Boilers rarely fail without warning - they drift. Pressure creeps down, seals harden, combustion shifts outside the manufacturer's figures. A regular service catches that drift before it becomes a cold house in January. So how often is enough?
The short answer
Once every twelve months, ideally around the same time each year. An annual service is what boiler manufacturers expect, it is what warranties typically require, and it gives any developing fault a full year's opportunity to be found while it is still small.
Why every twelve months
Safety
A gas boiler that is not burning correctly, or a flue that is not clearing properly, can produce carbon monoxide. Combustion testing and flue checks at each service exist for exactly that reason. Every home with a gas appliance should also have a working audible carbon monoxide alarm.
Reliability
Most faults give warning signs before they cause a breakdown - a worn seal, a struggling fan, pressure that will not hold. Finding them during a routine service is far cheaper and far warmer than a mid-winter call-out.
Your warranty
Most manufacturers require an annual service for the warranty to remain valid. Miss a year and a claim that would have been covered may not be. Keep each digital service report as proof.
Running costs
A boiler burning outside its intended gas rate, or fighting a dirty system, uses more gas to deliver the same heat. Servicing keeps it running as the manufacturer intended.
When the usual rule is different
You have just moved home
If you have moved into a property and have no record of when the boiler was last serviced, book one now rather than waiting. You do not know the boiler's history, and a first service is the safest way to start yours.
You are a landlord
The rules are stricter for rented properties. Landlords must have a gas safety check carried out at every rented property every twelve months by a Gas Safe registered engineer, and must keep the certificate. Our CP12 costs £75 and includes a full boiler service at the same visit.
The best time of year to book
Late spring to early autumn. Appointments are easier to arrange, the heating is not in daily use, and anything we find can be sorted before the cold weather arrives. That said, an overdue service in mid-winter is still far better than no service at all - do not put one off until summer.
Signs your boiler needs attention before its next service
- Pressure that keeps falling between top-ups
- Banging, kettling or gurgling when the heating fires up
- Radiators taking noticeably longer to warm
- Repeated lockouts or returning fault codes
- It has been more than twelve months since the last service
If you can smell gas, or the boiler is locking out repeatedly, do not wait for the next annual service. If you smell gas, open windows and doors, turn the gas off at the meter if it is safe to do so, and call the National Gas Emergency line on 0800 111 999.
Staying on schedule
Keep your digital service reports in one place and note the date of the last visit. Ask us to note your details and we will remind you when the next service is due. We cover Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside, Gateshead and surrounding areas, Monday to Saturday between 8:00am and 7:00pm - call 0731 136 3030 to book.
Written by the engineers at Newcastle Boiler Maintenance Ltd, Gas Safe registered heating engineers in Newcastle upon Tyne.