Below, you’ll find some useful emergency tips along with more general advice that may help you solve simple household problems without the help of an engineer.

What should I do if I smell gas?

• Put out flames
• Open doors and windows
• Do not create a flame
• Do not turn electrical switches on or off
• Keep people away from the area
• Turn off the gas supply at the control valve

How do I turn off my gas supply?

First you need to locate the gas isolation valve. In newer houses, the gas meter and isolation valve are often outside in a meter box. If not, try looking under the stairs, beneath the kitchen sink or in the garage. The valve will look similar to the one in the photo.

To turn off the gas supply, simply move the handle a quarter turn. And remember, if you smell gas, open doors and windows and never operate any electrical switches.

How do I turn off my electricity supply?

Again, you’ll need to find the electricity isolation switch. It may be under the stairs, in a hallway, porch or garage. You’ll normally find it next to your main fusebox or trip switches.

How do I turn off my water supply?

To locate your main water stop valve, try looking under the kitchen sink, in a downstairs toilet or possibly in the garage. It should look similar to the one in the photo. If you can’t find it, try asking your neighbours as stop valves are often located in the same place in similar houses.

One of my radiators is cold at the top and hot at the bottom – what should I do?

That probably means there is air trapped in the top section of your radiator. Bleeding the radiator should solve the problem – to find out how, see "How do I bleed a radiator?" below.

My radiators are hot at the top and cold at the bottom – what should I do?

If only one of your radiators has this problem, check that the valves are fully turned on. If the problem continues, the radiator may have some sludge collected in the bottom. It will need to be removed from the wall, flushed out, and refitted. Call 0845 600 5100^° to arrange for one of our engineers to do this for you.

If several radiators are hot at the top and cold at the bottom, the problem may be more serious. You should call 0845 600 5100^° and arrange for one of our engineers to inspect your system and recommend the best course of action.

How do I bleed a radiator?

You should only bleed your radiators when your central heating is turned off and the radiators are cool.

• You’ll need a radiator key – preferably the stronger brass type – and some kitchen roll or an old towel (this might get very stained so be prepared to throw it away).
• Find the bleed screw on the radiator – it’s a small four-sided screw head. It’s usually at one end of the radiator but may be on the back (in which case you’ll need a different type of key).
• Using the radiator key, turn the bleed screw anti-clockwise very slowly to open it. Make sure the towel is handy to soak up any water.
• If water appears immediately, retighten the screw by turning it clockwise.
• If you hear air escaping, let it continue until water appears, then retighten the screw. Mop up any water that has leaked down the radiator.
• If you’ve got a Combi Boiler, the water pressure will drop off quickly. You’ll need to top it up, following your boiler instructions.
• Once you’ve bled the radiator, check that the heat is constant from the bottom to the top.
• If the radiator is still not hot from bottom to top, try bleeding it again. If the problem persists, contact a British Gas engineer on 0845 600 5100^°.

There’s been a power cut and my central heating has stopped working – what should I do?

• Chances are, the power cut has simply affected your heating system’s clock. Older mechanical clocks will have stopped when the power failed and will show the wrong time when the power comes back on. Just turn the dial clockwise until it shows the correct time and your heating should fire up again. Digital programmable clocks normally retain the correct time during a power cut thanks to an internal battery. If not, the battery - or even the whole programmer – may need replacing.
• Alternatively, your pilot light may have gone out. This can happen during longer power cuts because some boilers use electric fans to provide oxygen to the pilot light.
  Check to see if the pilot light is on when the electricity comes back on. If it isn’t, relight it following the manufacturer’s instructions. Some more modern appliances do not use pilot lights but you may need to press a ‘reset’ switch following a power cut.

If none of the above suggestions work, call 0845 600 5100^° to arrange for one of our engineers to come and inspect your central heating system. They can then recommend the best course of action.

Notes

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