Report a repair

• Ecodan heating system quickstart guide
• Ecodan domestic heating information guide

If your boiler is not working and the display on your programmer is blank, move the slider switch all the way to the right to reveal the reset button.

This needs to be reset with a small headed object such as a ballpoint pen. If this does not work and the display remains blank, an electrician is required.

If the display is on, does a red light appear next to the ‘off / timed / constant’ switch when the heating is on?  If a red light is not lit up, an electrician is required.  Please contact us on 0345 8 507 507 for assistance.

If the red light is lit up on the programmer, does a red light also show on the thermostat?

If the red light is on but the boiler is not working or you have no heating, a gas engineer is needed. Please contact us on 0345 8 507 507.

If there is no red light on the thermostat, then turn the thermostat up until the red light comes on.

If your home is a Shared Ownership property, please phone 01977 788830.

Heating controls allow you to decide how and when your home is heated, making sure it is warm when you want it to be.

Your heating controls consist of the following:

1. A programmer.
2. A room thermostat.
3. Thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs)

Knowing how to use your heating controls can save you money and cut down on wasted energy.

Programmer

A programmer allows you to set time periods where your heating is ‘on’ and ‘off’. It does not control the hot water system as this is operated by a combination boiler, known as a ‘combi boiler’, which means you have instant hot water available every time you turn the taps on.

Your heating system will not come on if the air temperature is the same as the temperature set on the room thermostat.

The programmer allows you to switch your heating ‘on’ and ‘off’ for two different periods each day.

Manual switch settings

The rocker switch is used to operate your heating as detailed below.

Off                   The heating is switched off.

Timed             The heating will come on and go off at the times you have programmed.

Constant        The heating will come on manually and stay on constantly until you change the position of the switch.

Preset programmes

The programmer is supplied with the following preset timer programme, which will be stored in the unit until you reset it.

On at 6.30 am and Off at 8.30 am

On at 5.00 pm and Off at 10.30 pm

These times may not be suitable for you. It is important to change the times to fit your lifestyle. This will allow you to get the most from your heating system.

Programming the unit

You can set your heating to come on and off twice a day.

• To set the first heating period, move the slider to the 1ON position. Use the arrow keys positioned either side of the slider to set the time, which will appear on the display. This will set the start time. Move the slider to the 1OFF position and again use the arrows to select the time for the heating to turn off.
• To set the second heating period repeat the process above but use the 2 ON and 2 OFF positions.
• Return the slider to the RUN position once the programmer has been set.

One hour extra

The +1 Hour button is designed to give you an extra hour of heating. Press the button once and the heating will remain on for an extra hour. If the heating is off and the +1 Hour button is pressed the heating will come on for one hour. A red light on the right-hand side of the timer will indicate that the button has been pressed. To cancel the override, press the +1 Hour button again.

Room thermostat

A room thermostat simply switches the heating system on when it falls below the thermostat temperature setting. It switches off once the set temperature is reached.

Turning the room thermostat down to a lower setting will result in the room being heated at a lower temperature and will save energy. 

For information on how to control your storage heating and other useful guides visit our energy advice page.

Where the heating is on and a radiator stays cold, it may need bleeding. You have been given a radiator key to release any air in the radiator.

Before bleeding a radiator you need to switch off the heating and let the radiators cool down. This is to make sure there isn't any hot water left in the system before bleeding the radiators. 

Locate the bleed valve on your radiator, it is a small metal square inside a white round nut that is usually located on the side of your radiator. Hold an old towel underneath the valve this is to catch any water that escapes when the air is released.

Place the key in the valve slowly turning it in an anti-clockwise direction. If there is air in the radiator you will hear a hissing sound of air escaping.

Once the air is released from the radiator you can close the bleed valve. Be careful not to over-tighten the valve because this could damage the thread. 

If any water escapes turn the key clockwise. If the radiator remains cold, please contact us on 0345 8 507 507.

Radiators should not be removed for decorating as this could result in the boiler losing pressure. Our self-help film will show you how to bleed your radiator easily.

Watch our self-help film to see how to repressurise your boiler.

