How to prepare your boiler for the winter months

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  • 2022
  • October
  • 31
  • How to prepare your boiler for the winter months
How to prepare your boiler for the winter months

The winter months are the time when you rely on your boiler the most. And it’s the time when a boiler breakdown can have the worst consequences – leaving you without heating and hot water in the coldest months.

But with a little bit of planning, you can organise a boiler service to prepare your boiler for winter, reducing the chance of it breaking down when you need it most. 

Getting an annual boiler service is essential for keeping your energy bills down, and ensuring that your boiler is in tip-top shape. A service can identify small problems early on, preventing them from becoming much more costly repairs further down the line.

Unsure what you should be paying for an annual boiler service? Check out our boiler service cost guide for detailed info on what to expect.

What’s included in a boiler service?

An annual boiler service includes:

  • Visual inspection of the boiler, including beneath the boiler casing
  • Check for leaks & other damage to the boiler
  • Checking the flue & pipes
  • Checking the boiler pressure
  • Check that your boiler is not emitting any carbon monoxide or other dangerous gases
Why should I get an annual boiler service?

There are a number of important benefits to an annual boiler service:

  • Catch any problems early. Leaks & other boiler problems are often first identified as part of an annual boiler service. When identified early, these are often simple fixes. But if left, they could cause further damage, leaving your boiler out of action & more costly to repair.
  • Reduce heating costs. A serviced boiler is an efficient boiler. Making sure that your boiler is in top knick will help you to keep your heating and hot water costs as low as possible.
  • Ensures your boiler warranty can be honoured. Lots of boilers now come with long warranties – sometimes as long as ten years or more. But you’ll often only be covered if you have an annual boiler service. So make sure that you’re getting the annual service to ensure that any future repairs or replacements can be claimed against your original warranty.
  • Feel confident that your boiler will work when it needs to. Getting an annual boiler service provides you with peace of mind, knowing that your boiler’s much less likely to let you down over the winter months. There are often longer wait times for boiler repairs over the winter months, due to the higher number of emergency repairs required.
How much does a boiler service cost?

Typically a boiler service in 2022 costs somewhere between £75 and £100, depending on where you live, who you hire, and the type of boiler that you have.

You can get a live quote for boiler service & book instantly on the Housekeep website: Get a quote for boiler servicing

You may find that an annual boiler cover is included in your heating plan. So if you have a boiler cover plan in place, reach out to your provider to confirm whether or not a free boiler service is included.

How long does a boiler service take?

Boiler services take 30-60 minutes, so they’re usually charged at a 1 hour/call-out rate for a gas & heating engineer. Your service might highlight areas that need further repairs though. The gas and heating engineer that completes your boiler service will be able to advise on the follow-up work & costs as part of their service.

Do I legally have to get my boiler serviced annually?

If you’re a landlord, you’re legally obliged to organise an annual boiler service for your tenants. This is outlined in the Landlord and Tenant Act (1985). Alongside a boiler service, landlords are also legally obliged to get an annual gas safety certificate (formerly known as a CP12), if there's a gas boiler in the property. Offenses around tenant gas safety are taken seriously and have seen landlords handed prison sentences and/or left with hefty fines.

If you’re an owner-occupier, then it’s not a legal obligation to get a boiler service. But it’s still a very good idea to get one, as it will undoubtedly help to reduce costs, improve efficiency and ensure that your boiler is not at risk of breakdown when you need it most.

What else can I do to prepare my boiler & heating for winter

Alongside getting your boiler serviced, there are a couple of other simple tasks you can take care of ahead of winter.

  • Bleed radiators. Bleeding radiators twice a year will prevent cold spots & ensure that your hot water system is working with maximum efficiency.
  • Get a smart meter installed if you haven’t already. By 2025, all homes in Great Britain should have been offered free smart meter installation. If you haven’t already been offered a smart meter, it’s worth reaching out proactively to your provider to ask for one. Having a smart meter will help you to track your usage (and keep it down if you need to) and could provide an early indicator of inefficient heating.
Can I book a boiler service with Housekeep?

You certainly can. We have tried & trusted, gas-safe registered heating engineers available to service any kind of boiler. Simply let us know about your appliance, enter a few details about your home & book online. We'll match you with an experienced local tradie who can complete your annual boiler service. If there's any remedial work required, we''ll provide a quote and get the repairs done for you.

Get a quote & book online here: Book an annual boiler service

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