Why bother with an annual boiler service?

Posted on 11 Apr 2007

Many of us might see an annual gas boiler service as an unnecessary expense - everything seems to be running fine, so why bother, right? Wrong!

Your Gas Boiler and Central Heating System, just like your car, need a little TLC from time to time to ensure they're running as they should be. And, just like your car's MOT, the primary reasons for this are efficiency and safety.

Gas boiler servicing and efficiency

Although you might pay £50, £100 or even more to have your Gas Boiler serviced you could actually save money by having this done on a regular basis. The main reason for this is that deposits build up inside the boiler and central heating system which reduce the efficiency of the system , which means higher gas bills for you! An annual service from a reputable tradesman will include a thorough clean of any dirty parts or deposits, bringing your boiler's efficiency level back up.

Regular servicing also greatly reduces the risk of a breakdown (which would probably cost the price of a service just to get an engineer to your door) and prolongs the life of the boiler. It all adds up to skipping your annual gas boiler service being a false economy.

Gas boiler servicing and safety 

Saving money is one thing but not even the most scrooge-like of us want to risk our lives or those of our loved ones. For that reason it's absolutely essential you have your gas boiler serviced at least once a year. While modern boilers are incredibly safe and highly unlikely to have safety issues after installation there's always a small chance something can go wrong. An annual gas boiler service severely reduces the chances of a problem and puts the odds of an incident firmly in to being struck by lightning levels of likelihood (i.e. not very)!

Potential issues are usually leak related - something most of us associate with explosions. A gas boiler incident might not be quite so dramatic though...a tiny leak or carbon monoxide output is much more insidious and can kill silently and quickly, without fuss or fanfare. Don't fret too much though - these incidents are very rare. BUT they're a lot rarer for gas boilers that have had a regular annual service. Don't take chances with your life and the lives of your family - make sure you get your boiler checked once a year!