What are the benefits of having an Annual Boiler Service? Should I really get my boiler serviced every year? It pretty much looks after itself, right? Many people think like this and are risking expensive boiler repair or replacement bills, or worse their health and even their life by neglecting their boiler maintenance. It is worth getting your boiler serviced regularly by your local Gas Safe Registered Heating Engineer. Read on to find out why you should make an annual boiler check a necessity.
Table of Contents
1) Your Safety, Your Health
The most important reason to get your boiler serviced annually is to protect you and your family’s lives. Gas leaks are thankfully rare, but the chances of one happening can be greatly reduced by keeping your boiler and heating system well maintained.
A more common problem with a poorly maintained boiler is the threat of carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide can be produced at higher levels if there is a problem with the amount of oxygen available to burn with the gas but can also build up if there is any restriction in the flue system, for example from a build-up of soot.
According to the Department of Health and Social Care, in the UK, carbon monoxide poisoning accounts for an average of 50 deaths reported per year and up to 4,000 medical visits. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headaches, nausea and being sick, dizziness, exhaustion, and confusion. People may also experience shortness of breath, breathing difficulties and stomach pain.
2) Efficiency and Energy Bills
People often think of servicing the boiler as just another cost they could do without. However, an inefficient boiler will cost you far more in energy bills. Inefficient boilers also have a greater environmental impact.
A gas safe engineer will carry out all the necessary checks as part of your service to ensure that your boiler is running as efficiently as possible which will save you money over time.
They can also advise you when your boiler has become so old that replacing it with a new one will actually give you a tangible saving even when taking into account the cost of the new boiler. The average household spends around 50% of their total energy bill on keeping their property warm, so don’t spend more on energy costs than you need to.
3) Avoid Having to Replace a Boiler Too Soon
Everyone knows that a boiler does not last forever. At some point, they will fail and need replacing or become inefficient to the point that it becomes more cost-effective to replace it with a new one. Regular servicing of your boiler will certainly extend its useful life, and with the cost of a new boiler installation averaging between £2,000 and £3,000 a boiler is usually the most expensive appliance in any household.
We all want to make any investment of this size last for as long as possible, and a boiler that is serviced regularly by a professional should last for 15 to 20 years. Not maintaining it properly can easily reduce its serviceable life by as much as a third to a half. Additionally, regular servicing will help avoid potentially costly repairs.
4) Catch Potential Issues Early
As well as extending the life of your boiler, regular servicing can ensure that potential problems are found early before they turn into large repair bills.
At Harman Heating, we charge just £45 for a standard boiler service, so when you consider that the average cost of a minor boiler repair could be around £150 for replacing a fan, gas valve or printed circuit board or closer to £400 for more serious work such as a replacing a heat exchanger, then it makes sense to keep your boiler and all of its components in tip-top order.
Problems with your boiler, however small, will only get worse the longer you ignore them. You don’t want to leave your boiler all summer to your own devices, and let it break down when you turn on the heating for the winter.
5) You May Need It to Maintain Your Warranty
If your boiler is still under warranty, it is a common warrant condition that you get the appliance serviced annually. If you haven’t had your boiler serviced for more than 12 months, it may nullify and void your warranty, meaning that any issues with boiler from then on, including any that might require a complete replacement, would not be covered.
It is therefore important to ensure that you maintain the service schedule for your boiler.
If you have missed the date of an annual service for any reason, do not panic. You may be able to speak to whoever looks after your insurance policy and explain you have missed a date and arrange to catch up with the servicing schedule as soon as possible.
Book Your Annual Boiler Service Now
We hope this article has explained the benefits of regularly maintaining your boiler. If you are debating whether or not to get your boiler serviced, remember that for any landlord in the UK, it is a statutory legal requirement to get a boiler serviced annually, along with any other gas appliances, and there is a reason for that – it protects people living in any household.
Here at Harman Heating in Northampton, we are Gas Safe Registered Gas and Heating Engineers and have been carried out many boiler services for our local customers for many years. If you would like to book a boiler service or have any questions related to your boiler and central heating system, please do not hesitate to contact us on 07771 956641, our friendly team are always happy to help. Alternatively, drop us a message here and we will get back to you shortly.
