A boiler service from Mark costs from £90, across Doncaster and South Yorkshire. Heat Pump Energy is Gas Safe registered (979299), and every service includes a combustion analysis: the gases leaving your flue are measured with an analyser, so how safely the boiler is burning is a reading, not a guess.
Gas safety certificateA separate check from a service. See the question below.
from £80
What is combustion analysis on a boiler service?
A gas boiler works by burning gas, and the question that matters most is whether it is burning it cleanly. Carbon monoxide has no colour and no smell, so you cannot judge that by looking at the boiler or listening to it.
Combustion analysis answers it with a number. A flue gas analyser samples what is coming out of the boiler, including carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, and those readings are checked against the limits in the manufacturer's instructions. If they sit outside the limits, that is the starting point for finding out why.
HSE is blunt about what is at stake: without an adequate air supply and a flue that works properly, "dangerous levels of carbon monoxide can build up with the possibility of fatal consequences."
What a maker's service checklist covers
Working gas inlet pressure checked
Flue gas analysis The combustion reading described above.
Flue checked for integrity So the gases go outside, and only outside.
Condensate siphon cleaned The trap that collects the water a condensing boiler makes.
Burner checked
Electrodes checked
Fan pressure test
Non-return valve in the air and gas manifold checked
Heat exchanger cleaned Where the checks show it needs it.
Air and gas ratio set Where the readings call for it.
That list comes from the inspection and maintenance section of Worcester Bosch's instructions for its Greenstar 8000 boilers. Some steps, like cleaning the heat exchanger, are done when the checks show they are needed rather than on every visit. Other makes have their own instructions, and a service works to the ones written for your boiler.
From Mark's own jobs
Casing off. A service works on the parts behind the front panel.
A Worcester boiler on a blockwork wall.
Do not wait for the service if you see this
HSE lists these as signs a gas appliance may not be burning properly: yellow or orange flames instead of blue, soot or yellow and brown staining on or around it, a pilot light that keeps blowing out, and more condensation than usual on the inside of your windows. Stop using it and get it checked. If you smell gas, ring the gas emergency line on 0800 111 999, open the doors and windows, and turn the gas off at the meter if you know where the valve is. Headaches, dizziness, breathlessness or nausea around a gas appliance need medical help straight away.
Does a boiler service keep the warranty valid?
For Worcester Bosch and Vaillant boilers, yes, and a skipped year can cost you the cover.
Worcester Bosch: "Yearly servicing is a condition of our manufacturers guarantee and must be completed each year to keep your guarantee valid." It adds that services on gas boilers "must always be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer".
Vaillant's boiler guarantee terms say the boiler "must be serviced annually by a Vaillant or other registered Gas Safe Registered engineer in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions", with the details recorded in the Benchmark logbook.
Safety makes the same case without any warranty involved. HSE "strongly advises that all gas appliances, flues and pipework should be installed, regularly maintained and serviced at least annually by a Gas Safe registered engineer."
Booking a boiler service with Mark
Mark's reviews keep coming back to how clearly he explains things. After a boiler replacement, Radoslav Korabsky wrote:
"Mark was knowledgeable, explaining our options clearly."
Is a boiler service the same as a gas safety certificate?
No. A gas safety check confirms the gas appliances in a home are safe to use, and it is the record a landlord needs every year. A service goes further into the boiler itself, following the maker's maintenance instructions.
Does a brand new boiler need a service in its first year?
Yes. Terms like Worcester Bosch's and Vaillant's ask for a service every year, and a new boiler is not exempt from that.
My boiler stopped on a freezing morning. Is it broken?
Not necessarily. On a condensing boiler it can be a frozen condensate pipe, the white plastic pipe that runs outside to a drain. Worcester Bosch lists the signs as a gurgling noise from the boiler, a fault code on the display (EA on a Worcester) and the boiler stopping. Its advice is to pour warm water, never boiling, along the pipe and then reset the boiler. If that does not bring it back, book a fault-finding visit.
Should I have a carbon monoxide alarm as well?
Yes. HSE strongly recommends a carbon monoxide alarm as a way to get early warning, and says it should meet the standard EN 50291. It is a backstop, not a replacement for having the boiler serviced.
How do I check an engineer is really Gas Safe registered?
Ask to see their Gas Safe ID card. HSE points out that the card shows which appliances that engineer is qualified to work on, so check the back as well as the front. You can also look the business up on the Gas Safe Register. Heat Pump Energy's registration number is 979299.
Heat Pump Energy
