Boiler repairs in North Devon
I'm George Lane, a Gas Safe engineer. I find and fix faults on mains-gas boilers across North Devon, and I do every job myself.
- £220 including VAT for all the labour to get it working again, however long it takes
- Parts priced before they're fitted. Decide not to go ahead, and you only pay £105
- Travel included across North Devon
Prefer to write? Send an enquiry.
George Lane, Gas Safe No. 515374. Fully insured, 25+ years on boilers. I do every job myself, from the first visit to the finished work.
If you smell gas, leave the property and call the National Gas Emergency number, 0800 111 999, before anything else. Once the supply has been made safe, I can come and deal with the appliance.
What my customers say
5.0 from 103 Google reviews for Thames Boilers, my previous business in Kent
Tarka Boilers is new to North Devon, so it has no reviews of its own yet. Every review here is from a customer of Thames Boilers, the heating business I ran in Kent before I moved here.
Read all 124 reviewsExcellent service, all problems have been fixed, full service carried out,in fact more was done than British gas have done over several years. I would recommend Thames boilers without any hesitation. Well done and thank you.
Brian P.Google review, May 2026Customer of Thames Boilers, Kent In the past ive had a few unreliable plumbers. George did some plumbing work for me in the kitchen recently. Very happy with the repair - always polite, punctual, and tidy. George also services my boiler annually. Will continue to use his services. Have recommended him to friends and family.
Joan R.Google review, June 2025Customer of Thames Boilers, Kent We have used Thames Boilers twice over the years, firstly for a repair and more recently a boiler service and simply George is the man. He is professional from start to finish, knowledgeable and friendly. We will continue to use Thames Boilers in the future and happily recommend their services to friends and family - thank you!
Jamie F.Google review, April 2025Customer of Thames Boilers, Kent Always great service from George at Thames Boilers. I had a problem with hot water only coming on when we put the heating on .. George arrived when he said he would and was able to diagnose the issue and fix it in a single call out. I really can't recommend George and Thames boilers enough. Thanks again Gavin
Gavin M.Google review, January 2025Customer of Thames Boilers, Kent I booked Thames Boilers for a boiler repair. They made the whole process very straightforward. Their engineer was prompt and professional and happy to answer any questions I had. I would definitely use them again.
Robin C.Google review, April 2022Customer of Thames Boilers, Kent It was a pleasure to meet George. He was punctual, honest, efficient, very personable and fixed my boiler in no time. Costs were transparent and very competative. I will use him again and can highly recommend without reservation.
SteveGoogle review, September 2021Customer of Thames Boilers, Kent
- Gas Safe No. 515374Check it on the Gas Safe Register
- 25+ yearson boilers and heating
- G3 qualifiedfor unvented hot-water cylinders
- Fully insuredGeorge Lane trading as Tarka Boilers
I work on Worcester Bosch, Vaillant, Baxi, Ideal, Glow-worm, Potterton and Viessmann. Mains-gas boilers only: I don't work on oil or LPG, and I don't fit new boilers.
How are boiler repairs priced?
Every price includes VAT and travel.
Fixed-price boiler repair
£220fixed labour, including VATAll the labour to get your boiler working again, however long it takes, including travel and any return visit to fit a part
Parts
Priced before fittingA fixed price once I've found the fault, and nothing's fitted until you've approved it
If you decide not to go ahead, you only pay
£105including VATThe visit, travel and finding the fault. The same applies if it can't sensibly be repaired
Why a fixed price? Because the worry with a broken boiler isn't the repair, it's not knowing where the bill will end. It's the same £220 whether the fix takes ten minutes or all afternoon, so the only thing left to agree is the part, and you see that price before it goes in.
It covers the fault you book me for. A few bigger jobs, like a new heat exchanger or a flue repair, are priced separately, and the questions below list them. Travel is included in every price. There is no travel charge anywhere I cover.
