How Long Does a Boiler Service Take?

A full service on a domestic boiler usually takes somewhere between half an hour and an hour. That is the honest answer for most homes, most of the time. It is worth knowing what sits behind that figure, though, because the number on its own tells you very little about whether the service was any good.

What the time is actually spent on

A service is not a quick glance at the boiler and a sticker on the side. Working through one properly means:

• Checking the boiler is installed and ventilated correctly, and that the flue is sound and terminating where it should
• Reading the gas pressure and gas rate against the manufacturer's figures for that appliance
• Running a combustion analysis to confirm the boiler is burning cleanly
• Removing the casing to inspect the burner, heat exchanger and seals, and cleaning components where needed
• Checking the condensate trap and pipe, the expansion vessel pressure and the system pressure
• Testing the controls and safety devices, then refitting the casing and leaving the boiler running as it should

Written down it looks like a lot for half an hour, and that is roughly the point. An engineer who knows the appliance moves through it steadily, and the checks that matter most are the ones that take the longest to do properly.

What makes a service take longer

Some jobs simply need more time, and none of these are a bad sign in themselves:

• A boiler that has not been serviced for several years. More cleaning, and more that needs looking at.
• Awkward access. A boiler in a loft, boxed into a cupboard, or sited high on a wall takes longer to reach and to work on safely.
• A fault found during the checks. If the combustion readings are off or a component has failed, diagnosing it is a separate piece of work from the service itself. We will tell you what we have found, and what it will take to put right, before going any further.
• A landlord gas safety check at the same time. Where a CP12 is being issued alongside the service, the other gas appliances at the property are inspected too, so the visit covers more ground.
• An older or less common appliance. Parts can be harder to reach and readings slower to settle.

Does a quicker service mean a worse one?

Not necessarily, but a service that is over in ten minutes has not included a combustion analysis, and that is the check that tells you whether the boiler is burning safely. If nobody removed the casing and nobody put an analyser in the flue, what you had was an inspection rather than a service. It is entirely reasonable to ask what was done and to expect a written record of the readings.

Booking the service and the safety check together

For a rented property, having the annual service and the landlord gas safety check carried out in the same visit usually makes sense. The engineer is already at the appliance, and the CP12 covers the gas appliances and pipework at the property. It is one visit to arrange rather than two.

Getting your boiler serviced

R.K Plumbing & Heating are Gas Safe registered for domestic gas work under registration 568345, and an accredited Vaillant installer. We are based in Woodingdean and cover Brighton, Hove, Worthing, Lewes, Shoreham-by-Sea, Haywards Heath, Seaford, Burgess Hill and surrounding Sussex towns.

If your boiler is due a service, or you cannot remember when it last had one, call us on 01273 911551 and we will get it booked in.