The danger of doing nothing: Why boiler servicing is necessary

Whether it’s a boiler for commercial or residential customers, boiler servicing is essential for a number of reasons and involves more than simply buying heating oil when a boiler runs dry. What can residents and business owners do to ensure their boiler is operating efficiently? Boilers need to be serviced regularly by a suitably qualified technician to ensure safety and operational efficiency from the boiler. Like cars, your boiler will over time become less efficient, parts will need replaced and other parts will require cleaning. As a general rule of thumb it is advised to have your boiler serviced annually as this also allows any potential safety issues to be diagnosed and dealt with at an early stage.

Other ways to ensure your boiler is less likely to suffer a breakdown

Having your boiler serviced annually is the best way that you can cut down on boiler breakdowns. However, did you know that using a fuel additive can also help reduce instances of boiler breakdowns? Some fuel additives can minimise particle build up in the oil and prevent deposits from getting into the boiler and doing damage (the filter bowls should also combat this problem and should be cleaned by the engineer when servicing the boiler. You can normally see one just beside your oil tank and one just before the pipe enters the boiler).

If you have installed a condensing boiler, it is important to remember that the condensate pipes can be liable to freeze and become blocked in extremely cold weather. These pipes carry away condensation outside the house and can freeze and become blocked when temperatures drop. To solve this problem is fairly simple and all you need is some lagging and tape which can be picked up in most DIY stores.

Also during the summer months if the weather is warm enough, your boiler may be turned off for up to 3 months. Surprisingly, just after summer, is when a lot of boiler breakdowns occur. To help prevent this you should turn your boiler on for 10 – 20 minutes once a month. This will keep the moving parts in order and will also prevent the pump from becoming clogged.