Now that the weather is taking a turn, the last thing you want is for your boiler to start playing up leaving you with cold water and no heating. You can prevent this from happening by conducting a boiler service once a year.
Whether you need a boiler repair, or you just need a checkup, having a boiler service can bring you peace of mind. Especially handy in the colder months, you don’t want to leave it too late that your boiler stops working altogether.
But if you’re not sure what a boiler service consists of, this article will run through what you can expect from a boiler repair or boiler service. Heating engineers are qualified to run inspections to make sure everything’s running smoothly, and some warranties require you to have a boiler service annually.
What is a boiler service?
A boiler service is conducted to verify your boiler and heating system are working efficiently. This will usually only take one hour, but this will depend on the appliance being checked and whether there is anything wrong with it.
When you have a boiler service booked, you can expect a Gas Safe engineer to follow a boiler service checklist. This will tell them everything they need to check to make sure your boiler is safe and working correctly.
What will a boiler service include?
A boiler service will have the following checklist to provide a thorough service:
Visual inspection – Firstly, the Gas Safe engineer will check how the boiler looks, inspecting the boiler, cleaning it, and adjusting anything necessary. They will also keep an eye out for signs of damage.
Functions and safety – The next thing on the list is to check the controls, functions and safety devices to see if they are operating correctly.
Flue checks – The heating engineer will then look at the construction, termination, and route of the flue. The flue is the pipe that goes from the boiler to outside your house. This will check for any obstructions around the flue and the fitting of it to make sure it is safe.
Cleaning components – In this stage of the boiler service, your engineer will inspect the main components of the boiler to make sure there’s nothing wrong with them. They will then clean these main components including the main burner, heat exchanger and ignition pins.
Test check – There are a lot of tests done during a boiler service, these will include testing and checking the following parts:
- Flame sense device
- High-limit thermostat
- Boiler operation
- Pilot burner
- Ventilation
- Flue effectiveness
- Heating controls
- Electrical wiring
- Boiler location
- Gas and pressure flow
- Safety devices
Taking record – Throughout the testing and checking of your boiler and boiler parts, the engineer will make sure to take a record of each. This will include noting the boiler pressure which is information you will want to keep for your next inspection or if you get a problem in the future.
Final check – Finally, once everything has been checked and the inspection is coming to an end, your heating engineer will do a final check to make sure the boiler is working correctly. They will return any settings changed back to your original settings or will show you how to do so.
If you have any questions about your boiler or heating settings, this would be the time to ask your engineer.
What signs should I look for to signify a boiler repair?
If you notice any signs of the following you should get in touch with your heating engineer as soon as possible:
- Any strange noises coming from your boiler
- The boiler flame is yellow or irregular
- You’ve noticed new marks, stains, or smoke on the boiler
- Your water pressure keeps dropping
- The pilot light keeps going out
- Your radiators take a while to heat up
It’s extremely important to book in your annual boiler service to keep your heating and hot water systems flowing correctly. You don’t want to wait until it’s too late to fix your boiler, as you could be potentially left without heating in the coldest months. Get a boiler service booked in for peace of mind!
