specifically if you are away for any length of time over this period.

Heating

Please ensure all heating is left on a low continuous setting (60F/15C minimum), this will help prevent frozen pipes which can burst and cause serious damage to your property.

If there is a loft space the hatch should be left open to enable warm air to circulate in to the loft.

Please also turn off and drain any outside water taps.

If your property has oil or LPG please ensure that you have adequate levels and that you have arranged a top-up service with your provider by the beginning of December, well in advance of the Christmas break.

Security

Please ensure that all windows and doors are firmly locked and if there is a security alarm please check that it is working and ensure that it is set.

If you are going to be away for more than 7 days please make us aware in writing and we would suggest that you arrange for the property to be visited by a responsible person whilst you are away. Please do not turn off the utility supplies (gas, water, electricity etc) while you are away.