Every price includes VAT. Repairs are £220 for all the labour, however long it takes, and parts are priced before they're fitted. Decide not to go ahead, and you only pay £105 for the visit. If you're in North Devon, travel is included.
I'm George Lane, a Gas Safe registered engineer (No. 515374), and I repair mains-gas boilers across Barnstaple and North Devon. Repairs are a fixed price: £220 including VAT for all the labour to get your boiler working again, however long it takes. Parts are priced before they're fitted, and if you decide not to go ahead, you only pay £105 for the visit.
A boiler picks its moment. It'll run for three years without a murmur and then stop on the coldest morning of the winter, with a house full of people waiting for a shower. My job is to find out what has actually failed, tell you plainly what it costs to put right, and then fix it.
I've worked on boilers for more than 25 years, and I do every job myself, from the first visit to the finished work.
What are the common boiler faults I fix?
No heating or hot water, boilers that won't fire, lockouts and pressure that keeps dropping are the faults I see most, on Worcester Bosch, Vaillant, Baxi, Ideal, Glow-worm, Potterton and Viessmann boilers and most other domestic mains-gas boilers.
Old and awkward is normal work here, not a reason to be turned away. Back boilers, open-vented systems, system and regular boilers, microbore pipework, boilers sited where somebody put them forty years ago and nobody has fancied since. The one honest catch is parts: if a component isn't made any more, I'll tell you that before you spend anything.
The full list, with the usual cause of each:
- No heating or hot water: ignition failure, a diverter valve fault or a motorised valve that has stuck
- Boiler won't fire up: a faulty PCB, thermistor or gas valve
- Error codes and lockouts: I read the manufacturer's fault code and find the cause underneath it, rather than resetting the boiler and hoping
- Pressure keeps dropping: a failed expansion vessel, a weeping pressure relief valve or a leak on the pipework
- Pilot light keeps going out: usually the thermocouple on an older boiler
- Kettling and banging: limescale on the heat exchanger, or a pump problem
- Leaking boiler: failed seals, a pressure relief valve discharging or a corroded heat exchanger
- Heating comes and goes: a zone valve, the programmer, the room thermostat or the pump speed
- Hot water works but the heating doesn't, or the other way round: on a combi, usually the diverter valve
- Boiler keeps switching off: overheating, or a blocked flue
- Frozen condensate pipe: common in North Devon in a cold snap, and usually quick to put right
How the job goes, and why
I cover up where I'm working, clear up after myself, and run the boiler through a full cycle before I go. You get the house back as you left it, minus the fault.
You get the paperwork, not a promise of it: a written record of what I checked, what I tested and what I found. Gas safety certificates come to you by email, ready for a letting agent, an insurer or a buyer's solicitor.
Parts I fit are guaranteed for 12 months, including the labour to put them right, whatever the age of your boiler. The guarantee covers the parts I fit and my work, not the rest of the boiler or system. If sludge caused the fault, I'll still repair it, but that repair isn't guaranteed unless the system has been flushed and a magnetic filter fitted. I'll tell you that before I start, not after.
How booking works
You book
Book online and your time is confirmed straight away. I work Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, and I'm not an emergency service. If it isn't a job for me, I'll say so and point you to someone who can help, rather than going quiet on you.
You'll know when I'm coming
You choose a start time when you book, not a morning or an afternoon. It is an estimate, because the job before yours can finish early or run on. When I set off to you, you get a text with a link that shows where I am, so you can see when I'll be at the door.
Is it worth repairing an old boiler?
A boiler under 10 years old with one failed part is usually worth repairing. The repair costs a fraction of a new boiler, and most modern boilers are built to last 15 years or more.
Every visit starts with finding out what's actually wrong, not with a sales pitch for a new boiler. I show you what I've found and what it means, and you get a fixed price for any parts before anything's fitted. I don't sell or fit boilers, so I've no reason to tell you to replace something that can be fixed.
