How Long Should a Boiler Service Take?

Boiler servicing is a vital factor in keeping the health of your boiler’s health and the safety of the residents of your home. Getting your boiler regularly serviced will let you know of any possible fault your boiler may have before it gets to the point of a breakdown. This helps you save money in repairs and, more importantly, save you from any health risks that could arise from a gas leak in a faulty boiler. Whether you are a landlord or just a homeowner, having a properly working boiler in your property is a vital component in your safety and comfort. Now that summer is approaching you may think your boiler maintenance isn’t a concern as you won’t be using it as much as other months, however, much to the surprise of many homeowners, the summer is quite possibly the best time to think about the overall upkeep and maintenance. One reason for this is the fact that most boiler cover providers will advertise a promotional code at this time of the year for new and existing customers to take advantage of. Another reason to keep up to date with your boiler maintenance in summer is so that when it comes to the time that you need it to be fully operational, you won’t need to conduct any further checks or even have a nasty surprise.

We understand not everyone has the time to stay indoors on a summer’s day, waiting for an engineer to complete a boiler service so we at Home Response 360 have found the average times for an engineer to complete a boiler service. In this article we will explain the importance of a boiler service as mentioned in our previous articles. We will also help you come to an understanding of how long each part of a boiler service should take.

it’s important to ensure that the engineer is qualified to carry out the work. If you have a gas boiler then the engineer must by authorised and regulated by the Gas Safe register. Here you can have some peace of mind knowing that all engineers employed by Home Response 360 are Gas Safety Registered.

Here are some of the practices your engineer may carry out during their visit:

• Visual inspection – your engineer will check that the boiler still meets current standards and requirements and look for any corrosion or leaks. They will also visually check the flame in your boiler.
• Removal of the boiler casing – they will then check the components to ensure everything is working correctly and then clean the inside of the boiler. These checks should include the heat exchanger, burner, main injector and spark probe.
• Flue check – the engineer will ensure there are no obstructions in the flue terminals and that the flue is safely fitted.
• Gas pressure check – this will ensure your boiler is working at the correct pressure.
• Boiler fired up – this allows the engineer to check for any working faults.

A boiler service should last at least 30 minutes, but the time will vary depending on the brand and model. Afterwards, the engineer will likely give you a service report, explaining what they’ve done. For more information on your boiler service, please visit our FAQs page along with other articles such as the 5 reasons you should have your boiler serviced.

This service usually will take between 30 – 40 minutes depending on the make and model of your boiler, a determining factor of the time could also be the age of the boiler being serviced.

A landlord’s gas safety certificate is commonly referred to as a CP12. This stands for CORGI Proforma 12 and comes from the time when CORGI was the UK’s statutory gas safety body – nowadays, it is the Gas Safe Register.

Landlords must receive gas safety certificates once every 12 months, as outlined in the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. Gas Safe Registered engineers must issue these certificates and check all flues and pipework within the property, as well as any gas appliances that were supplied to the tenants.

If a landlord uses an agent, then the landlord will need to ensure that the contract states whose responsibility gas safety will be. If landlords fail to adhere to their responsibilities, they could face a huge fine and up to six months’ jail, unless the contract explicitly puts the responsibility in the letting agent’s hands.

As previously mentioned, a boiler gas service usually takes between 30 – 40 minutes. As there are many more components and appliances to consider when conducting a gas safety check, it’s an obvious statement to say a CP12 would be considerably longer. Normally a CP12 will take between 45 minutes to an hour to complete, with the larger majority closer to the hour mark. This time frame may increase by up to around 30 minutes depending on the amount of appliances in the property and the nature of such appliances.

Now we know how long your boiler service or CP12 should take let’s take a moment to appreciate the ease of booking either a boiler service or CP12 with Home Response 360. Click here to book your service and leave the rest to us!