Boiler repair visit
Minimum charge including attendance, diagnosis, travel within 25 miles of South Molton, and up to 60 minutes at the property. Parts, materials and further work are quoted separately.
South Molton, North Devon
Boiler Repairs in South Molton
South Molton sits on the southern edge of Exmoor, about 25 to 35 minutes from Barnstaple. It's a proper Devon market town — the Square, East Street, Molton Cross — with a real mix of older stone housi
Boiler repairs in South Molton
South Molton sits on the southern edge of Exmoor, about 25 to 35 minutes from Barnstaple. It's a proper Devon market town — the Square, East Street, Molton Cross — with a real mix of older stone housing, farm workers' cottages, Victorian terraces and newer builds around the edges. It's also home, so I'm in South Molton and the wider EX36 area constantly, and most call-outs I can get to the same day.
I'm George Lane, Gas Safe registered with over 25 years of experience. I quote the job and I do the job myself — no subcontractor turning up instead. You get a fixed price before I touch anything.
South Molton is one of the more rural parts of my area. The town itself is mostly on mains gas, but head out towards Bishops Nympton, Chittlehampton, Filleigh and the farms up on the Exmoor fringe and you're into LPG and oil country. I only work on mains gas. LPG boiler work needs a Gas Safe engineer whose registration covers it, and oil work needs someone OFTEC-registered.
Why homeowners in South Molton choose me
Gas Safe Registered
Legally required for all gas work. Reg: 515374. Verify at gassaferegister.co.uk.
25+ Years Experience
All major brands: Worcester Bosch, Vaillant, Baxi, Ideal, Glow-worm, Potterton.
Transparent Pricing
Fixed price after diagnosis before any work starts. No hidden fees.
Same-Day Where Possible
Serving South Molton and surrounding areas from South Molton.
Prices for Boiler repairs in South Molton
All prices include VAT. Travel within 25 miles of South Molton is included. Beyond that area, a £30 travel charge applies and is confirmed before booking.
My Boiler Repair Process
Ring with the details.
Boiler make and model, any fault code, and what it's doing. That's enough for me to give you a realistic idea on the phone and turn up prepared.
Diagnosis on site, fixed price before I start.
I diagnose it with test equipment, explain it in plain English, and give you a firm price. Nothing happens until you've agreed to it.
Repair, or an honest word about replacement.
If repairing makes sense, I'll do it. If the boiler's old and the sums don't work, I'll say so plainly. I won't patch up something that won't last.
Full test before I go.
I run the boiler through the lot — heating and hot water — and check no fault codes are lurking before I call it done.
Common Boiler Faults I Fix in South Molton EX36
Pressure loss: Worcester F22, Vaillant F22, Baxi E119, Ideal F1 Pressure loss is the most common call I get anywhere in North Devon. In South Molton's older housing it usually traces back to tired radiator valves, a joint under a timber floor, or a pressure relief valve that's quietly started to drip. Topping up without finding the cause just buys you a fortnight. I find where it's going.
Ignition faults: Worcester F28/EA 227, Vaillant F28/F29, Baxi E133, Ideal F1 Ignition failure on a mains-gas boiler points at the spark electrode, the flame sensor or the gas valve. I carry test equipment to work out which one before I order anything, and that step is worth doing — a gas valve costs a great deal more than a spark electrode.
Diverter valve failure Hot water but no heating, or heating but no hot water. In a combi, the diverter valve decides which circuit gets the hot water from the heat exchanger, so when the seals go or the mechanism sticks, one side gets nothing. Parts for the Worcester Bosch Greenstar and Baxi 800 series, the two you see most round here, are easy to get.
PCB failure (printed circuit board) The PCB is the boiler's brain. When it fails, the symptoms wander about: intermittent lockouts, a boiler that won't start, codes that don't match anything obvious. I confirm it with test equipment before I recommend a replacement, because PCBs are among the dearer parts and getting it wrong is expensive.
Expansion vessel failure A waterlogged expansion vessel can't cope with the pressure swings any more. Pressure builds when the boiler fires, the PRV opens and drips, and you're topping up every few days. Re-pressurising or replacing it puts a stop to that.
Pump failure A seized pump in an older system that's gone years without a service is a fairly regular call in South Molton. The boiler fires but the heat never reaches the radiators, and you may get a fault code about circulation into the bargain.
Heat exchanger problems Kettling — a steady rumbling or boiling noise from the boiler — is the early warning for scale or magnetite building up on the primary heat exchanger. Left alone it restricts the flow and eventually cracks it. At the kettling stage a power flush and BS 7593 inhibitor treatment is the right answer. Once it's cracked, you're buying a heat exchanger.
