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Boiler service help before buying house

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The seller has the boiler serviced in Feb 2024. It made us concerned that they have not had it done this year. Boiler was fitted 2013.
There is areading of -5.45 on the fan. Is this something to be concerned about?
It also stated that FGA calibration was due in August & not done.
Are we effectively looking at a new boiler??
Loved our trip to the West Coast USA. Death Valley is the place to go!
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  • Mark_d
    Mark_d Posts: 2,459 Forumite
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    I would factor the cost of a new boiler in to the amount you're paying for the house
  • northwest1965
    northwest1965 Posts: 2,074 Forumite
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    Mark_d said:
    I would factor the cost of a new boiler in to the amount you're paying for the house
    Do you understand the readings? It would be helpful when I renegotiate an offer 
    Loved our trip to the West Coast USA. Death Valley is the place to go!
  • Bigphil1474
    Bigphil1474 Posts: 3,576 Forumite
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    Sorry, can't comment on readings, but an annual service on the exact anniversary isn't a requirement of an owner occupied house. We moved in a year ago and the boiler here was serviced in March last year before we moved in. We're still waiting for the engineer to come and do another service, but only because we know it has a minor fault. Annual service is a great idea, but not essential. Our old house boiler was serviced when we decided to sell, but it hadn't been done for the previous 5 years. Assume you have some sort of report? Show it to a gas engineer and see what they say. Can't see it meaning a new boiler necessarily - presumably the current occupiers are using it? 
  • EssexExile
    EssexExile Posts: 6,464 Forumite
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    Why would you think you need a new boiler? Most boilers are not regularly serviced, the fact that this boiler was serviced fairly recently is a plus.
    Tall, dark & handsome. Well two out of three ain't bad.
  • WIAWSNB
    WIAWSNB Posts: 978 Forumite
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    The seller has the boiler serviced in Feb 2024. It made us concerned that they have not had it done this year. Boiler was fitted 2013.
    There is areading of -5.45 on the fan. Is this something to be concerned about?
    It also stated that FGA calibration was due in August & not done.
    Are we effectively looking at a new boiler??
    Any record of earlier services? Ie, if this was usually an annual occurrence, but they missed out Feb this year, then I'd have some suspicions. But still not the end of the world.
    At 12 years old, expect, say, around 5 more years before repair costs escalate. Until then hopefully just minor issues. 
    So, chances are you'll have a ~£2.5k bill sometime over the next five years, regardless. Ie, nothing unusual to worry about. 
  • northwest1965
    northwest1965 Posts: 2,074 Forumite
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    This is the copy of certificate we received. No previous info




    Loved our trip to the West Coast USA. Death Valley is the place to go!
  • Grenage
    Grenage Posts: 3,203 Forumite
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    I don't think our boiler has been serviced in 25 years...

    You're not looking at a new boiler, you are at most looking at having it serviced.  Good luck trying to renegotiate the price for a <£100 service that you would have preferred it had.
  • WIAWSNB
    WIAWSNB Posts: 978 Forumite
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    This is the copy of certificate we received. No previous info




    Is that a service? It looks more like a safety check. But I don't know.
  • twopenny
    twopenny Posts: 7,620 Forumite
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    Don't think I've had one of those but may have.
    In my last house I had one service in 40 yes. But I used to make sure it was dust free and it sounded right. 
    My current newer house I had it done for a few years given or take a couple of months. If an engineer had been for any reason he would do a check at the same time.

    Have you looked up what is involved in a service? 
    If it was done in February 24 and used for say 4mts heating and 6mts winter to spring 25 that's less than a years worth of use.
    Get it serviced around October for the coming winter and a fresh start.

    I can rise and shine - just not at the same time!

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  • molerat
    molerat Posts: 34,634 Forumite
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    The seller has the boiler serviced in Feb 2024. It made us concerned that they have not had it done this year. Boiler was fitted 2013.
    There is areading of -5.45 on the fan. Is this something to be concerned about?
    It also stated that FGA calibration was due in August & not done.
    Are we effectively looking at a new boiler??
    That means the tool the engineer uses, the Flue Gas Analyser, was in calibration when the test was done.  Nothing to do with the boiler. 
    Looking at the servicing instructions the fan pressure for the 34 needs to be higher than -5.3 so is a pass but may need a heat exchanger clean in the coming years - a servicing operation rather than a repair, it was something that used to get done on services back in the olden days.
     
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