My boiler seems to howl when it is on. It used to be just when the heating and hot water was on but now it seems to do it most of the time. Why would it make a howling noise? Is it something I can fix myself?

Kirsty, May 2009

What model boiler is it?

Sometimes howling or hooting (I have heard people say "it sounds like a ghost!") can be down to combustion problems in which case you definitely need an engineer.

Could also be something vibrating or rubbing, or maybe a fan on its way out. Occasionally flues can cause this noise - it's natural boiler noise but that particular flue configuration amplifies the noise.

Bunslinger, May 2009