Potterton Boiler Service & Maintenance
Keeping your Potterton boiler in top condition could give it a lifetime of 10-15 years and you can help by arranging an annual service.
By having your boiler serviced annually by a Gas Safe engineer, you'll have the peace of mind that your boiler is operating safely and at its most efficient – which helps to keep the heating bills down.
What is a boiler service?
A boiler service involves a qualified heating engineer coming to your home to test and check the boiler. You should arrange for this to happen annually and depending on whether you have a gas or oil boiler should hire either a Gas Safe or OFTEC registered engineer.
When it comes to Potterton boilers, you should hire a Gas Safe registered engineer as all Potterton boilers run on gas. A Gas Safe engineer appears on the official list of engineers in the UK who are able to work on gas appliances by law, anyone without this registration should not carry out a boiler service on a gas boiler. Always check that the engineer coming to your home is Gas Safe registered by checking the Gas Safe Register. We also highly recommend asking to see their Gas Safe ID card as soon as they arrive at your home too.
A thorough boiler service will take a least 30 minutes from start to finish but depending on the boiler type and whether the service uncovers any issues, it could take longer.
Boiler service checklist
After you know that they're competent to work on your gas boiler, the engineer will carry out the service which involves some tests around the efficiency, safety and operation of the unit:
- At first, the engineer will cast their eye over the boiler looking for signs of corrosion or leaking. They'll follow up by ensuring that the flame (pilot light) is burning blue.
- After inspecting the outside of the boiler, they will then remove the boiler casing to take a look at the inside. This not only involves checking the interior parts, such as the heat exchanger, burner, main injector, safety devices and spark probe, but also cleaning them.
- Next, the engineer will check the flue terminals, making sure they're free of obstruction as well as being safely fitted as well as seeing that the seals, water and gas pipework are all intact.
- A gas pressure reading will be taken and the flow settings will be checked.
- To complete the boiler service, the engineer will fire up the boiler to see how it works in operation. Here, they're mainly looking for any issues that require a repair or a fault with the temperature controls.
At the completion of the service, your engineer will leave you with a boiler service report that provides details of everything they tested and checked. If you have any questions about the service or your heating system in general, this is the perfect time to ask.
Why it’s important to service your Potterton boiler
Safety
Safety is a main focus of an annual boiler service, as it can bring to light potentially fatal issues such as a carbon monoxide leak. If you're unfamiliar with carbon monoxide, it's a odourless and colourless gas that can have severe effects when breathed in.
If you have even a slight concern that carbon monoxide might be coming from your boiler – the pilot light should burn blue not yellow or orange – then you should contact an engineer straight away, don't wait until your next service is due.
Keep heating bills down
Something important for many is knowing that their heating bills are as low as possible and a boiler service each year will ensure that all the parts in a condition to help the boiler achieve the highest efficiency possible for a longer period of time.
Prevent breakdowns
Even the smallest fault could one day turn into a major problem. Arranging a boiler service each year will bring minor issues to the attention of a professional engineer before it becomes something bigger and you avoid a large repair bill.
Warranty
Potterton boilers come with a standard warranty of between 1-7 years that covers you for all parts and labour free of charge. However, to maintain the warranty for the full time period, the boiler must be serviced annually by a Gas Safe registered engineer, otherwise the warranty will come to an end and you'll lose that valuable cover.
Potterton boiler service costs
For a one-off boiler service, you're looking at a potential cost of somewhere between £60 – £120. This could vary though as the total price will take into account your location, boiler model, when it was installed and, ultimately, the engineer you choose to carry out the service.
If you're looking to save as much money as possible on the boiler service, then you we highly recommend arranging it during the summer. At this time of year, engineers don't tend to be quite as busy. The second benefit of a summer service is that you'll have the peace of mind that you'll be able to rely on your boiler when the winter arrives.
You should always find a Gas Safe registered boiler engineer. NEVER attempt to service a boiler yourself.
Boiler service plans
For year-round cover that includes a boiler service, you should consider taking out a boiler service plan. In return for a monthly fee, any repairs that your boiler might require will be covered and a service is also included.
If your boiler is only a few years old and still under warranty, then you're much better off paying the one-off boiler service fee. However, if your boiler is 8 years old or more and no longer under warranty, then it's well worth considering.
Boiler Maintenance
Consider the following in addition to an annual service to keep your boiler operating at its most efficient all year round.
Check the pilot light
When checking the pilot light, you want to see a strong blue flame, that means the boiler is working as it should. An orange or yellow flame is an indication that there's an issue with the boiler not completely burning the fuel. Seeing a yellow or orange flame strongly suggests that there could be a carbon monoxide leak, not just a boiler issue but an all-round safety concern.
Insulate the pipes
Insulating your pipes with lagging (mineral or glass wool, polyethylene or foam), can help to prevent the pipes from freezing during the winter. Frozen pipes can lead to high boiler pressure, leaking or even a boiler breakdown.
Check the pressure
Boiler pressure will gradually decrease over time making it a good idea to keep your eye on the pressure gauge from time to time. Ideally, when you take a reading, it should be somewhere between 1 and 1.5 bar; any lower and the boiler might not fire up, while high pressure could lead to serious damage.
Follow the steps in the instruction manual that came with your boiler to adjust the pressure.
Insulate!
Without the right insulation, your boiler will have to work even harder to keep your home at the desired temperature, not good for your heating bills.
Book an annual service
As great as carrying out the above checks are for your boiler, they're no replacement for an annual service. It can be easy to put off a boiler service to save money but they could save you from a large repair bill in the future.
Get started with your search for a Gas Safe engineer to do your annual boiler service by completing our simple online form. Once completed, you'll get a free boiler service quote from a local heating engineer.
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