According to the Energy Saving Trust a boiler is the most common way of heating our homes in the UK. Increasingly, combi boilers are used as older boilers are replaced as they are efficient and provide hot water on demand as well as powering a home’s central heating system. Most run on gas although there are many, particularly in more rural areas where mains gas may not be as widely available, that run on oil, LPG, wood, or even coal.
Having an easy-to-use system means that it is often just as easy to forget to check that all is in good working order. Do you remember the last time you had your boiler checked and serviced? In the run-up to winter, now is the time to do it if you have not already done so. It’s important for a number of reasons:
1.Safety first: whatever fuel you use for your boiler, it is a combustible material so you want to be sure that your boiler is operating safely. You want to be certain that is installed correctly if it is new and that no faults have developed over its lifetime if you have had it for a while or inherited it when you bought or moved into a new property. A faulty boiler can release toxic carbon monoxide, which is odourless and colourless, often called the ‘silent killer’. A regular check and service to your boiler will ensure that there are no problems or leaks which could have serious consequences.
2.Early detection: A regular check can pick up any issues that could become potential problems and deal with them before they become expensive and complicated to fix. Don’t wait for your boiler to break down before calling in an engineer, get it checked and serviced annually and it will run for longer without major problems.
3.Greater efficiency: A boiler is at its most efficient when it is operating at its top capacity. To do that it must be in good working condition with every component playing its part well. If one is underperforming it will throw the system out of sync causing it to work inefficiently, producing less heat and hot water but costing you more to run as it works harder to try to keep up. While a part replacement may seem expensive, keep in mind that it is not only keeping your boiler safe, but that it will also reduce your energy bills because your boiler will be working efficiently.
4.Stay legal: many home and almost all business insurance policies contain a clause that requires the boiler to be safe to use. Check your insurance policy for details on how you can comply with such a requirement, but in most cases an annual check and service will meet it.
In every instance, always, always have a Gas Safe registered engineer check and service your boiler.
For help, advice, or a boiler check talk to us at Platinum Plumbers. We’re on the phone on 020 8855 0361 or on email at .
