Coming out of one of the warmest summers on record, your central heating system is probably the last thing on your mind.
However, in Scotland, we all know how quickly the weather can turn, and as temperatures fall homeowners across the Glasgow area will once again turn to their gas boiler to keep their home and their loved ones warm for the months to come.
One of the best things that you can do to make sure that your boiler is ready for the winter season is to have it serviced by a professional Gas Safe engineer.
A boiler service is a lot like having your car serviced, you don’t know for certain that it is in safe condition to run without conducting some basic safety checks first.
Here are 8 of the most important reasons to have your boiler serviced before the winter begins.
1. Improve safety
A faulty boiler poses a very genuine threat to the safety of those nearby.
Every year across the UK, over 4,000 people go to hospital with carbon monoxide poisoning. 50 people lose their lives from the same.
Gas boiler leaks are one of the most common root causes of carbon monoxide poisoning.
During an annual service, an electrician will conduct an emissions test on your boiler to check for leaks of any dangerous gases.
2. Minimise risk of expensive repairs
Having your boiler serviced now could help you to avoid having to fork out for expensive repairs or replacements in the future.
A boiler service will often highlight minor issues that would not otherwise be spotted until they had escalated into something much more complicated and difficult to resolve.
3. Save money
Although there is a cost involved in having your boiler serviced, it will normally help you to save money in the long-term.
Firstly, as mentioned above, boiler services can prevent costly repairs being required.
Also, they will help to improve the energy efficiency of your boiler, saving you money on energy bills that have never been so high in the UK.
4. Better performance
A better performing boiler will not only save you money but will also heat your home much faster.
This is perfect when coming home on a cold winter’s day when you don’t want to sit around shivering for ages whilst the boiler and radiators get to work.
5. Avoid breaking the warranty agreement
Many manufacturers have clauses in the warranty that they offer with their boilers that state that if you do not have the boiler serviced on an annual basis that the policy is invalid.
Should you have a breakdown of a fault in the future, we can guarantee that you will be glad that you had that service done and are not now left facing a massive repair bill.
6. Avoid peak times
Having your boiler serviced right before the winter season begins in earnest is the perfect choice.
In the middle of winter, engineers are at their busiest (often dealing with emergency callouts for boilers that have not been serviced in living memory!) and arranging either a service, or if worst comes to worst, an emergency call-out will be difficult.
You may have to wait several days to get an appointment, far from ideal during a cold snap.
7. Legal requirements
If you own your own home, and live in it, it is highly recommended that you have your annual boiler service carried out, but it is not a legal requirement.
If you are a landlord, however, it is a legal requirement for you to have one carried out in any rental property you currently have in order to protect your tenants.
Vice Versa, if you currently live in a rental property yourself, and your landlord has not arranged for a service to take place, make sure to remind them, and take further action if they do not.
8. Prolong the lifespan
If you do not get your boiler serviced, you are not only more likely to face repair bills in the near future, but your boiler is far more likely to degrade over time.
Research shows that boilers that are serviced on a regular basis last, on average significantly longer than the same boiler that is not serviced.
It is very unlikely that if you never have your boiler serviced that it will get close to the 15-year average lifespan expected from a new gas boiler.
Get in touch with a Gas Safe engineer
It simply isn’t worth the risk of skipping your annual boiler service this winter, so get in touch with your local Boiler maintenance Glasgow Gas Safe engineer and arrange an appointment today, and make sure that your loved ones are wrapped up safe and warm this winter.