Re-pressurising your boiler

If your boiler is a Worcester Bosch 25Si or Baxi Duo Tec 40HE the link below may also be of help:

Worcester Bosch 25Si

Baxi Duo Tec 40HE

If you need further help, please contact us on 0345 8 507 507.

You may be able to thaw frozen condensate pipes without having to log it as a repair, if you follow the guidelines below.

Thawing your condensate pipe:

• Use hot water – not boiling – heated by a kettle or a microwave and pour over the end of the pipe where it is frozen using a suitable container like a watering can.
• Hold a hot water bottle or heat wrap around the condensate pipe.
• Once the pipe has thawed you should re-set your boiler by holding in the re-set button for 10 seconds and wait for the boiler to re-fire.

You can watch Worcester Bosch Group's self-help film to help you understand how to do it. 

Warning

• Never attempt to thaw a condensate pipe above waist level, or disconnect the condensate pipe in order to do so.
• Never attempt to access the condensate pipe or any other pipe work within the boiler.
• Beware of ice on the ground that will form from the water you have poured.

If in any doubt, contact us on 0345 8 507 507.

To keep you safe, we have a legal duty as your landlord to service your gas appliances every year and we must have access to carry out this work.

This work ensures your health, safety and wellbeing and helps to:

• reduce future breakdowns of the installed appliances;
• reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning;
• reduce fuel bills; and make sure the gas appliances are working correctly and efficiently.

Changing your gas service appointment time

If you smell gas or fumes, call the National Gas Emergency service immediately on 0800 111 999.

They operate 24 hours a day, 52 weeks a year. You should also follow these steps:

• turn the gas off at the meter;
• open all doors and windows;
• don’t use electrical switches or naked flames; and
• keep people away from the area.

Check if there are lights on in your neighbours' homes, if those homes are also without electricity you can report a power cut by calling the Northern Powergrid helpline number 0800 375675, or visit www.northernpowergrid.com

If it is just your property, take a look at our short film Loss of power to sockets and lights, and make the following checks before reporting it:

• Check if there are any lights or movement visible on your electricity meter. If there is a light or display flashing, electricity is coming into your home from the mains cable outside.
  
  
• If you have a pre-payment meter, you may need to add credit.
  
  
• Check your consumer unit, sometimes known as the fuse box or the trip switches - has one of the switches tripped into the off position?
  
  
• If one of the switches refuses to stay in the upright position and continues to trip, this usually means there is a problem somewhere in your home. Check if any light bulbs have blown and unplug appliances (one could be faulty), try the trip switch again. 
  
  
• If there is still no power to your entire home after all these checks,or you cannot reset the trip switch, please contact us on 0345 8 507 507. If your home is a shared ownership property, please phone 01977 788830.

Fitting new gas or electric cookers is not part of our repairs service, but we may be able to carry out the work at a cost to you depending on availability.

We can only provide this service for brand new appliances where the manufacturer’s instructions are available.

We can connect any electric cooker, but we cannot take responsibility for its performance after the installation.

The cost for this service is as follows:

• Connect electric cooker     £127.70 inclusive of VAT
• Install Gas cooker or hob  £130.00 inclusive of VAT

This cost only applies if the cooker space has a live gas supply and electric socket.

If a hob is to be installed the worktop must be cut out before we carry out the installation.

We can, on occasion, install second hand cookers but only if they meet certain criteria.

For more information, please contact OneCALL on 0345 8 507 507 or onecall@wdh.co.uk

Our duty

We are committed to your safety and insist that all appliances are serviced every year. We will make sure:

• Gas fittings and flues installed / owned by Vico Homes are maintained and in a safe condition.

• All installations, maintenance and gas servicing is carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineers.

• Any flues or chimneys are checked when we carry out your gas appliances’ annual service. We will not service or repair gas cookers.

• We keep a copy of each annual gas service.

• You get a copy of the current gas safety certificate for your home when completed. If you are a new customer, a copy will be in your tenancy pack.

• All our gas engineers will carry a Vico Homes ID badge and a Gas Safe photograph ID card. Always ask for proof of Vico Homes identity before you let them into your home.

• We contact you when your appliances are due for an annual gas service and advise you of an appointment date.

Your duty

As a Vico Homes customer you have responsibilities too:

• You should allow us access to your home to carry out maintenance and safety checks on our gas appliances, as stated in your tenancy agreement.

