Common Johnson & Starley Boiler Problems
A fully functioning warm air heating system with high quality air flow is vital if you plan to spend the winter months indoors. To ensure a warm cosy feel in your home, serviceteam engineers are ready to diagnose/fix any Johnson & Starley Warm Air issues, to help get your boiler up and running in your time of need.
Your Annual Boiler Service is an essential part of the boiler maintenance process to ensure all is working safely and operating at maximum efficiency. Johnson & Starley warm air boilers are a reliable, energy-saving product that fits your home perfectly.
Johnson & Starley regular boilers are highly efficient and can heat homes with up to 15 radiators.
In this piece, serviceteam will touch on some common Johnson & Starley boiler problems you may encounter. If your boiler has the following issue, Do not hesitate to call a serviceteam engineer to fix the problem.
Johnson & Starley warm air boiler problems and fixes
1. No heating or hot water.
No hot water or central heating, not an ideal situation to be in when winter nears? If your heating system shows either of these signs, it could be down to a failed motorised valve, the thermostat or any other part within your warm air system.
Check: Investigate the boiler pressure plus the thermostat. If there are no issues with either of them, the problem might be a bit more complex? Probably time to contact a serviceteam Gas Safe registered engineer for a complete diagnosis?
2. Water leaking from the boiler or pipework.
First check where the water leak is coming from. Generally, it’s a seal or pressure valve? Not something you should attempt yourself. In fact it is dangerous for anyone, who is not Gas Safe registered to attempt ANY repairs on a gas appliance, however minor they might be!
Fix: Serviceteam advise that you should never attempt to repair a leak but seek professional assistance from a qualified gas engineer.
3. A radiator does not heat up completely.
Maybe, it’s just the bottom section of the radiator that’s hot and the top section cold? There are a few reasons why this happens. The two most common causes are sludge in the system or trapped air in the system?
Fix: First thing is to check if there’s air in the system, which needs to be removed. Don’t worry, it’s a simple ‘bleeding’ process that can be completed very quickly. Follow our engineers’ walk through instructions for radiator bleeding. If the problem has been diagnosed as ‘sludge’ in the system, then you will need a power flush to rid the system of it!
4. Low boiler pressure (Boiler keeps cutting out).
Check to see if the pressure is fluctuating or low. Low pressure can cause your central heating system to malfunction. If the pressure gauge is constantly less than one bar, you may have a problem.
Possible reasons for the continuous shutdown of the boiler, see below:
- Low water pressure,
- A problem with the thermostat,
- A closed valve or
- An interrupted flow of water flow due to a leak (minor or major) air, or the pump not adequately circulating water around the system.
Fix: If after re-pressurising your boiler the problem still persists it’s probably a fault with the expansion vessel or a leak in the pipework? This means the boiler will not function as it should. The result could be no hot water or heating?
If this is the case, contact serviceteam and we will dispatch a qualified boiler engineer to diagnose the problem.
5. Air circulation fan failure.
Over time (years) the fan that circulates air may have worn, reducing its efficiency. The most common fault with a fan is when the bearings seize, due to air borne debris, such as dust or the bearings just running dry?
The fan won’t operate effectively causing the boiler to shut down before it overheats causing more damage. The gas burner ignites, but the heat won’t circulate via the room vents. Another indicator that the fan is on its way out, is if it becomes noisey! All fans should run silent. When you hear a grinding or continuous screeching noise it’s time for a qualified gas engineer to investigate.
Fix: A new fan?
6. The pilot flame does not extinguish or light.
The pilot flame will occasionally go out needing relighting. Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines (handbook) for the re-lighting procedure.
Once the flame is reignited, the safety device sensor will begin heating up, maintain pressure on the grey coloured button for 20 seconds or more, then bit by bit, slowly release the pressure on it, as you release the pressure the gas burner should ignite.
If the ignition is more problematic it could be an issue with the thermocouple. A new thermocouple usually fixes it. Sometimes, there is a guide on how to ignite the boiler, on the inside of the boiler panel?
Fix: You will need a qualified gas engineer to do a complete safety check and fix the problem. Similar symptoms are experienced when the coil inside the gas valve fails, which will need replacing. All of these fixes are professionally handled by serviceteam Ltd.
7. Air filter blocked.
The boiler is running as it should, but the heat is nowhere near what it should be, or perhaps there’s no heat at all coming through the vents? This could be a sign of a blocked filter? There will be some kind of filter in the majority of warm air units.
A pull out section containing a gauze filter is the most common type, which needs to be checked and cleaned every couple of weeks. If you haven’t read the user manual you are probably unaware that filters exist or don’t know the exact location of them, which means it’s doubtful they have ever been cleaned!
You will soon see if the filters need cleaning (when found) by the thick layer of accumulated dust etc covering the gauze filter. Once cleaned the circulation of warm air should be improved.
If the above tip hasn’t worked, then call serviceteam and book a warm air engineer to attend to investigate the problem. Alternatively, you can go online and arrange your appointment using our booking platform.
8. Noisy or failed time controller.
The boiler is running as it should, but the heat is nowhere near what it should be, or perhaps there’s no heat at all coming through the vents? This could be a sign of a blocked filter? There will be some kind of filter in the majority of warm air units.
A pull out section containing a gauze filter is the most common type, which needs to be checked and cleaned every couple of weeks. If you haven’t read the user manual you are probably unaware that filters exist or don’t know the exact location of them, which means it’s doubtful they have ever been cleaned!
You will soon see if the filters need cleaning (when found) by the thick layer of accumulated dust etc covering the gauze filter. Once cleaned the circulation of warm air should be improved.
If the above tip hasn’t worked, then call serviceteam and book a warm air engineer to attend to investigate the problem. Alternatively, you can go online and arrange your appointment using our booking platform.
9. Periodic chattering of the gas valve.
This can sometimes be a ‘tricky’ diagnosis and always best left to the professionals, as it might be a bad connection or a voltage drop to the gas valve.
Fix: A fix is possible (of course it is) but first arrange a visit with a serviceteam qualified engineer to thoroughly inspect the fault.
Johnson & Starley boilers are fueled by gas, so a Safe Gas engineer will need to be engaged for the service. Serviceteam qualified heating engineers are available 24/7 to carry out various boiler repairs or flue inspections to ensure everyone’s safety and the boiler is working at maximum efficiency.
Contact serviceteam customer service to arrange a visit from one of our qualified engineers to fix your warm air issues or Book your serviceteam engineer online. Save money and relax this winter with a fully functioning warm air system – only serviceteam can guarantee that!
