Tripping Electrics: The Boiler

1) My boiler tripped the electric

If your boiler trips your electrical supply in your house then there is a problem. It will not likely go away on its own and it will need investigating by a professional. Perhaps the boiler trips the sockets off or worse, lots of things go off when the boiler turns on including the boiler going off itself. If things like this are happening in the house then you really need to call an electrical fault finding specialist.

There are many different electrical and water components within the modern Gas boiler. There are many things that can go wrong and cause problems.

2) What is broken and can I fix it myself?

There can be any number of issues inside the Gas Boiler or within the electrical supply to the boiler causing the issue. If the BOILER TRIPPED THE ELECTRIC then it is definitely something that can only be investigated by an electrician / gas safe engineer. Sometimes Gas Engineers do not have the electrical knowledge to find the issue and there are times when electricians cannot find the issue within Gas Boilers. In many cases, in order to investigate issues in boilers the person carrying out the work needs to be Gas Safe registered to ensure that they are working safely and have sufficient knowledge and qualifications to carry out any work.

At the time of writing this, we are both NICEIC registered Electricians and Gas Safe registered Engineers. We are qualified, experienced and legally allowed to investigate issues within boilers and electrical wiring systems. You definitely cannot attempt a repair yourself where this is concerned and it MUST be left to the professionals. Gas Safe engineers can be found on the Gas Safe website where you can check that they are registered.

3) What kinds of problems cause the boiler to do this?

There are many components within a boiler where electricity and water can come into contact with each other. It only takes one of these components to begin to fail and allow water to pass into contact with electricity for there to be problems.

It could be that there is an issue with the electrical supply to the boiler itself rather than a component failing within the boiler, trapped wiring, damaged wiring, moisture, rodents, aging cabling, heat affected cabling, loose wires and more can cause lots of issues that may cause circuits to trip and lose power within the home. Once again, please do not try and investigate this yourself. Gas and Electricity are possibly the most dangerous things within your home and should not be touched or worked on by anybody that is not qualified and experienced to do so. Both of these things can cause serious harm and are not to be trifled with.

4) How much is it going to cost me?

It depends when the BOILER TRIPPED THE ELECTRIC In the first instance it will cost you our first hours labour. This will vary depending upon the time of day and how quickly we need to get there. If you require us immediately in the middle of the night or at the weekend then it will cost more than if we can book you in at a mutually convenient time.

Once the first hour has passed we will let you know what the problem is, or very occasionally if the problem is more complex we will give you an update and tell you what extra labour is needed to pin the problem down further. Most issues are resolved within the first hour or a quote given for repairs after this.

The costs are on our website under the help sheets section. “How much is it?”

5) What if parts are needed for the boiler?

We carry an absolutely massive range of electrical spare parts on board and in our secure lock up. If any electrical issue needs fixing then we can usually do it immediately. Boilers are a little bit different. We carry a small range of spare parts that fit the most common boilers but outside this we are unable to stock the vast and ever expanding range of spare parts that exist for the many manufacturers and models that are out there. The cost of this would run into tens of thousands of pounds and require a vehicle too large. In most cases we can order parts to arrive next day and arrange to fit them quickly.

6) What if parts are needed for my electrics?

As above, we carry a huge range of parts and are able to repair most things very quickly. We sometimes ask you for a photograph of your consumer unit in case spares are required then we can make sure they are on board the vehicle before we set off.  We are able to repair most electrical problems on the first visit at a reasonable cost. We aim to fix most electrical issues within the first hour of attendance. If further time and parts are needed then we will often present you with a no obligation quote. We can normally make the electrics safe or carry out a temporary repair so you are not pressured on the spot to accept a quote from us.

7) What If my roof or plumbing are causing a leak?

We will recommend a roofer or plumber. 😊

Whatever the problems are that your are having, if the boiler is causing your electrics to trip in your home we will attend and help. Our costs can be found on our website under the “Helpsheets / Downloads” section. There is a document titled “How Much Is It?” which lays out some costs.

If you just need some advice then please give us a call, we will always make time for our valued clients and help whenever we can.