• You must let authorised colleagues from Vico Homes, or other agents, into your home at all reasonable hours to carry out any inspections or any work we consider necessary. This is to ensure the property and surrounding properties do not put you, or anyone else at risk. We will give you 24 hours' advance notice in writing, if possible.

• If you want to replace a gas appliance, always seek permission from us first.

• Never use an appliance if you think it is not working properly, report it to us on 0345 8 507 507.

• Never cover an appliance or block / obstruct any convection air vents, fixed ventilation grilles or airbricks.

• Always follow the manufacturers’ instructions when using appliances.

SMETS2 meters will only have an ‘A’ and ‘B’ button.

SMETS1 meters will contain a numeric pad ranging from 1-9.

Electricity Smart Meters

To find your electricity read, look for a number followed by "KWH" but remember to ignore the numbers after the decimal place.

If you have a keypad

To get a reading from these smart meters:

1. Press 9 on the keypad.
2. A series of letters will appear: IMP KWH.
3. Then you’ll see 8 digits (e.g. 0012565.3) followed by kWh at the bottom right of the screen.
4. This is your read, so in this case your reading would be 12565.

If you have an Economy 7 smart meter (your meter records day and night usage):

1. Press 6 on the keypad until you see 'IMP R01' followed by 8 digits - this is usually your night/off-peak reading.
2. Then keep on pressing 6 on the keypad until you see 'IMP R02' followed by 8 digits - this is usually your peak/normal reading.
3. Ignore any digits after a decimal point if you have one. We only require the whole numbers.

If you have two buttons

To get a reading from these smart meters:

1. Press the "Display" or "Display Select" button.
2. Pressing the button the meter display will scroll through to the meter reading. The number you're after is the one followed by kWh.
3. As before write down all the digits, ignoring any digits after a decimal point if you have one. We only require the whole numbers.
4. In this example the meter reading is 23541.

If you have A and B buttons

To get a reading from these smart meters:

1. Press the A button.
2. Keep on pressing this until you get to TOTAL ACT IMPORT.
3. The number shown below this is your meter reading.
4. Ignore any digits after a decimal point if you have one. We only require the whole numbers.
5. In this example the meter reading is 11256.

If you have three buttons

To get a reading from these smart meters:

1. Press the middle button.
2. The number shown below IMP is your meter reading.
3. If you have a 2-rate meter, R1 indicates Rate 1, R2 is Rate 2 and T is total.
4. You can press the middle button again to see all the readings.
5. Ignore any digits after a decimal point if you have one. We only require the whole numbers.
6. In this example the meter reading is 23541.

If you have an orange button on the left and blue buttons on the right

To get a reading from these smart meters:

1. Press the orange button.
2. You'll see a row of digits followed by kWh.
3. Ignore any digits after a decimal point if you have one. We only require the whole numbers.
4. The reading in this example is 12565.

Gas smart meters

To find your gas read, look for the number followed by "M3" but remember to ignore the numbers after the decimal place.

If you have a keypad

To get a reading from these smart meters:

1. Press 9 on the keypad.
2. VOLUME will appear on the screen.
3. Then you’ll see a row of digits (e.g. 00063.5) followed by M3 at the bottom right of the screen.
   Ignore any digits after a decimal point if you have one. We only require the whole numbers.
4. The read in this example is 00063.

If you have A and B buttons

To get a reading from these smart meters:

1. Press the A button.
2. Keep on pressing this until you get to METER INDEX.
3. The number shown below this is your meter reading.
4. Ignore any digits after a decimal point if you have one. We only require the whole numbers.
5. In this example the meter reading is 63.

If you have a left arrow, a circle and a right arrow

To get a reading from these smart meters:

1. Press the middle 'circle' button.
2. The screen will show 'current meter reading' written along the top.
3. You'll see a row of digits followed by m3.
4. Ignore any digits after a decimal point if you have one. We only require the whole numbers.
5. The read in this example is 63.

If you have three square red buttons

Your buttons may or may not be labelled A, B and C. To get a reading from these smart meters:

1. Press the 'A' or left button.
2. You'll see a row of digits followed by m3.
3. Ignore any digits after a decimal point if you have one. We only require the whole numbers.
4. The read in this example is 135.

