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What a full boiler service includes
What does a full boiler service include?
During a boiler service, after an initial visual inspection to ensure everything looks in order, the engineer will check inside your boiler and related parts, including:
- Flue integrity and gas pressure will be checked
- Safe operation during test of the boiler and system controls
- Check of heating system including the radiators
The heating engineer will also check for leaks of water or gas, and inspect the boiler parts for wear and tear, testing to make sure everything's functioning correctly inside and outside of the main boiler unit. If there are blockages, or corrosion evident within the boiler or the attached pipes then a power flush may also be advised as part of the boiler service.
In reality, most people don't even think about their home boiler unless it develops some kind of problem, for example if the water or radiators are not heating properly, or there is either a leak, or pipes banging for example or some other unusual issue with the heating system that raised the alarm. The fact is that most boiler problems and many plumbing emergencies can be easily avoided by simply ensuring your boiler and heating system is regularly serviced and maintained.
How often should a boiler be serviced?
You should always check with either your heating engineer or the boiler manufacturer, but your first boiler service will be conducted 12 months after installation in order to meet the terms of your warranty. It should be serviced annually thereafter to maintain the warranty to cover you for any faults that may develop during the duration of the boiler warranty.
How long does it take to service a boiler?
For a standard annual service this should usually take from 30 minutes to an hour, or up to 1.5 hours for certain more complex or older types of boilers that need a little more attention to keep them running smoothly.
We are often asked how long does a boiler service take when booking, and we appreciate that it may not always be convenient, but we do our very best to work around you, your family and your work schedules and will have the service done as quickly as possible.
If an issue is found with the boiler or central heating system during the service, then your heating engineer should discuss this with you and if they have time and you agree, additional repairs may be possible during the visit though these may incur extra costs above the cost of the standard boiler service. Of course these would be fully discussed and agreed with you before any remedial work commences.
Is a boiler service worth it?
An annual boiler service will improve the efficiency of both the boiler and your central heating system, and help to prevent breakdowns or emergency callouts in future.
A boiler service is not a legal requirement but it will help your boiler to keep serving you well, in a similar way in which a car service and oil change can keep a car running for many years longer than one that is not serviced.
Regular boiler and heating system maintenance can help to spot issues before they cause your boiler to breakdown and can help your heating engineer to identify more serious problems such as carbon monoxide leaks early on, before these cause you or your family potential health issues.
Further to this, keeping your boiler serviced is one of the the requirements for the validity of your boilers warranty, and that alone could save a hefty bill in future should something go wrong with it in the coming years.
Can You Service a Boiler Yourself?
If you are wondering whether you should service the boiler on your own without proper training and equipment? The plain answer is NO.
Just like your car, a boiler service needs to be carried out by a professional – in this case a qualified Gas Safe engineer. It's not something you can do yourself at home, although there are things you can do to keep your boiler ticking over.
As far as maintaining the boiler is concerned, here are a few tips to help you take proper care of your boiler on your own.
- Check the pilot light. Check the viewing window on the boiler if available, and if the pilot light is blue colour, it shows that everything is fine. If it's orange or yellow colour, it means that fuel is not being burned optimally. Incomplete combustion of the fuel is not only inefficient but is also a safety hazard. In such a case, you should immediately give a call to reliable and experienced professional (note on some modern boilers this is not visible, so do not be concerned if this is something you have no way to see).
- Check the water pressure. Optimal pressure is needed for your boiler to operate properly. If the pressure is too low, your boiler won't work and if it's too high, it will put unnecessary strain on the equipment as well as on the pipes.
There should be pressure gauge on the front of the boiler. This should display pressure between 1 and 1.5 bar. Since each boiler model is different, you will need to follow the instructions in the manual to maintain the pressure. If you are unable to follow the instructions, give a call to a professional plumber to maintain the optimal pressure. - Check for water leaks from the boiler. If you spot a puddle of water below the boiler or can see any drips coming from the boiler then this is a problem, and needs to be resolved as soon as possible. Pipes within the boiler and throughout the heating system should be sealed to maintain the water pressure and any leakage will reduce this pressure. If the water pressure drops too much then the boiler will stop working.
- Fit a carbon monoxide tester in every room containing a fuel-burning appliance, test it weekly, and if you are ever alerted to increased levels either by the alarm (if it has one) or change of colour then open doors and windows, leave the property if you are able, and call your emergency Gas Safe heating engineer immediately to have the problem resolved.
Of course, in the event of an issue, it is always better to call in a plumbing expert to take care of the problem instead of trying to go the DIY route, but in the meantime be sure to keep your boiler serviced and properly maintained.
Book your annual boiler service
Assett Plumbing plumbing services cover boiler servicing for homes and businesses throughout Northamptonshire including
We are approved and fully vetted by Northants County Council under their Trading Standards Approved “Buy with Confidence” scheme as well as this all of our plumbing and heating engineers are all Gas Safe registered.
Book in today for your annual boiler service to be carried out by qualified engineers that have your best interests at heart. To find out more, simply give us a call on 01604 372395 today or click HERE to book.
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