It’s rare for people to remember when their last boiler service took place. It is usually only when the boiler stops working that people remember that a little bit of maintenance could have prevented an expensive repair for a cold house. Here are the common signs that indicate a service is required.

Check The Date On Your Last Record

Every service leaves a record, normally in the form of a sticker on the case of the boiler, a copy of the Gas Safe certificate or even a note written in the boiler log book. Check the date of the last service and if it has been over 12 months then you are overdue for a service. If there is no record of a service having taken place then don’t assume it must have happened at some time in the past – treat it as a sign that a service is required.

Look At The Flame Colour

The flame colour – a healthy gas flame is generally blue and crisp with no sign of a smoked interior or soot stains on the boiler case. A flame that appears to be burning partly yellow or orange or is unstable and flickers can indicate that the combustion process is not complete and that there is a risk of carbon monoxide (CO) being produced. Don’t wait to see if it sorts itself out – get it checked out by a Gas Safe registered engineer as soon as possible.

Spot Sooty Marks Or Staining

Sooty Marks and Staining. Check the boiler casing and surrounding wall for any new sooty marks or brown staining. This could indicate that your boiler isn’t burning fuel as it should be. Also, it could be a sign that noxious fumes are escaping where they shouldn’t be. Even what looks like a faint smudge or mark needs to be reported as it could have developed over a long period.

Watch Your Gas Bills

If your gas bill suddenly seems to have gone up and you have not changed your habits (number of people in the property etc), then your boiler is probably running less efficiently than normal. An efficiently operating boiler is one that runs at constant pressure and operates to produce the required amount of heat to warm a room quickly. An inefficiently operating boiler has to work harder to provide the same amount of heat and this is reflected in your gas bill. See also Boiler Service Gloucester.

Listen For Unusual Noises

Banging, whistling or a rumbling, gurgling noise (referred to as ‘kettling’) could mean there is limescale or sludge build up inside your heat exchanger. It will be working harder to supply heat and may even begin to make noises. These types of noises should be investigated and serviced as soon as possible.

Notice Slower Heating Or Pressure Drops

It takes longer for your radiators to warm up. This could be due to a number of reasons but if your boiler is overdue a service you may find that it is not performing as it used to. Another sign that your boiler is due a service is if you find that you are having to top up the pressure of your boiler more and more. A well maintained boiler should hold its pressure. If you find that your boiler is dropping in pressure over time then this could be a sign that a service is required.

Check Your Carbon Monoxide Alarm

A carbon monoxide alarm is a simple device to check for gas safety and should be tested regularly. If the alarm has never been tested before or has gone off then it needs checking straight away. For more information on the signs and effects of carbon monoxide poisoning see the Carbon Monoxide and Gas Safety Society’s web site.

Book It In Before It Becomes Urgent

Annual boiler service in Gloucester areas booked in good time will enable most of the problems listed above to be found before they become major problems. Booking a service on an annual basis is a lot simpler than waiting for an emergency callout when it is cold outside.

These checks can be done within a few minutes and are usually done within a service visit. Most of these signs need to be picked up early to prevent minor problems becoming large repairs.

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