A Gas Safe-registered engineer should service your gas boiler every year. You should aim to have your boiler serviced in the summertime, when the weather is still warm and your central heating system is turned off, but if you haven’t had the appliance serviced yet, you should try to do so as soon as possible. A boiler breakdown in the middle of winter can be a very unpleasant experience!
If you have signed up for a boiler cover and annual service package with us, we will arrange your service in the ninth month of your service plan. If you’d like to get your boiler serviced earlier, call us up to arrange it, make a one-off £60 payment, and we will cut your subsequent payments by £60.
What happens in a boiler service
During your service, an engineer will check all the components of your boiler to make sure they are working properly and efficiently. They will clean out any dirt and debris within the boiler, check the oxygen-to-fuel ratio to ensure your boiler is not wasting fuel, and top up the water pressure if required.
If necessary, the engineer may also conduct a water quality check to discover if there is any rust or corrosion within your water supply. They may also put a corrosion inhibitor in the water tank to minimise the spread of corrosion.
Your boiler will be visually examined and fired up to ensure it works properly. The flue terminals may be cleaned and re-sealed, the gas valve may be adjusted, and the inside of the boiler will be cleaned out. The engineer may also check that there are no gas or carbon monoxide leaks.
When the boiler service has been completed, you will receive a service report that details everything that happened during the service.
Powerflush
If there is a significant build-up of corrosion in your central heating system, a Gas Safe engineer may recommend a powerflush. This will require a powerflush machine – a powerful deep-cleaning mechanism that clears out all the grime and sludge from your plumbing.
A powerflush should significantly improve the efficiency of your heating system and clear blockages from your radiators, allowing them to heat up properly and eliminating cold spots.
Although powerflushes typically increase the life expectancy of a central heating system, they can damage plumbing, pipework and boilers – especially if your plumbing system is 15 years old or older. It is also a relatively time-consuming process, with each radiator taking around 20 minutes to powerflush.
Boiler services – the law
Homeowners and tenants are under no legal obligation to ensure that their boilers are serviced. However, just because boiler services aren’t mandatory for these groups doesn’t mean they aren’t very sensible!
Residential landlords must ensure that every gas boiler in their property portfolio are serviced every year, and that any gas appliances, flues and fittings they provide to tenants are safe. This is outlined in the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998.
Landlords must also arrange annual gas safety checks, which must be performed by Gas Safe engineers. They should keep a record of these safety checks for 24 months and provide them to their tenants within 28 days of the date of the check. All new tenants should be provided with a copy of the gas safety check documentation before they move in to the property.
