Having your boiler serviced annually is important to keep you and everyone in your home safe from gas boiler-related hazards such as gas leak-related explosions and carbon monoxide poisoning.
Beyond that, an annual gas boiler service can help maintain the energy efficiency of your heating system for longer and prolong its lifespan. But what are the signs your gas boiler needs a service? Let’s take a look.
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Your Annual Boiler Service Is Due or Overdue
Firstly, as mentioned, it’s important to have your boiler serviced once a year. So, if your boiler service is due soon or even overdue, it’s important to book a boiler servicing ASAP.
Of course, in most cases, the company that services your boiler should get in contact and subsequently come by to service your boiler at the right time of year.
However, if they fail to get in touch for some reason, you’ll want to reach out to them right away if it’s the right time of year (or even past the right time of year) to have your boiler serviced.
Beyond that, if you don’t have an annual boiler servicing agreement/plan in place, you should get one for future years, along with getting your boiler serviced ASAP in the meantime. This can prevent headaches or outright forgetting to have your boiler serviced annually.
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Declining Energy Efficiency
Another sign that you should have your boiler serviced soon is if you notice that your heating system is becoming less efficient.
Evidence that your heating system is losing efficiency can include rising heating bills (that cannot be explained or at least solely explained by any other factors like rising energy costs).
You might be able to back up your suspicions that your heating system is experiencing declining energy efficiency if you notice your radiators aren’t heating as well as they used to (by placing your hand near but not on them).
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Gas Leak Emergency
If your boiler is leaking gas (whether natural gas or carbon monoxide) or you have any reason to believe it might be, the first thing you must do is evacuate yourself and everyone from your property immediately.
Once you are safely outside, you’ll need to phone National Gas to report the leak.
Note: You should only turn the gas emergency control valve back on once a qualified professional deems it safe to do so. Also, the emergency contact numbers can differ for those using LPG gas or oil.
Once your property is deemed safe to enter, it is still essential to have your boiler serviced immediately. The gas heating engineer who comes by to fix the gas leak can perform the service and determine whether your boiler is safe to use once the leak has been fixed or if additional work is required before you can safely use your heating again.
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Slow to Heat Up
Just as lower heat output in general can signal that a boiler needs servicing, so can radiators that are slow to heat up.
This could be a sign that there are air pockets trapped inside your heating system, there is sludge and debris in the pipework that needs removing (via a power flush as performed by a professional) or that the boiler itself needs to have components repaired or replaced (again undertaken by a qualified professional).
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Frequently Breaks Down
Last but certainly not least, if your boiler is frequently breaking down, this is virtually a sure sign that something is awry.
Having your boiler serviced (whatever the issues at play are, for that matter) is important to catch issues with your boiler/heating system before they worsen and end up creating growing safety hazards and costing you more money in the long run.
In general, a boiler servicing can determine what issues your boiler might have and how they can be fixed, as well as whether such issues must be addressed immediately before you can continue using your boiler. Talking through these key details and more with a qualified heating engineer can help provide peace of mind and lower the risk of dangers worsening or arising in the future.
Hiring a Qualified Heating Engineer
The average cost of a boiler service in the UK is about £50 to £90. However, prices can differ depending on where you live (e.g. prices are usually higher in the southeast of England, whereas they are generally below the UK average in regions such as northern England and Scotland).
When seeking a qualified heating engineer to service your boiler (unless you need one immediately), it’s a good idea to secure quotes from 3+ professionals near you.
That way, you could compare the pricing of each option as well as other details (e.g. their levels of experience and any online reviews or ratings they might have) so that you can attempt to find a contractor offering above-average value for money. Whatever the case, always hire a qualified and professional heating engineer when having your boiler serviced.
