Boiler servicing in North Devon
I'm George Lane, a Gas Safe engineer. I service mains-gas boilers across North Devon, from the yearly safety checks to a full strip-down clean.
- Standard service £105, full service £185, including VAT
- Worcester Bosch, Vaillant, Baxi, Ideal and other mains-gas boilers
- Travel included across North Devon
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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 George was very pleasant and worked hard to give my boiler a thorough service. A sudden leaking pipe meant that the job took much longer than expected but this was no problem at all for him. George done an excellent job and I will definitely be using his services again.
Frances M.Google review, May 2026Customer of Thames Boilers, Kent Hi everyone, I had an amazing experience with Thames Boiler Service. George was the one who did all the work. The service was precise, punctual, and the problem was sorted in just a couple of days. I strongly recommend them if you want a reliable boiler service for your property. Thank you, guys! Agnes
Agnieszka W.Google review, April 2026Customer of Thames Boilers, Kent I have been a customer of Thames Boilers for several years. They provide a top quality service, high levels of expertise and excellent customer service.
Teresa H.Google review, January 2026Customer of Thames Boilers, Kent I've been using the services of George at Thames Boilers to service my Boiler and Central Heating for many years now. Always reliable, friendly and efficient.
Paul C.Google review, October 2025Customer 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
- 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.
Boiler service prices in North Devon
Every price includes VAT and travel.
Standard gas boiler service
£105including VATOne standard yearly gas boiler service
Full gas boiler service
£185including VATA new burner gasket plus a full heat exchanger and burner clean
Standard service with a landlord gas safety check
£145including VATBoth on one visit, instead of £210 booked separately
Full service with a landlord gas safety check
£225including VATBoth on one visit, instead of £290 booked separately
Every price includes VAT. Travel is included in every price. There is no travel charge anywhere I cover.
A boiler service costs the same whatever the make. Parts, or work outside the service, are priced and agreed before I start.
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 service mains-gas boilers across Barnstaple and North Devon. A standard gas boiler service is £105 including VAT, and the full service, with the burner out and a proper clean, is £185 including VAT.
Most of the breakdowns I've been called to over 25 years were avoidable, and the ones that weren't would have cost less if someone had seen them coming. That's what a service is for. I check the lot, tell you what's starting to wear, and give you a written service record that keeps the manufacturer's warranty valid.
I do every service myself, and I remind you when the next one is due.
What's included in a boiler service?
This is what I check and test on every service.
Safety checks
- Flue check and flue gas analysis (the carbon monoxide risk)
- Gas pressure and flow test
- Gas tightness test at the appliance
- Visual check of the gas connections
- Ventilation check, where the boiler needs it
The boiler itself
- Burner and heat exchanger condition checked, with routine cleaning of the parts I can reach
- Combustion analysis on a calibrated analyser, to check the gas-to-air ratio
- Ignition leads checked (the electrodes and the flame sensor are Full gas boiler service work)
- Seals and gaskets inspected
- Condensate trap and pipe checked on a condensing boiler
Controls and operation
- Thermostat and programmer tested
- Pump checked
- Safety devices tested, including the overheat stat and the pressure relief valve
- Expansion vessel pressure checked
- A full run on heating and hot water before I leave
After the service
- A written service record
- Anything that needs attention explained, and priced before I do anything about it
- A water quality check: inhibitor level, pH and signs of corrosion
On a standard service I clean the condensate trap and the magnetic filter. Other parts I can reach are inspected, and if something needs cleaning or replacing, I explain why and give you a price before doing it.
Standard or full service: which do I need?
Most years you need the standard service, and the full service when nobody has had the case off your boiler for a few years. The standard service checks the boiler and cleans what I can reach. The full service takes the burner out and cleans properly underneath it.
| Standard, £105 | Full, £185 | |
|---|---|---|
| Safety and combustion checks | Yes | Yes |
| Flue gas analysis on a calibrated analyser | Yes | Yes |
| Condensate trap and magnetic filter cleaned | Yes | Yes |
| Controls, safety devices and expansion vessel tested | Yes | Yes |
| Water quality check | Yes | Yes |
| Written service record | Yes | Yes |
| Burner removed | No | Yes |
| New burner gasket fitted | No | Yes |
| Heat exchanger and burner cleaned properly | No | Yes |
| Ignition electrodes and flame sensor cleaned | No | Yes |
Most boilers need the full service every three to five years, depending on how hard they work. Viessmann boilers need it every year, because of how the burner and heat exchanger are built.
You'll know which one you need before I arrive, because I ask when you book.
The ignition electrodes and the flame sensor are inspected and cleaned on the Full gas boiler service only. Reaching them can break a combustion seal, and the full service includes the new gasket that makes it good again. On a standard service I don't carry that gasket, so disturbing the seal could leave the boiler unsafe, and I'd rather leave those parts alone than take that risk.
A water quality check is part of the service: the inhibitor level, the pH and any signs of corrosion in the system water. Topping up or replacing the inhibitor isn't included, so if the system needs it, I show you what I found and give you a price before doing anything.
