A professional boiler service in Newcastle
Posted on 9 Dec 2008
For most of us outside the plumbing industry the steps required to properly service a gas boiler are a bit of a mystery, which is understandable…there’s no need for most homeowners to know the gory details.
It’s always good to know what you’re paying for though, and this particularly applies when it comes to getting your boiler serviced. Many options are available at varying price points, some offering little more than a basic safety check up to full annual services which are essential for continued efficient and safe operation.
To give our readers some insight into the work performed during a full boiler service Dave Mooney of Gas Angel Heating Services kindly agreed to take us through the steps a full service should include.
Visual check of heating system
Dave and CORGI engineer in training Rob arrive and check the lay of the land. Dave set up his boiler service firm in Newcastle a couple of years ago and Rob is preparing to take his first CORGI exams so it’s a traditional journeyman/apprentice relationship.
Dave checks the boiler and surrounding components, noting that one layer of the double glazed flame window on our test system is cracked. It’s the sign of an older system but this isn’t a safety issue unless both panes of the double-glazed window are cracked. The flame is visible through the window and burns a bright, even blue (signs of orange or other colours, or a flickering flame, would indicate a potential problem) so the system has passed the first visual test. Rob lays down a cloth to keep the surrounding area free of residue and the guys go to work.
Opening up the boiler
Dave removes the combustion cover and performs another eyeball check of the interior components. No visibly damaged wires, condensation, excess soot build up or any of the other dozens of danger signs which will alert a CORGI registered gas engineer to a potential problem.
Satisfied that nothing warrants further investigation Dave begins cleaning the interior of the boiler, using a combination of hoover, brushes and a “mouth powered hoover”. The last is a long tube which can be blown down to clear dust, soot and other debris in hard to reach areas.
Next the gas burner plate, left, is removed and cleaned separately. Dave then works from top to bottom, cleaning the fan, heat exchanger, burner, injector and pilot housing. Cleaning is done from the top down so residue doesn’t fall on areas that have just been cleaned.
When Dave is through the interior of the boiler is free of scorch marks, crack and sooty build up, particularly around the heat exchanger and burner. Regular cleaning and removal of, to use the technical term, “crud”, can significantly extend the life of a gas boiler so the team works with cloths, brushes and blowers until the system is spick and span.
Testing the boiler
Before the boiler is re-assembled some important tests need to take place. First the appliance is switched on and the lightning mechanism is checked post-service. The boiler ignites fine and the burner pressure reading of 15.7mb is within the ranges posted on the MDB (Manufacturer’s Data Badge - a label on the inside cover of every boiler detailing it’s operating ranges).
We move outside to test the flue output and ensure no dangerous gases are being emitted by the boiler.
The flue output is tested with an electronic flue gas analyser which tells us the CO2 output ratio of our system is well below the 0.0008 legal maximum and not too far off the 0.0004 max ratio for high efficiency boilers. The device also provides some insight into the overheads which need to be incorporated into a safety-conscious plumber’s rates: this device costs more than my car and requires regular calibration…and it’s just one of many specialist tools in Dave’s bag.
The tightness test
After breaking into the gas supply the guys need to perform some tests of the whole system. First up is the boiler itself, where a special* leak detector spray is used to make sure no gas is escaping.
* Apparently the chemical composition is very similar to that of soapy water!
No leaks are detected so the boiler unit is reassembled and the cover replaced. One final check must be performed at the meter where the gas supply comes into the building, and after seeing the pressure at the meter drop 1.5 millibar in two minutes Dave declares the system perfectly safe. The legal maximum is 4 millibar, though this is in fact well below the amount of leakage that would be needed to cause ill effects…rest assured the regulatory bodies set these figures well inside safe limits!
The guys perform one last check of areas they’ve worked, and with everything squared away it’s on to the next job. Thanks to everyone at Gas Angel Heating Serivices for taking us through it!
