Many people wait until they have a problem with their boiler before considering it, but this is not a good idea. Your Gas Boiler Service must done annually and when you move to a new home to ensure that the environment in which you live is safe and does not come with any surprises. You can find many reputable sources online to find technicians who can service your boiler if you don’t know anyone yet and the information below is important for when you book your appointment.
The manufacturer’s instructions are an important reference to have your boiler repaired and the technician must have access to it before continuing. It will be useful to let your installer know the make and model of your boiler, if known, before the appointment, so that they have the best opportunity to have the right equipment and knowledge for your annual service. Although you should have left the manual of your boiler when you installed it, you should be able to download it online from the manufacturer’s website if you have misplaced it or have not received it in the first place. When you are looking for someone to come for the gas boiler service, you must always ensure that it is Gas Safe certified engineer. All certified technicians must have a card with them and it must be shown to you before the service starts. They then have to ask if your boiler has recently worked satisfactorily or is showing an error.
Most important points during the Gas Boiler Service
According to the HHIC, below is a rough guide to the actual maintenance of the boiler by an engineer.
- Keep the manufacturer’s instructions for your boiler to hand.
- Operate the boiler briefly and make sure that it appears to work correctly. Isolate the boiler / heating electrically and confirm with suitable test equipment. Check whether the value of the fuse for the boiler / heating is correct.
- Clean the boiler and its components in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions (eg Primary heat exchanger, Remove the boiler housing and carry out a visual inspection of the device, both internally and externally, for signs of discomfort (eg corrosion, water leaks, etc.)
- burner, condensate separator)
- Safely restore the power supply before checking the gas burner pressure of the boiler, a gas pressure check (at the gas meter) or both (if applicable)
- The installer must visually check the flames of the boiler (where visible) and perform a flue gas analysis test
- Ensure that any test points from the combustion analysis are correctly replaced and that all seals of the boiler house form an effective seal.
- Check whether all ventilation requirements for the boiler have been met.
- Check the entire length of the flue, including the end point. Perform flue gas discharge and spillage tests (smoke tests) if the boiler is of the open type.
- Check whether all boiler protection devices work correctly.
- Important safety checks must be carried out, such as checking that there is no gas leakage from the boiler or the associated pipes. (for gas appliances)
- In the case of a safety deficit (s) that are noticed; advise you on the details and correct them or act in accordance with the procedure for unsafe situations in the gas industry (GIUSP)
- If recovery is not possible, discuss any necessary corrective measures with you and the options to correct the error (s)
- Complete the Benchmark service report and registration and provide additional working documentation, either routinely in accordance with company policy, or as requested.
After the gas boiler service has been carried out and the above (or comparable) work has been carried out, the boiler engineer must carry out a few final checks. These include checking the system works in general, checking the pressure, explaining any further work that needs to be performed, advising you on regular maintenance and suggesting that a carbon monoxide alarm should be installed.
Conclusion
It is important that boilers and central heating boilers systems are kept healthy and maintained, especially since many guarantees are only observed if a service is performed once a year. Check your warranty on the manufacturer’s website for more information. In the end it makes sense to keep your guarantee valid, especially with a new boiler. Your annual gas boiler service can help prevent malfunctions in the boiler, and a well-maintained boiler can also work more efficiently to keep your energy bills under control. Some companies package your boiler service costs in a package where you can spread the costs with smaller monthly costs. You can also get boiler cover for boiler repair and ask if something goes wrong and this is great for peace of mind.