Service
Boiler Servicing in North Devon
Annual boiler services to keep your system running safely and efficiently.
Most of the breakdowns I get called to were avoidable, and the ones that weren't would have been cheaper if somebody had spotted them coming.
That's really what a service is for. It takes about an hour, I check the lot, I tell you what's starting to wear, and you get a service record that keeps the manufacturer's warranty valid. I'm George Lane, Gas Safe registered, 25 years at it, and I do the work myself.
Boiler Service Pricing
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.
Prices include VAT. Travel within 25 miles of South Molton is included. Beyond that radius, a £30 including-VAT travel charge applies and is disclosed before booking. Parts or work outside the listed service are quoted separately before proceeding.
One standard annual gas boiler service
New burner gasket plus a full heat exchanger and burner clean
Standard service and CP12 on one visit, instead of £190 booked separately
Full service and CP12 on one visit, instead of £230 booked separately
What You Can Expect
Why Annual Servicing Matters
It keeps your warranty valid. Most manufacturers require annual servicing by a Gas Safe registered engineer as a condition of the warranty. Miss a year and a repair that would have been covered becomes your cost.
It catches small problems early. A worn ignition electrode is a cheap part. Found on a service, I flag it, quote it, and you decide. Left until it fails, it is a breakdown call-out instead.
It is a legal requirement for rentals. Rental properties need an annual gas safety check (CP12), which covers the boiler. For your own home there is no legal requirement, but manufacturers and insurers both expect it.
It keeps the boiler efficient. A boiler running with an incorrect gas-to-air ratio burns more fuel for the same heat, and the annual service sets that right. Over a heating season the difference adds up.
Gas Safe Registered
Legally required for all gas work in the UK. Reg: 515374.
A Two-Hour Window, and a Tracking Link
Not a whole day waiting in. Watch me approach on a map, and hear it from me if anything changes.
Diagnosis, Then a Fixed Price
I find the real fault and quote any parts before ordering them. Published prices include VAT.
Tidy Work and the Paperwork
The area is protected and cleared up, and you get the written record on the day.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does an annual boiler service cost in North Devon?
A standard annual gas boiler service is £105 including VAT. A Full Boiler Service is £145 including VAT and includes a new burner gasket plus a full heat exchanger and burner clean. A standard gas boiler service and CP12 for one appliance on the same visit is £145, instead of £190 booked separately. With the full gas boiler service it is £185, instead of £230. Both prices include VAT. That is a lower price for one visit rather than two, not an offer or a promotion, and it does not combine with any other reduction.
How often should a boiler be serviced?
Once a year: that's what every major manufacturer recommends, and what keeps your warranty valid. Some homeowners push it to 18 months or two years — this is a false economy given what an emergency repair costs.
What actually happens during a boiler service?
The full list is above. In short: flue and combustion readings on a calibrated analyser, gas pressure and gas tightness at the appliance, burner, heat exchanger and seals inspected, safety devices tested, expansion vessel and condensate route checked, condensate trap and magnetic filter cleaned, then a full operational check on heating and hot water. You get a written record of what was tested and what was found. On a Full gas boiler service the burner also comes out, with a new gasket, a proper burner and heat exchanger clean, and the ignition electrodes and flame sensor inspected and cleaned.
Do you check the radiators during a boiler service?
Not as part of the service itself. A boiler service is the appliance and its controls. I will tell you if I notice something obvious, such as a radiator that is clearly not heating or system water that comes out black, because both point at a problem worth dealing with. Balancing the system, fitting valves or flushing it are separate jobs and I quote them before doing anything.
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 annual service is the £145 full service rather than the £105 standard one. On most other makes the standard service is the right annual choice, with the full service coming round every three to five years depending on how hard the boiler works.
Can I service my own boiler?
No. Work on a gas appliance is restricted by law to Gas Safe registered engineers, and that includes servicing. Beyond the legal position, the combustion analysis that tells you whether the boiler is burning safely needs a calibrated analyser, and an incorrect gas pressure or a partly blocked flue is not something you can assess by eye.
How long does a boiler service take?
Typically 45–60 minutes for a standard service on a modern condensing boiler. If I find something that needs attention during the service, it may take longer. I'll tell you before spending extra time.
Do you provide a certificate after a boiler service?
