Should I service my boiler?

Like many other general chores around the house, we’re all guilty of sticking our heads in the sand and following the mentality of “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it!”

So is a boiler service necessary? Yes, it is.

A boiler service is some of the best “piece of mind” money you can spend. Of course, no preventative works can ever fully guarantee a smoothe run on any kind of mechsnical equipment, but it can help you give yourself the best possible chance, when done properly.

Many gas engineers offer a service, especially when on an annual plan, but they aren’t always as invasive as what they should be and offer only the basic operational checks. DO NOT be afraid to ask what you will be getting for your service visit.

Although your boiler and central heating may be working fine, it may be tempting to not have the outgoing cost, but I see it frequently that a boiler service can save a lot more money in the long run. This week alone, I attended a job where a small hose had come loose and been leaking onto other components causing irreparable damage and a potential carbon monoxide leak, in a boiler, in a bedroom cupboard, with no carbon monoxide detector, luckily, the only misfortune of the client was a £450+ bill, but it could have easily been a life given the worst case scenario. On asking a few questions, it was clear the boiler hadn’t been touched in 6 years…something like this would be easily spotted on a boiler service and saved them a huge bill.

When is the best time to service my boiler?

Ideally, you’d carry out your boiler and central heating service in the middle-end of summer, getting you ready for the winter months of high usage, there’s a lot less strain on the boiler, and if any defects are identified where parts need to be replaced, it’s easier to do without for a couple of days.

It’s much easier and cost effective to carry out small repairs on your boiler, rather than the problem being able to build up and becoming beyond repair and planned preventative maintenance allows for this, on your terms.

One little tip would also be to run your central heating during the summer, even just for 1 hour week, at a time when you go out, just to keep everything circulating and moving around the system the way it should to avoid any seizing of parts come the high demand at “switch on” time at the beginning of winter.

Another key factor that not a lot of people realise is, even on a brand new boiler, you need an annual service signed off to keep your warranty valid, this is so important, especially given the extensive warranties now being offered by manufacturers, some even up to 14 years, pretty much covering the lifetime of the boiler.

At RJ Heating, we carry out a service that suits you, with a range of options from the basic general checks some customers may want, to full appliance servicing, and we are happy to discuss with you what we think you may benefit most from.

Remember, just because it seems like it’s working perfectly, that’s not always the case and it’s very useful to get this checked annually as all may not be what it seems!

If you require boiler, central heating or other gas appliance servicing in the South West London/Surrey areas, please contact us now to discuss an option, tailored to your needs!