Boiler Broken Down in Petersfield? What to Note, Who to Call and What to Ask

First: is it an emergency?

If you can smell gas, do not touch switches or try the boiler again. Call the gas emergency number, 0800 111 999, which is listed by SGN, the gas network for this part of Hampshire. For an oil leak or a strong smell of oil, contact an oil heating engineer and see the advice from OFTEC, the oil heating trade body. This guide does not cover do-it-yourself repairs.

Write these down before you ring

• What stopped: heating, hot water, or both.
• Any error code or flashing light on the boiler display, exactly as shown.
• The fuel: mains gas, oil or LPG. Say which you have, because not every engineer works on all three.
• The make and model from the boiler's data label, and roughly how old it is.
• When it was last serviced, and by whom, if you know.
• For oil or LPG: whether the tank has been filled recently. Read the tank gauge if you can see it safely.
• Anything unusual before it stopped, such as noises, lockouts or the pressure gauge reading.

These notes help the engineer decide what to bring and whether the problem is likely to be quick or a longer job.

Questions to ask when you call

• Do you repair boilers on my fuel, and do you work on my make?
• Do you cover my address? Some engineers are based outside Petersfield and still cover GU31 and GU32; others do not.
• Is there a call-out or diagnosis charge, and what does it include?
• When can you attend? Ask for a time window rather than assuming the first call books a slot.
• If parts are needed, will you quote before doing the work?
• What will I get in writing afterwards?

Check the registration that applies

Any work on a gas boiler, including LPG, must be done by an engineer on the Gas Safe Register; check their card and the register. For oil, ask which competent person scheme they are registered with. More on this in our guide to choosing a heating engineer.

A repair is not a service

A breakdown visit fixes a fault. It is not the same as a routine service, which is planned. Once the boiler is working again, ask whether a service is due and book it separately: see our guides to booking a gas or LPG boiler service and booking an oil boiler service.

When repair stops making sense

If the same fault keeps coming back, or the engineer says parts are hard to get, ask them to explain the options in writing. Our boiler replacement guide sets out what to weigh up, including heat pumps.