Viessmann Boiler Service & Maintenance
Give your Viessmann boiler the right amount of care and maintenance and it could heat your home for 10-15 years.
Getting the maximum possible life out of your Viessmann boiler wouldn't be possible without an annual boiler service. Arranging for a qualified engineer to carry out a boiler service will ensure that the unit is operating safely and efficiently – the latter being important for keeping those energy bills down.
What is a boiler service?
A boiler service involves a heating engineer coming to your home to carry out a range of tests, inspections and checks on the unit to ensure that it's running safely. They should be carried out annually by a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas boilers or an OFTEC engineer when it comes to oil boilers.
Viessmann have a range of gas and oil boilers which means that you'll need to know which type of fuel the boiler in your home uses so that you can hire an engineer with the appropriate registration. Checking if an engineer is Gas Safe or OFTEC registered can be done on their respective websites. In addition to doing your research, also ask to see their Gas Safe or OFTEC credentials before they begin work on the boiler.
A thorough boiler service will take around 30 minutes but, depending on the type of boiler you have and whether any faults are found, it could take longer.
Boiler service checklist
After taking a look at the engineer's credentials, they'll begin the boiler service and this is what they'll do:
- The engineer will begin with a visual inspection of the unit, they're looking for any signs of corrosion, leaking and to make sure that the pilot light is burning blue in a gas boiler.
- Following the outer inspection, the engineer will remove the casing to look over the parts on the inside and give them a clean.
- They will then check the flue terminals over for signs of obstruction as well as being safely fitted. Seals, water and gas pipework will also be checked that they're intact.
- The gas pressure and flow settings will be checked, ensuring they're at correct levels.
- To round off the boiler service, they'll put the unit into operation as to check for any issues with the boiler itself or temperature controls as it runs.
If you have an oil boiler your oil storage tank also need to be checked for signs of water contamination, oil leaks or filter elements which may need cleaning or replacing.
After the boiler service, the engineer will provide you with a boiler service report which lists everything that they did. Hold onto this as you might need it as proof to the manufacturer that a service has been carried out.
Why is it important to service your Viessmann boiler?
Safety
A carbon monoxide leak is the biggest threat to a home from a boiler and a boiler service gives an engineer the chance to identify one. An odourless and colourless gas, carbon monoxide is lethal and can cause death. The slightest concern that your boiler has a carbon monoxide leak and you should contact a professional engineer straight away.
Keep heating bills low
Boilers gradually lose their efficiency over time, which adds to your energy bills. Thanks to an annual service, an engineer will make sure that all components are in top working order to keep the efficiency as high as possible for longer.
Prevent breakdowns
During a service, what might seem to be small issues at the time can be dealt with before they grow and cause the boiler to breakdown, saving you from having to deal with a repair bill.
Warranty
Many Viessmann boilers come with a 5 year parts and labour warranty as standard but it's possible that it could be as long as 10 years. To keep your boiler covered for the entire length of the warranty, a service will need to be serviced annually.
How much does a Viessmann boiler service cost?
On average, a boiler service will end up costing somewhere between £60 and £120. There are many factors that could have an impact on the final cost though such as where you live, the boiler model, age of the unit and the engineer carrying out the work.
To save you a bit of money, try to arrange the boiler service during the summer when engineers are likely to be much quieter. A summer boiler service will also bring to light any potential faults before the winter sets in.
DON'T attempt to carry out a boiler service yourself – contact a Gas Safe registered boiler engineer.
Boiler service plans
Rather than paying a one-off fee for a boiler service, you could alternatively take out a boiler service plan, which will not only include a boiler service but also cover your boiler for any required repairs during a 12 month period.
Add up the monthly payments of a boiler service plan often sees the total cost come out at £100. All in all, it would make more financial sense to pay the one-off boiler service fee as it's possible to arrange one for less than this, however, you will have the peace of mind that your unit is covered should anything go wrong. This makes considering a boiler service plan well worthwhile if your boiler was installed more than 8 years ago or is no longer under warranty.
Boiler maintenance
There's no need to wait for your annual service to come around to make sure that your boiler is running safely and efficiently, you can carry out a few checks yourself.
Insulate your pipes
Pipes can freeze when the temperature drops, causing high boiler pressure, leaking and even a breakdown. Combating this is simple enough as the pipes can be insulated which will stop them freezing.
Monitor the pressure
It's a good idea to get in the habit of checking the pressure gauge from time to time to make sure it's at the right level. Ideally, the reading should be somewhere between 1 and 1.5 bar, any lower or higher and your boiler could stop working. You can lower or increase the boiler pressure yourself by consulting the manufacturer manual that came with your boiler.
Insulate your home as much as possible
As hard as your boiler works to heat your home, it won't count for much if that heat is escaping so it's important to make sure that your home is insulated as much as possible.
Annual servicing
As important as all of the above checks cam be, you should still arrange for an annual boiler service with a fully-qualified engineer. While the potential cost might put you off, good deals are out there and getting a quote is a good place to start.
We've taken the effort out of finding a quote too, making the whole process much easier. Simply complete our online form and get a free quote from a Gas Safe engineer in your local area.
Head back to the main Viessmann page.
