Your boiler has been working throughout the year giving you all the hot water you require. We are about to enter the autumn and winter months when your boiler will also be providing your home with heat. It makes sense to have the boiler serviced and checked before it takes on this additional workload, allowing any potential problems to be high lighted and rectified, ensuring that your boiler performs its two important jobs giving you peace of mind.
What does a Boiler Service Involve?
Depending on the type of boiler that you have installed the following is a list of works and checks that should be carried out during the annual service: –
The Flue
- Test and inspect the Flue to ensure that it is carrying the products of combustion away as designed. It is important to be able to check the entire length of the Flue, paying attention to the Flue Joints.
- It’s also important to check the type of material the length and size. In the case of condensing boilers to make sure that the angle of the Flue falls back as per the manufacturer’s specifications.
- The Flue termination – to see that it complies with regulations, is sited correctly and that there is a Terminal Guard if applicable
- Depending on the type of Flue a Smoke Match and Smoke Pellet Test would be carried out
- Flue Gases should be analysed and recorded
Ventilation
- With certain types of boilers its important to check that the room where the boiler is located has adequate ventilation. This is so that the oxygen used up during combustion can be replaced. Ventilation vents need to be kept clear of any obstructions. With these types of appliances it is a good idea to have a Carbon Monoxide Alarm fitted in the same room as the appliance.
Boiler
When your boiler was first installed and commissioned the boiler would have been benchmarked. The readings would have been recorded in the Boiler Service record that was left with you. When a boiler service is carried out all the readings carried out during the service should be recorded and can be used to compare how your boiler is functioning to when it was first installed. The section in the Boiler Service Record should be completed each service
- The boiler should be stripped down and the combustion chamber. burner and heat exchanger cleaned and inspected to make sure there are no water leaks, splits or cracks
- Where applicable the condense trap should be cleaned out
- All safety devices should be checked to ensure that they are functioning correctly
- The following should be checked, recorded and adjusted as necessary: –
- Standing Pressure
- Working Pressure
- Burner Pressure
- Gas Rate – To check the efficiency of the boiler
- Kilo Watt Rating – To check the efficiency of the boiler
- Replace the service kit where applicable
Meter and Pipe-work
- Visually check that gas pipe-work has been installed correctly, is of the correct material, size and has been labelled.
- Meter is accessible – so that the Gas can be turned off easily in case of emergency
- The meter has equipotential bonding
- A Gas tightness test should be carried out to ensure that there are no leaks coming form the gas supply, pipe-work and appliances.
- All Gas Safety Checks should be covered to ensure that your Appliance is operating safely for your protection.
What does it cost?
- The boiler service costs £65 plus VAT
- If your boiler requires a service kit or safety parts replacing during the service then this would be extra