A boiler over 15 years old with faults that keep coming back, or with a failed heat exchanger, can reach the point where a new one makes more sense. I don't fit boilers, so I tell you plainly what I found and you can take that to an installer of your choice.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a boiler repair cost in North Devon?
£220 including VAT for all the labour to get it working again, however long it takes. That includes travel and any return visit to fit a part. Parts are extra, and you get a fixed price for them before anything's fitted. If you decide not to go ahead, or it can't sensibly be repaired, you only pay £105 for the visit.
Do you charge a call-out fee?
Not on top of the repair price. Coming out, travel and finding the fault are all part of the £220 fixed repair price, which includes VAT. If you decide not to go ahead once you know the parts price, or it can't sensibly be repaired, you only pay £105 for the visit.
What if it's a ten-minute fix?
It's still £220. You're paying for a working boiler, not for time on the clock, and the price is the same if the job takes all afternoon.
What happens if you need to order a part?
I tell you the fixed price for the part, and once you've approved it I order it and come back to fit it. The return visit is included in the £220. Common parts are quick to get hold of; for older boilers it can take longer, and I tell you how long.
What isn't included in the £220?
Parts, which I price once I've found the fault and only fit once you've approved them. A few bigger jobs are priced separately too: replacing a hot-water cylinder or a boiler's main heat exchanger, anything that means taking the boiler off the wall, flue repairs, replacing radiators, power flushing, fitting a magnetic filter, upgrading controls, and leaks hidden under floors or in walls. If your repair needs one of these, I'll explain why and give you a price, and it doesn't go ahead unless you agree. The £220 is for homes, not commercial systems, and covers the fault you book me for. If sludge caused the fault, I'll still fix it, but that repair isn't guaranteed unless the system has been flushed and a magnetic filter fitted. The full list is in clause 4.2B of my terms and conditions.
How quickly can you come out?
Book online and your time is confirmed straight away. I work Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, and I'm not an emergency or out-of-hours service. If you smell gas, leave the property and call the National Gas Emergency number, 0800 111 999, before anything else.
Are you Gas Safe registered?
Yes, my Gas Safe number is 515374, and you can check it on the Gas Safe Register before I arrive. I'm also fully insured.
Why are your reviews from Kent?
Because Tarka Boilers is new to North Devon. Before I moved here I ran Thames Boilers in Kent, and the reviews on this site are from those customers, labelled so you know where they came from.
Do you repair all boiler makes?
I repair the main domestic mains-gas brands, including Worcester Bosch, Vaillant, Baxi, Ideal, Glow-worm, Potterton and Viessmann, and older back boilers and open-vented systems too. The real limit is parts: if a component is no longer made, I tell you before you spend anything. I don't work on LPG boilers. For LPG, you need a Gas Safe engineer whose registration covers LPG work. For an oil boiler, you need an OFTEC-registered engineer.
Is it worth repairing a boiler that's 10 or 15 years old?
Often, yes. A 12-year-old boiler with one failed component and a full service history is usually worth repairing. A 15-year-old boiler with no service records and several faults developing may not be, and I'll tell you which yours is.
Can you tell what's wrong from the error code?
Often, yes. Send me the code with the make and model when you book, and I can usually tell you the likely cause before I come out. An error code shows the symptom rather than always the cause, so a proper diagnosis still means seeing the boiler.
Boiler repairs across North Devon
If you're in North Devon, travel is included in every price.
Other services
- Boiler servicingA standard gas boiler service is £105 including VAT
- Central heating repairsWhen the boiler fires but the radiators stay cold
- Landlord gas safety checksThe yearly check and certificate for rented homes
Boiler broken down? Book George online.
Every price includes VAT. Repairs are £220 for all the labour, however long it takes, and parts are priced before they're fitted. Decide not to go ahead, and you only pay £105 for the visit. If you're in North Devon, travel is included.
Prefer to write? Send an enquiry.