Yes. The paperwork comes on the day, not a fortnight later: a written record of what I checked, what I tested and what I found. Gas safety certificates go over by email the same day, which is what a letting agent, an insurer or a buyer's solicitor will ask you for. Keep the service record with your boiler documentation: you will need it if you ever make a warranty claim.
When You Book Me
You'll get an answer. Ring or message during the working day and you'll hear back the same day; evenings and weekends, it'll be the next working day. And if it isn't a job for me, I'll tell you that and point you at someone who can help, rather than going quiet on you.
When you book, I'll confirm it and give you a two-hour window rather than a whole day sat at home waiting. On the morning you get a text with a tracking link, so you can see where I've got to instead of wondering. Traffic and the job before yours are real, so it's a window rather than a promise to the minute, but if it slips you'll hear it from me first.
I'll 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.
The paperwork comes on the day, not a fortnight later: a written record of what I checked, what I tested and what I found. Gas safety certificates go over by email the same day, which is what a letting agent, an insurer or a buyer's solicitor will ask you for.
What's Included in an Annual Boiler Service
Here's exactly what I check and test on every service:
Safety checks
- Flue test and flue integrity check (carbon monoxide risk)
- Gas pressure and flow test
- Gas tightness test at the appliance
- Visual check of all gas connections
- Ventilation check (where applicable)
Components inspection
- Accessible burner and heat-exchanger condition checks, with routine accessible cleaning where appropriate
- Combustion analysis (gas-to-air ratio test)
- Ignition leads check. The electrodes and the flame sensor themselves are Full gas boiler service work
- Seals and gaskets inspection
- Condensate trap and pipe check (on condensing boilers)
Controls and operation
- Thermostat and programmer operation test
- Pump pressure and operation check
- Safety devices test (overheat stat, pressure relief valve)
- Expansion vessel pressure test
- Full operational check: heat up, hot water, controls
After the service
- Written service record issued
- Any concerns explained and quoted for separately. No surprise additions to the bill
- Water quality check: inhibitor level, pH and signs of corrosion
On a standard service the condensate trap and the magnetic filter are cleaned. Other accessible components are inspected, and if something needs cleaning or replacing I explain it and quote before doing it.
Standard or Full? Here's What Changes
Two prices, and it's a fair question which one you need. The short version: the standard service checks the boiler and cleans what it can reach. The full service takes the burner out and cleans properly underneath it.
| Standard, £105 | Full, £145 | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 years the standard one is the right call. 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.
If nobody's had the case off your boiler in a few years, book the full one. You'll know either way before I arrive, because I'll ask when you call.
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 do not carry that gasket, so disturbing the seal could leave the boiler unsafe, and I would rather leave those parts alone than take that risk.
A water quality check is part of the service: inhibitor level, pH and any signs of corrosion in the system water. Topping up or replacing the inhibitor is not included, so if the system needs it I show you what I found and quote before doing anything.
Do I Need to Service a New Boiler?
Yes. Typically from the second year onwards. Most manufacturers require the first service to be carried out before the boiler's first anniversary to activate the full warranty period. Check your documentation or call me and I'll advise based on your make and model.
What Boiler Makes Do You Service?
All of them. Worcester Bosch, Vaillant, Baxi, Ideal, Glow-worm, Potterton, Viessmann, Intergas, Alpha, Ariston, and any other domestic gas boiler.
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.
Oil boiler servicing is not currently available. For any other unlisted fuel type or service, ask before booking and I'll confirm whether I can help and quote before work begins.
Combi, System and Viessmann Boilers
Combi boiler service. On a combi I check the diverter valve, the plate heat exchanger, expansion vessel pressure and hot water performance, not just the burner, because that is where combis actually fail.
System boiler service. System and heat-only boilers running a hot water cylinder: the pump, the controls and the cylinder get checked alongside the boiler itself.
Worcester Bosch and Vaillant are serviced to the manufacturer's schedule, so a boiler still inside its warranty period stays covered.
Viessmann boiler service. Viessmann is the one brand where the full service is not a three-to-five-year job: these boilers need it every year, because of how the burner and heat exchanger are built. That means £145 including VAT annually rather than £105, and I would rather you knew that before booking than after I arrive.
Boiler servicing across North Devon
Select your area for specific information about boiler servicing near you.