Why service a boiler every year?
It keeps your warranty valid. Most manufacturers make a yearly service by a Gas Safe registered engineer a condition of the warranty. Miss a year and a repair the warranty would have covered becomes your bill.
It catches small problems early. A worn ignition electrode is a cheap part. Found on a service, I show you, tell you the price and you decide. Left until it fails, it's a breakdown in January.
It's the law for rented homes. A landlord needs a yearly landlord gas safety check (often called a CP12), which covers the boiler. In your own home it isn't a legal requirement, but manufacturers and insurers both expect it.
It keeps the boiler efficient. A boiler running with the wrong gas-to-air ratio burns more gas for the same heat, and the combustion check on a service puts that right.
Do I need to service a new boiler?
Yes. Most manufacturers want the first service within 12 months of the boiler being fitted, then once a year, to keep the full warranty. Check your paperwork, or tell me the make and model when you book and I'll tell you what yours needs.
What boiler makes do I service?
The main domestic mains-gas brands: Worcester Bosch, Vaillant, Baxi, Ideal, Glow-worm, Potterton and Viessmann, and most other domestic 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.
I don't service oil boilers; for those you need an OFTEC-registered engineer. I don't work on LPG boilers. For LPG, you need a Gas Safe engineer whose registration covers LPG work.
Combi, system and Viessmann boilers
Combi boiler service. On a combi I check the diverter valve, the plate heat exchanger, the expansion vessel pressure and the hot water performance, not only the burner, because those are the parts combis wear out.
System boiler service. On a system or regular boiler with a hot water cylinder, the pump, the controls and the cylinder get checked alongside the boiler. If it's an unvented cylinder, it needs its own yearly service too, and I can do both on one visit.
Worcester Bosch and Vaillant boilers are serviced to the manufacturer's schedule, so a boiler inside its warranty period stays covered.
Viessmann boiler service. Viessmann is the one make where the full service isn't a three-to-five-year job: these boilers need it every year, because of how the burner and heat exchanger are built. That means £185 including VAT each year rather than £105, and I'd rather you knew that before booking than after I arrive.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a boiler service cost in North Devon?
A standard gas boiler service is £105 including VAT. The Full gas boiler service is £185 including VAT and adds a new burner gasket plus a full heat exchanger and burner clean. A standard gas boiler service and a landlord gas safety check for one appliance on the same visit is £145, instead of £210 booked separately. With the full gas boiler service it is £225, instead of £290. Both prices include VAT. It costs less because it's one visit instead of two, and it can't be combined with any other reduction.
How often should a boiler be serviced?
Once a year. That's what the major manufacturers ask for, and it's what keeps the warranty valid. Leaving it 18 months or two years saves the price of a service and risks the price of a repair.
What happens during a boiler service?
I take flue gas and combustion readings on a calibrated analyser, test the gas pressure and gas tightness, inspect the burner, heat exchanger and seals, test the safety devices, and check the expansion vessel and condensate route. I clean the condensate trap and the magnetic filter, then run the heating and hot water through a full cycle. You get a written record of what I tested and what I found. On the Full gas boiler service the burner also comes out, with a new gasket and a proper clean of the burner and heat exchanger.
How long does a boiler service take?
Usually 45 to 60 minutes for a standard service on a modern condensing boiler. If I find a fault, I tell you what it is before I do anything about it. I give you a price for putting it right at the time, and nothing is done until you agree it.
Do you check the radiators during a boiler service?
Not as part of the service, which covers the boiler and its controls. If I notice a radiator that clearly isn't heating, or system water that comes out black, I'll tell you, because both point to a problem worth dealing with. Balancing the system, fitting valves or flushing it are separate jobs, priced and agreed before I start.
How often does a Viessmann boiler need a full service?
Every year, because of how the burner and heat exchanger are built. So on a Viessmann the yearly service is the £185 full service rather than the £105 standard one.
Can I service my own boiler?
No. The law restricts work on gas appliances to Gas Safe registered engineers, and that includes servicing. The combustion check that tells you whether a boiler is burning safely also needs a calibrated analyser. You can check any engineer's registration on the Gas Safe Register; mine is 515374.
Do you give a certificate after a boiler service?
Yes. 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. Keep the service record with your boiler paperwork, because you'll need it for a warranty claim.
Why are your reviews from Kent?
Because Tarka Boilers is new to North Devon. The reviews on this site are from customers of Thames Boilers, my previous business in Kent, and each one is labelled so you know where it came from.
Boiler servicing across North Devon
If you're in North Devon, travel is included in every price.
Other services
- Boiler repairsIf your boiler has developed a fault
- Landlord gas safety checksA boiler service and gas safety check on one visit is £145 including VAT
- Unvented cylindersThe cylinder service is £52 on the same visit as a boiler service
Boiler service due? Book George online.
Prices published including VAT. If you're in North Devon, travel is included.
Prefer to write? Send an enquiry.