Find a Heating Engineer you can trust in Alston.

Modern oil boilers do not require a lot of maintenance. OFTEC recommends that oil boilers are serviced and inspected every year. This keeps them running as efficiently as possible and will ensure any issues with your boiler are identified before they cause bigger problems. This servicing is also vital because of the increased risk of carbon monoxide leaking from a poorly maintained boiler.

To ensure that your boiler is safe and operating efficiently, it’s essential to have it serviced on a regular basis.

Generally, a boiler service will deliver a wide array of benefits which includes the opportunity to identify safety issues like a possible leak of carbon monoxide, efficient use of energy and reduction in energy bills, prevention of breakdowns, a valid warranty when the boiler is serviced regularly by a qualified engineer as well as an extended lifespan. So what exactly does a boiler service cover? This guide will give you a good insight as to what happens during that service.

Before we get started, it’s very important to note that the work done is always as good as the engineer you employ. Therefore, it’s advisable to make sure your preferred engineer is qualified before proceeding with the service. Below are some of the basic practices the engineer may perform during their visit.

• Thorough Inspection

During the visit, the engineer will carry out a detailed examination of your boiler to ensure it still meets the current standards while also making sure that there are no leaks or corrosion. What’s more? They’ll also examine the boiler’s flame for any faults.

• Boiler Casing Removal

The boiler casing will be detached to check all components and ensure they’re free from all forms of dirt and see to it that they’re all working just as they should. This will include examination of the heat exchanger, main injector, burner and spark probe.

• Flue Examination

The engineer will inspect the flue terminals to make sure there are no form of obstructions and it’s also safely installed.

• Gas Pressure Examination

This is done to make sure the heating system is operating at the right pressure.

As you would have guessed, the British Gas is one of the leading home assistant companies located in the United Kingdom which delivers a large variety of services to customers and boilers. Basically, they offer four (4) service packages. The first package is an annual boiler service and boiler as well as controls repair. Meanwhile the fourth package (also the largest) combines boiler services with central heating, plumbing, drains as well as home electrics.

Apart from the monthly payment package offerings, customers are allowed to pay on a yearly basis with a large lump sum. If you opt to pay annually, this will help you save some amount of money. There’s also the option of paying an extra £60 to further lower either monthly or annual costs. What’s more? Customers are also allowed to pay an extra of £99 to get either £2.50 for boiler repairs a month or £5.50 for both repairs on boiler and its controls as well as central heating system repairs.

After placing a claim, the repairs required by your boiler would be made within 24 hours. However, in certain cases, there may be some delays as British Gas tend to rate vulnerable customers ( such as elderly persons and families with little kids) higher than the usual ones. All products will include a 24/7 customer support, unlimited call outs as well as a 14 day cooling off period if you choose to remove any service.

In conclusion, British Gas is an affordable and hassle free company offering customers top notch services. Their gas boiler cover include so many juicy benefits you simply can’t afford to miss out on if you have a gas boiler in your home or property.

LPG stands for liquid petroleum gas. It’s a by-product of refined crude oil. When it’s put under pressure, LPG turns into a liquid. It’s usually stored in this form. LPG is used as fuel for things like BBQs and camping stoves, as well as central heating.

Breakdowns of boilers are quite common during the winter months and are usually very expensive to repair when this occurs. According to the research carried out recently by uSwitch, repairing a boiler can cost an average of about £314 with a figure over 20 percent of homes experiencing various heating system issues last year.

To answer the question of whether or not your existing home insurance will be enough to cover the boiler breakdown, the answer is probably not. This is due to the fact that heating system faults or breakdowns is a very common occurrence and as a result of poor maintenance practices as well as a high repair cost, several insurance companies often remove it from their home insurance policies.

Generally, you’d be given an option of what is termed as “emergency home cover which is an add on or extra to your home insurance policy. Luckily, this add on is quite inexpensive and may be as little as £4 or £5 per month. Depending on your need or budget, you can also purchase the add on as a “stand alone from your current insurer or another company. However, the standalone option is usually more expensive.

The emergency home cover normally provides coverage for the boiler repair cost and few times, the rest of the central heating system as well. Being fully aware how important a boiler can be, insurance companies usually deliver a rapid response service as suggested in the name, “emergency home cover. However, the maximum pay-out for call out charges is capped at a particular amount which usually ranges from £500 and £1,000. Apart from the call out fees, the emergency cover also includes a limit on the pay-out amount for future required repairs of heating systems which includes both parts labour.

A terrible day would be walking into your home to discover your boiler is broken - nobody prays for that and even more so, when you’re fully aware a broken boiler can be one of the most expensive things to repair. However, when this occurs, a boiler plan is ready to help cover the repair cost - and that’s only if you’ve gotten one. Generally, cover plans feature only a monthly price which is quite affordable when compared to paying a huge lump sum at once. Furthermore, depending on your cover level, you may not be required to incur call out charges or any other expensive services rendered. And in the event whereby your boiler can’t be repaired, there’ll be plans in place to get a replacement unit. As a result, getting a boiler cover is a great way to give yourself a peace of mind and see to it that you’re not left in the cold when the worse happens.

So the answer to whether or not you should get a boiler cover is totally a positive one. The purchase of a new heating system can be quite costly, but it would even be costlier when you have to repair it ceaselessly throughout it’s service years. With several modern combi units being a complicated heating system to repair, getting a cover plan with unlimited call outs, zero excess as well as cover parts and labour would be a truly wise decision.

In addition, an annual service of your heating system is required by manufacturers in order to make the warranty valid. Therefore, just a basic service plan is very crucial if you do not buy the idea of having to fork out at least £70 for each service.

No. You must never repair your own boiler – only a Gas Safe-registered engineer can do any work on your boiler. You can do simple DIY tasks to repressurise your boiler or stop a leak, but if you have to remove the outer casing of the boiler or touch the flue then you must get a qualified boiler engineer to take a look at your central heating system.

How To Fix A Broken Boiler

To fix any problem when it comes to home appliances, the first step is always to identify the problem while also carrying out thorough checks - a broken boiler is not an exception. Putting enough time and effort in diagnosing a problem can go a lot way to save you both time and money. So here are some of the steps you can take to fix your broken boiler before you put a call out to a licensed engineer.

✓ Check to confirm if your pilot light is on. Whenever you’re facing some issues with your boiler, this should always be the first thing you do. The pilot light being on speak volumes, if the light is off then there’s absolutely no way the flame can start the appliance’s gas supply. You should try to put it back on, if off. To do this, you simply have to follow the detailed instructions on your boiler’s manual strictly. If after following these actions to the letter and the issue remains the same, then you’d probably need the services of an a qualified engineer. Never try to fix the issue on your own.

✓ Check the pressure. The solution to the headaches might sometimes be as simple as examining your appliance’s pressure gauge. Here, the good numbers are around 1.0 or1.5, if it happens to fall below this, then you should open the boiler’s instruction manual. You can also inspect your radiator valves for any leaks. You’d have to call in a specialist to solve the issue.

✓ Check the thermostat. Here, it’s important to note that a faulty thermostat doesn’t necessarily imply a broken boiler. It may just signify that you need to replace your thermostat. Simply check to ensure that your thermostat is turned on and temperature is at the appropriate degree.