Never had central heating serviced in 6 years...

ariba10

A lot of contract offers that I have seen offer "Annual Checks" and not "Annual Servicing".

Premier_2

gasbag1602 wrote: »

Cardew if you dont know what problems you are looking for how do you know your boiler is safe! I know what i am looking for thats why people pay me and other corgi's to service appliances. Anyway good luck playing Russian roulet with your familys life!

So go on then, what exactly do you look for?

When Corgi engineers do LL safety checks which involves so called servicing the boiler, they simply make a visual inpection to see the flue is not obstructed then usually say the boiler's as good as new really (even though it could be almost 20 years old) stating there's not much that can go wrong with them.

Then they say they'll just vacuum up the dust & soot.

Finally they'll do the normal pressure checks, not the leaks test (but they do that too) but also the test to ensure the boiler only fires up with adequate gas pressure and that it doesn't fire with the cover removed - but it's usually clear to anyone who has a basic understanding if there is any fault here.

Granted, not all boilers are the same and some may require some sort of attention, but what exactly would you look for in say a baxi solo boiler?
If it's not broke, what excatly would you do in such a service ... other than possibly disturb something? It's remarkable how many times I read on here that a boiler has developed a fault shortly after it's been serviced. Coincidence, bad servicing, or probably that the engineer disturbed something whilst fiddling???

SwanJon

Mr_K wrote: »

the CORGI thing doesn't seem to say much more than you've paid to go on a course (or forged a badge).

CORGI will list the registered installers in your area (so the forged badge isn't an issue).
They keep a record of all current installers and deal with complaints about installers, so if the installer isn't safe and people complain they should be aware of it, and possibly remove the licence. It's not just paying to go on a course.

Cardew

gasbag1602 wrote: »

. Anyway good luck playing Russian roulet with your familys life!

That is exactly the sort of stupid comment expected from the vested interests of a Corgi plumber.

Play the Safety Card to frighten people.

So you with all your expertise 'service my boiler'. Is it then 'safe' for the next year? Or how long is it safe for?

I asked you a question.

"

Could you explain exactly why you are of that opinion?

What are the reasons that make boilers dangerous?"

It seems you can't bother discuss things seriously but resort to that sort of accusation.

SwanJon

Cardew wrote: »

Is it then 'safe' for the next year? Or how long is it safe for?

To be honest the same could be said for your MOT, but there has to be a line somewhere - why not at annual intervals - it does make it easier to remember to do it than if it was every 15 months or every 3 years.

Canucklehead

Good evening: The best advice in regard to servicing is to follow the advice given by the boiler manufacturer i.e. follow the servicing schedule as detailed in the relevant installation and service manual. Anyone who is interested in how annual servicing helps maintain boiler efficiency should contact the technical department at the relevant company: any enquiries we have made over the years by email and telephone have been promptly addressed. This has links to all the manufacturers producing gas (and oil) boilers for sale in the UK. I must say that these manufacturers do have a vested interest in all aspects of boilers;)

HTH

Canucklehead

Premier_2

Canucklehead wrote: »

Good evening: The best advice in regard to servicing is to follow the advice given by the boiler manufacturer i.e. follow the servicing schedule as detailed in the relevant installation and service manual. Anyone who is interested in how annual servicing helps maintain boiler efficiency should contact the technical department at the relevant company: any enquiries we have made over the years by email and telephone have been promptly addressed. This has links to all the manufacturers producing gas (and oil) boilers for sale in the UK. I must say that these manufacturers do have a vested interest in all aspects of boilers;)

HTH

Canucklehead

According to Baxi, annual servicing is important for safety & economy.

Again, according to Baxi, servicing involves:

1. Cleaning of burner/injector, pilot light & combustion box
2. Visually checking condition of rope seal around door
3. Visually examine injector (which you'll do when you clean it)
4. Remove any obstructions from flue inlet & outlet
5. Check burner setting pressure & gas rate
6. Recommission boiler (since its been fiddled with!) checking for gas soundness & ensuring all controls work correctly.
7. Repair/replace anything that is found to be worn, damaged or non-functioning.

Hence why I'm interested in what gasbag would do extra above and beyond the manufacturers recommendations that would prevent loss of life.