With the end of summer only days away, it won’t be long until the colder weather is upon us and it’s time to turn the central heating on again.
But are you 100% sure that when it gets fired up again, after such a long period of rest, your boiler will be up to the challenge?
When a piece of equipment, such as a boiler, hasn’t been used for a long time, especially in cases where it is a good few years old, there’s every possibility that it might struggle to start up, once it’s time to turn it back on.
For this reason, getting your boiler serviced once a year, before you’re ready to put the central heating on is a great way to prevent it from happening.
Is boiler servicing worth it?
Servicing your gas boiler may seem like another added expense to add to the rising utility costs, but it could save you A LOT of money in the long run.
A boiler service will identify any issues with the boiler that could lead to it breaking down and becoming more costly to repair in the future. A check on the boiler parts will mean that they’re kept in good shape and if you get your boiler serviced every year there’s more chance of it lasting longer before it needs to be replaced.
In addition, while we all struggle with the rising cost of energy prices this autumn / winter, having your boiler serviced means that it will be as energy efficient as it possibly can be – again saving you money on your heating bills.
There’s certainly no point waiting until you have no heating before getting a service. Get it done when it’s convenient to you and not during the winter when heating engineers have less availability.
How do I know if my boiler needs repairing or replacing?
The average life of a boiler is around 15 years. If your boiler hasn’t been serviced regularly, it could be a lot less. You can tell if your boiler needs urgent repair or replacement by the following:
- Your heating bills are increasing (far beyond the expected rises this year)
- You notice rusting, burn stains or a leak
- There is a bad smell from your boiler
- Your radiators take longer to heat up
- There are strange noises coming from your heating system.
Who can service or replace a boiler?
It is a legal requirement for safety that all engineers who work on gas appliances are Gas Safe registered. In addition to being Gas Safe, our boiler service engineers are also professionally registered with BESA, OFTEC, CHAS, the British Safety Council and Trustmark.
In addition to getting an annual boiler service, other ways to get your boiler ready for the winter months include the following:
- Bleed your radiators
- Insulate your pipes
- Check your carbon monoxide alarm
- Check the boiler pressure – this should be between 1 and 1.5 bar on your boiler when it’s cold
- Check your thermostat to make sure it adjusts and isn’t broken
- Carry out a visual check of your boiler
Ensure you have our emergency call-out service telephone number written on your boiler, to make it quick and easy to find, should anything go wrong. In an emergency, we are available 24-hours a day, 365-days-a-year in Worthing, Chichester, and all other areas of Sussex. Our emergency number is: 01903 237522 and press option 1.
To book a boiler service today and get peace of mind, click the button below.