Boiler service help before buying house

northwest1965

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??

Mark_d

I would factor the cost of a new boiler in to the amount you're paying for the house

northwest1965

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 

Bigphil1474

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

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.

WIAWSNB

northwest1965 said:

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

This is the copy of certificate we received. No previous info

Grenage

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

northwest1965 said:

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

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.

molerat

northwest1965 said:

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.