Knowledge hub
Straight answers to the most common plumbing and heating problems.
Showing 15 guides.
Pressure that keeps dropping usually points to a leak, a failed expansion vessel or a weeping pressure relief valve. Here's how to tell them apart.
Read more: Why is my boiler losing pressure?F1 on an Ideal Logic or Vogue almost always means low water pressure. Here's what to check before you call anyone out.
Read more: Ideal Boiler F1 Fault ExplainedHot at the top, cold at the bottom is the classic sign of sludge. Cold at the top instead means trapped air, two very different fixes.
Read more: Why are my radiators cold at the bottom?A leaking boiler is never something to leave. Here are the safe first steps and what the leak location tells an engineer.
Read more: Boiler leaking water: what to do firstWhen heating works but the taps run cold, the fault is almost always in the part of the boiler that only handles hot water.
Read more: No hot water but heating worksRe-pressurising a boiler takes two minutes with a filling loop. Knowing when not to is what saves you money.
Read more: Low boiler pressure: how to fix itBoiler dead after a hard frost, often with a gurgling noise? A frozen condensate pipe is the likeliest cause, and often a DIY fix.
Read more: Frozen condensate pipe: thaw it safelyKettling, banging and whistling all mean different things. Here's how to read the noise your boiler is making.
Read more: Boiler making banging noisesRepairing is usually cheaper, until it isn't. These are the signs it's time to stop patching and replace.
Read more: Signs your boiler needs replacingBoiler quotes vary widely for good reasons. Here's what actually drives the price so you can compare quotes properly.
Read more: How much does a new boiler cost in Birmingham?Once a year, by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Here's what that service actually covers and why skipping it costs more.
Read more: How often should a boiler be serviced?A five-minute job that fixes cold-topped radiators. Do them in the right order and check pressure afterwards.
Read more: How to bleed a radiatorA drip a second wastes thousands of litres a year. The fix depends on whether your tap uses washers or ceramic discs.
Read more: Why is my tap dripping?Burst pipe, gas smell or ceiling leak? What you do in the first five minutes matters more than who you call.
Read more: Emergency plumbing problems and what to doBefore you book anyone, five quick checks resolve a surprising share of no-fire calls.
Read more: Boiler not firing upEvery guide is written from hands-on work in Birmingham homes, not copied from a manufacturer manual.
Every gas appliance we touch is worked on by a Gas Safe registered engineer, with ID available on request.
Two decades of British Gas trained experience across Birmingham homes, landlords and commercial premises.
Working across Birmingham and surrounding areas, not a national call centre.
Clean pipework, tidy finish and every job tested before we leave, the standard we'd want in our own home.
If a repair is the better option than a replacement, we'll tell you. Fixed prices agreed before work starts.
A plumber handles water: taps, pipework, leaks, toilets, bathrooms and drainage. A heating engineer works on boilers, radiators, hot water systems and gas appliances, and must be Gas Safe registered to touch anything gas. Matt Plumbing & Heating covers both, so you only need one call.
Call immediately for uncontrolled water such as a burst pipe, a suspected gas leak, a sounding carbon monoxide alarm, sewage backing up, or no heating in freezing weather where someone vulnerable is at home. We run 24/7 emergency callouts across Birmingham and surrounding areas.
Every 12 months, by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Annual servicing is a condition of nearly every manufacturer warranty, and landlords must hold a valid annual Gas Safety Record for every gas appliance in a let property.
Usually a small leak on pipework, radiators or valves, a failed expansion vessel, or a weeping pressure relief valve. Topping up once or twice a year is normal; needing to re-pressurise every few weeks means there is a fault to trace.
Bleeding radiators, re-pressurising a boiler, thawing a condensate pipe and clearing a simple blockage are all reasonable DIY jobs. Anything involving gas, the inside of a boiler casing, or unvented hot water cylinders is legally restricted to registered engineers.
If you want your plumbing or heating problem fixed professionally for you, contact Matt Plumbing & Heating today for fast, reliable service across Birmingham and surrounding areas.
