Leave your boiler service until summer

Posted on 5 Dec 2007

Nights are getting longer, there's a snap in the air...winter is most definitely drawing in! Naturally it's at this time of year that most people think about having their boiler serviced, but stop and think about it first...is this really the best time of year to have the work done?

Just about everyone is thinking the same thing, so most boiler servicing work is carried out between October and January. If you have an old system which you're not sure will make it through another winter unscathed, by all means book yourself a service, but if you can wait, do.

Boiler servicing firms will be quieter in summer and it's possible you'll get a better rate, especially with smaller independent firms. You also stand a better chance of getting a truly first class job if the engineer isn't thinking about hurrying on to his next appointment. Most importantly, if new parts need to be installed or repairs do need to be carried out you'll find this goes much more smoothly during the warmer months: an engineer with a chock-full appointment book might not be able to get back to you as soon as they or you would prefer, and you might find yourself waiting quite some time for the job to be finished.

The same engineer during the warmer months is likely to be less stressed, less hurried, and have more flexibility in his schedule if things don't go smoothly.

So there you have it: if your pipes are rattling and your 10 year old boiler sounds like an old steam engine get the plumbers in right away! But if you have a relatively new system that was serviced 12 months ago or less, think about leaving it a few more months. If nothing else it's an extra bit of cash in your pocket at a time of year when there never seems to be enough!