How Often Should You Have Your Boiler Serviced?

Why annual servicing is the standard

Manufacturers typically require an annual service to keep the warranty on a new boiler valid — miss a year and you could invalidate cover on a component failure that would otherwise have been free to fix. Beyond the warranty, an annual check catches wear and minor faults while they're still cheap and simple to put right.

A year is also roughly the interval at which limescale, minor corrosion and general component wear become noticeable enough to matter, so it lines up sensibly with how boilers actually age in everyday use.

What happens if you skip servicing

• Small faults go unnoticed and can develop into full breakdowns, often at the worst possible time
• Efficiency gradually drops as the boiler works harder than it needs to
• Warranty claims can be refused if there's no service history
• Safety issues, including flue and ventilation problems, may go undetected
• A resale or remortgage on the property can be complicated by a lack of service records

How long does a service take?

A standard boiler service typically takes around 30 to 45 minutes for a straightforward combi boiler, though it can take longer if the engineer finds something that needs further investigation.

Servicing an older boiler

Boilers without an active warranty still benefit from annual servicing, arguably more so, since older components are more likely to be showing wear. Regular servicing on an ageing boiler also gives you an honest, ongoing picture of its condition, useful when deciding whether a repair is still worthwhile.

Landlords and gas safety certificates

If you rent out a property, a landlord gas safety certificate is a separate legal requirement, checking all gas appliances annually, not just the boiler. It's often sensible to book a service and a gas safety certificate together, since an engineer is already on site checking the boiler's condition.

Signs your boiler is overdue a service

• It's been more than twelve months since the last service, even if nothing seems obviously wrong
• You've noticed the boiler taking slightly longer to heat rooms or hot water than it used to
• There's a faint smell, unusual noise, or staining around the boiler casing
• The pilot light or flame (if visible on your model) looks yellow or orange rather than crisp blue
• You've moved into a property and have no record of when it was last serviced

What happens during the visit

A Gas Safe registered engineer will check the burner, heat exchanger and flue, test the flame picture and gas pressure, inspect safety devices such as the pressure relief valve, and run the boiler through its heating and hot water cycles to confirm it's working correctly. You'll be given a written record of what was checked, which is worth keeping alongside any warranty documents for the boiler.

Booking a service in and around Cheam

For households across Cheam, Sutton, Epsom and Worcester Park, it's worth booking a service in late summer or early autumn, before the heating season starts properly and engineers get busier with breakdown callouts. This timing also means any issues found are dealt with before you're relying on the boiler daily through winter.

What servicing costs and what it's billed alongside

A gas safety certificate or boiler service is £99, or £160 if you need both carried out on the same visit, which is common for landlords or anyone who wants a single appointment covering both checks. If a fault is found during the service, any repair work needed is quoted separately and carried out with your agreement, either during the same visit if time allows or on a follow-up appointment.