If you have an orange and a blue arrow to the right of the screen

To get a reading from these smart meters:

• Press the orange button.
• You'll see a row of digits followed by m3.
• Ignore any digits after a decimal point if you have one. We only require the whole numbers.
• In this example the meter reading is 135.

If you have two white buttons to the right of your display

Your buttons might have arrows and other markings around them.

To get a reading from these smart meters:

1. Press the right button. This might be labelled 'OK'.
2. The display should wake up and you'll see a row of digits followed by m3.
3. Ignore any digits after a decimal point if you have one. We only require the whole numbers.
4. In this example the meter reading is 135.

Most cases of carbon monoxide poisoning are caused by poor ventilation or maintenance of appliances, blocked or leaky flues and chimneys.  

What are the dangers?

Carbon monoxide is a dangerous gas which can cause serious illness or even kill. It is difficult to detect as you can’t see it, smell it or taste it. Even low levels of this poisonous gas can cause brain damage or death.

The only way to confirm carbon monoxide poisoning is with a specialised test.

Be aware of:

• yellow or brown staining / soot deposits on or around appliances regardless of the fuel being burnt;
• fires that are difficult to light;
• coal or wood fires burning slowly or going out;
• smoke in a room - the chimney or flue could be blocked;
• pilot lights that often blow out;
• increased condensation inside windows; and / or
• gas flames which are orange or yellow when they are normally blue.

Symptoms

Mild carbon monoxide poisoning

Headaches, nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, poor co-ordination.

Most people who develop mild carbon monoxide poisoning recover quickly when moved into fresh air. 

Moderate or severe carbon monoxide poisoning

Symptoms include confusion, unconsciousness, chest pain, shortness of breath, coma, death.

In cases of severe carbon monoxide poisoning people are often unable to move and must be rescued..

Severe poisoning is often fatal. Victims may not recognise drowsiness as a symptom of poisoning, fall asleep and not wake up again.

If you or your family experience any of these symptoms which improve when you're away from home or are more noticeable when cooking or in the colder months, and believe that carbon monoxide could be responsible, contact the National gas emergency number on 0800 111 999 and seek medical advice immediately.

What to do in an emergency

• Move the affected person into the fresh air.
• Get medical help by calling 999.
• If the person is not breathing, perform CPR until help arrives.
  
  

Key facts and safety advice about carbon monoxide

• Carbon monoxide can result from burning wood, coal, coke, charcoal and other fossil fuels - not just gas fires and boilers.
• Make sure rooms are aired - never block air vents. If double glazing or draught proofing is fitted, make sure there is still enough air circulating.
• Portable heaters must not be used.
• Chimneys and flues should be swept regularly and kept clear.  This includes chimneys being used as flues for gas fires, but is important for solid fuel appliances. Under your tenancy agreement, if you have a solid fuel appliance it is your responsibility to get the chimney swept regularly by a registered chimney sweep.
• Boilers, heating systems and appliances should be maintained regularly. If your gas appliances are serviced every 12 months in accordance with your Tenancy Agreement, the risk of Carbon Monoxide is reduced and your gas appliances are more efficient.
• Never cook on a barbeque indoors - the charcoal produces carbon monoxide.
• Customers should only sleep in bedrooms and not rooms where gas appliances are installed. 

If a room with a gas appliance must be used to sleep in, please contact us on 0345 8 507 507 for further advice.

Important: Carbon monoxide detectors are only an alarm, you must allow our engineers into your home to carry out the annual gas service as stated in your Tenancy Agreement. Never rely on Carbon monoxide detectors.

If you lose your keys or lock yourself out of your property, you will be charged for the changing of the locks.

You are responsible for lost keys and should report these immediately by calling us on 0345 8 507 507.

Our colleagues always take the utmost care when driving around our estates.

If you need to raise an issue about a Vico Homes van or driver, please contact us on 0345 8 507 507.

All our vans have a visible Vico Homes logo and a three or four digit fleet number. You can find these on the front and rear of the vehicle.
 
To trace the vehicle we will need you to supply us with the fleet number or the registration number.