British Gas boiler service offer

martyp

Hi all,

I received a leaflet through my letterbox from British Gas offering a boiler service for £59 (I think - I can't find the leaflet at present) until 24th August (I think).
The offer was for any boiler and also for non BG customers.
I thought about it as my boiler is about 18 years old I think and I don't know when it was last serviced. How regularly does everyone here service their boiler?
What worries me most is that someone from work said they had their boiler checked and was told they had to do a £2000 repair by law?!
How much can a boiler be checked for and what do they do?

ariba10

I think BG would be very low down on my list of people I would get to service any gas boiler of mine.

Try and get a qualified local person recommended by neighbours or others in your area.

Pssst

This sounds like a reasonable deal.

As for the £2k repair by law, British Gas engineers have NO legal right to enforce anything since,although they are gas safe registered engineers, they ARE NOT officers of a public gas transporter which is an emergency service provider for EG National grid and therefore they cannot enforce anything or disconnect anything without your express permission.

What make/model of boiler is it and how long since serviced?

martyp

Pssst wrote: »

What make/model of boiler is it and how long since serviced?

It's a Glo-Worm Hot Water Express 80 which was there when I bought the house in May 2005. The house was built in 1991 but no idea when it was fitted or when if ever it has been serviced...

I got a carbon monoxide detector just in case. The only issues if any I've had is having to turn the knob under the sink to increase the pressure because of no hot water. I have noticed the little downward pipe outside sometimes dripping too...

mummy_ree

we have just had a quote from brit gas to fit a new boiler in loft. we are replacing the old baxi back boiler. We are having a lot of pipe work etc. My question is we have been told by a friend that back boilers are coming back in again. Can anyone confirm this before we pay out a few thousand pounds?

jackieb

I get my boiler checked every year. I have a British Gas Homecare plan and my service is included in that.
My in-laws got their boiler checked last year - for the first time, after being in their house for almost 10 years. The boiler was original to the house (1970s) and was condemned. The Corgi guy (not from BG) taped it off and they weren't allowed to use it and had to get a new one.

supermonkey

i have heard from a few people now that some corgi registered guys say boilers dont need annual services and that some services consist of just signing a bit of paper and that the boiler could go wrong at any time, whether serviced or not.

Perhaps then it would be better to invest the £59 this year on carbon monoxide detectors (one up and one down?) and put the money away each year in case work is needed.

jackieb

I used to have a back boiler and it used to be taken to bits and vacuumed during its service. They were always there quite a while and it definitely wasn't just getting a piece of paper signed. In my opinion everyone should have a carbon monoxide detector anyway.

Canucklehead

supermonkey wrote: »

i have heard from a few people now that some corgi registered guys say boilers dont need annual services and that some services consist of just signing a bit of paper and that the boiler could go wrong at any time, whether serviced or not.

Perhaps then it would be better to invest the £59 this year on carbon monoxide detectors (one up and one down?) and put the money away each year in case work is needed.

Good afternoon: Best advice..follow the manufacturer's specification for servicing gas appliances as well as advice from the HSE and Gas Safe Register.
Someone might be along shortly and disagree with me.;)
HTH

Canucklehead

IMCL_2

My advice is if you let these guys anywhere near your boiler be at his shoulder all the time!

I left my guy today (which I never usually do) and ended up with a hole in a part (that they cant get now) I found the piece in the bottom of the outhouse where my boiler is! And his screwdriver next to it. I actually asked him if he did it with the screwdriver and he said 'I might have'.

I am on the Homecare and this was the service today - they are having a push I think to make money. and they have 'deals' until the end of August.

My gas pipe was CUT and the boiler turned off today - so now I sit here with no heating and no hot water..... I will get a quote from them but it looks as though it will be too expensive and I will be getting other quotes too. I just cant believe it.

IMCL_2

My advice is if you let these guys anywhere near your boiler be at his shoulder all the time!

I left my guy today (which I never usually do) and ended up with a hole in a part (that they cant get now) I found the piece in the bottom of the outhouse where my boiler is! And his screwdriver next to it. I actually asked him if he did it with the screwdriver and he said 'I might have'.

I am on the Homecare and this was the service today - they are having a push I think to make money. and they have 'deals' until the end of August.

My gas pipe was CUT and the boiler turned off today - so now I sit here with no heating and no hot water..... I will get a quote from them but it looks as though it will be too expensive and I will be getting other quotes too. I just cant believe it.