Thermistor (NTC sensor) faults The flow and return thermistors watch the water temperature. When one fails, the boiler locks out with a code claiming it's overheating or not getting up to temperature. Once I've identified the right sensor, it's usually a cheap fix.
Boiler Brands I Repair in South Molton
Worcester Bosch Greenstar: the most common premium boiler across North Devon, South Molton included. The Greenstar CDi, 4000 and 8000 are what I see most in EX36. Well built, and parts are easy to source. Usual faults: diverter valve, expansion vessel, PCB.
Vaillant ecoTEC Plus and Pro. Fitted widely in the town's newer housing. F75 and F22 account for most of my Vaillant call-outs here.
Baxi 800 series and Duo-tec: a popular mid-range choice, common in rentals and housing association property around the town. E133 ignition faults are the most frequent call on these.
Ideal Logic and Vogue. Dependable mid-market boilers. Older Logic units have a known thermistor problem that throws an F1 code, and it's usually cheaper to fix than it sounds.
Glow-worm Betacom and Flexicom. More common in the older housing and in rural properties that last had a new boiler 15–20 years ago. Parts for the older Flexicoms are getting patchy, so I'll check before I commit to a repair.
Potterton Performa and Profile. Still going in some older South Molton properties and farm cottages. Good boilers in their day, but parts are getting harder to find every year.
That list is mains-gas boilers only. I don't work on the LPG or oil versions. LPG boiler work needs a Gas Safe engineer whose registration covers it; oil work needs an OFTEC-registered engineer.
Properties in South Molton I Cover, EX36
EX36 covers South Molton and the countryside around it: Bishops Nympton, Chittlehampton, Filleigh, George Nympton and the wider hinterland running up towards the Exmoor National Park boundary.
The town centre — the Square, East Street and the streets off Molton Cross — is the old core, and it still feels like the agricultural market town it's been for centuries. The housing here tends to be older stone and Victorian terrace, with boilers of every vintage, some of which have been in place a very long time.
The newer areas round the edges — the 1970s and 1980s estates and the more recent builds — are more predictable. Mostly combis, mostly easy to get at, mostly with parts on the shelf. Those are quicker jobs as a rule.
It's the rural EX36 area where things get varied. Farms and cottages off the mains gas network may be running on LPG or oil, and both are outside what I do.
Repair or Replace?
Under 8 years old. Nearly always worth repairing. A boiler that's been looked after should give you 12–15 years.
8–12 years old — depends on brand and fault. A Worcester Bosch Greenstar at 10 years with a failed expansion vessel is an easy yes. A budget brand from the early 2000s with a cracked heat exchanger is a very different sum.
Over 15 years — time for an honest conversation. Parts for some brands at this age are genuinely scarce. If the repair's going to top £400–500 and the boiler's 15-plus and thirsty, replacing usually saves money over the following few years, especially once you count what a modern condensing boiler does to your bills.
In South Molton's older housing and rural properties I sometimes find boilers that have been kept alive well past their natural span. There comes a point where you can't really justify another repair, and I'll tell you honestly when yours has reached it.
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.
Book a Boiler Repair in South Molton
Call me on 01271 444410 or email info@tarkaboilersbarnstaple.co.uk. I cover South Molton EX36 and the countryside around it.
Areas Near South Molton I Also Cover
FAQs: Boiler repairs in South Molton
How quickly can you get to South Molton?
South Molton is where I'm based, so it's the shortest trip I make. Same-day call-outs are often possible depending on where I already am and what's booked in, and I'll give you an honest arrival window when you ring.
Do you cover rural properties and farms around South Molton?
Yes, including the wider EX36 area — Bishops Nympton, Chittlehampton, Filleigh and the villages around them. If you're not sure whether you're in range, ring me and I'll tell you.
Do you repair LPG boilers?
No. A good number of rural EX36 properties run on LPG rather than mains gas, but it isn't something I do. You'll need a Gas Safe engineer whose registration covers the relevant LPG work. Oil boiler repairs need an OFTEC-registered engineer, and that's outside my scope too.
Is it worth repairing an older boiler in a South Molton stone property?
Depends on the boiler, the fault and the cost. Some older conventional boilers in period properties are perfectly worth fixing if the fault's minor and the parts exist. Others are past it. I'll give you a straight view once I've seen it.
What should I tell you when I call?
For a mains-gas boiler: the make and model, any fault code showing, and what it's actually doing — no heat, no hot water, noisy, losing pressure. If it's an LPG or oil boiler, that work is outside my scope.
What does the repair minimum include?
The £105 including-VAT minimum covers attendance and diagnosis, travel within 25 miles of South Molton, and up to 60 minutes at the property. The full minimum applies to shorter visits. Parts and materials are extra, and any further work is fixed-price quoted before it proceeds.