Urgent unvented cylinder faults in Kent

A pressurised hot-water cylinder needs a different approach from a tap or ordinary pipe leak. Loss of hot water, escaping water and safety discharge should be described separately when you call.

Leave safety controls alone

Do not cap a discharge pipe, adjust relief valves or bypass a thermostat or safety device. These components protect the system. If hot water or steam is discharging, keep people away and obtain prompt professional advice.

Use only normal user controls where it is safe and familiar to do so. Do not open electrical covers or follow generic online instructions for repressurising a system.

Information that helps arrange the right visit

Read the make and model from an accessible label without removing panels. Say whether the cylinder is heated by a boiler, an immersion heater or both, if known. Tell us if cold-water outlets still work and whether the fault affects every hot tap.

For an isolated tap or shower problem, the cylinder may not be the source. Our hot-water emergency overview helps separate whole-system loss from a single outlet fault.

Qualifications, parts and access

Tell us that you have an unvented cylinder when booking so the right person can attend. Ask the attending engineer to confirm their qualifications for your system before work starts.

Cylinder cupboards can make leaks difficult to see. Explain restricted access and any water near electrical equipment. Parts, further investigation and replacement-cylinder work require an agreed scope rather than an assumed same-visit solution.

Call to discuss suitable attendance. If the issue appears confined to electric water heating, also see immersion heater faults.