How Often Should Your Boiler Be Serviced?

As a homeowner, keeping on top of the health of your boiler is very important. However, you may not know how often your boiler should be serviced.

Your boiler must be serviced by a Gas Safe or OFTEC engineer once a year at minimum. This will ensure that everything is functioning correctly and there aren’t any dangerous gas or water leaks.

In this guide, we explain when you should get your boiler serviced, why it’s important and the benefits of regular servicing.

When to get your boiler serviced

There are several key times when you should service your boiler:

It has been 12 months since your last boiler service

It’s important to keep track of when you last had your annual service and ensure you book your next one every 12 months.

Service your boiler during the summer

In terms of when exactly you should book your annual service, we recommend booking it during the summer months.

During winter your boiler will be working a lot harder, so getting it serviced during Summer will sort any issues out before the cold weather sets in.

This will allow you to find and fix any boiler problems during the warmer months, meaning your boiler will be in great working condition once the nights start drawing in again.

See our Winter Heating Tips blog for further tips on how to get your heating system ready for Winter.

When you have moved into a new house

Outside of your annual service, there’s only one other instance you should book a service. This is when you have recently moved into a new home.

If you don’t have a written record of services from a previous homeowner, you cannot tell when the boiler was last serviced. For this reason, it’s best to get a service booked as soon as possible after you have moved into your home to ensure the boiler is running to optimum performance.

Why do you need to get your boiler serviced regularly?

Having a yearly service is important for a variety of reasons:

It is part of your warranty

While your boiler is under warranty, you must book an annual service. At Navien UK, when you get your boiler serviced regularly during the warranty period, it’s our responsibility to help you repair or replace it.

Your boiler will remain efficient

With a yearly service, your boiler will be more efficient, helping you save money on costly boiler repairs.

Issues will be detected before becoming bigger problems

During your annual service, the engineer will find and repair any issues that could become costly to fix if left for too long.

Who should service the boiler?

You should first contact the original installer who fitted your boiler in your home to service it. As certain boilers require specifically certified engineers to service them, you should make sure you are choosing the right kind of engineer for your boiler. For oil boilers, it needs to be serviced by an engineer who is OFTEC registered but gas boilers need to be serviced by a Gas Safe registered engineer.

At Navien UK, all our qualified installers and service agents are registered appropriately to carry out your service.

What happens during boiler servicing?

Whilst the exact process can vary depending on the boiler in question, a boiler service generally takes no longer than 60 minutes. The process will generally follow the following steps:

Step 1.

The engineer will inspect the exterior of your boiler for any issues, including signs of corrosion and any leakages, and will also check the digital display for any problems. They will also likely ask you if there have been any issues with your boiler since your last service.

Step 2.

The interior of the boiler will be inspected, with all internal components such as the flue terminals and piping being checked and cleaned where necessary. The gas pressure will also be checked to make sure that it’s at a safe level.

Step 3.

Once all checks have been made and the engineer has ensured that the boiler is in good working order, they will switch the boiler on and make a final check.

If a fault is found, the job could take longer and even require a second visit depending on the severity of the issue.

How much does a boiler service cost?

The average cost of a boiler service in the UK is £80 – £140, but this will depend on several factors including:

• Type of boiler (Combi boiler, System boiler, Combi Crossover etc).
• Boiler model.
• Where the boiler has been fitted in your home.
• Gas or oil boiler

What are the requirements for landlords?

Landlords have a legal responsibility to provide their tenants with safe living conditions and must hold an up-to-date landlord gas safety certificate. All gas appliances owned and provided by a landlord must be checked once every year by a qualified gas engineer.

How to book a boiler service

Getting your boiler serviced a minimum of once a year will ensure that your warranty is kept intact, your boiler operates at peak performance and future repairs are minimised. Being only a simple one-hour procedure, boiler servicing is quick, easy, and highly beneficial.

To book an annual service, simply find a local Service Agent/Installer and our specialist team will ensure your boiler remains operating at peak performance.