Boiler Installation Mistakes to Avoid

 

When the time comes to replace your current boiler, you should seek the advice of a professional gas safe registered boiler engineer.

 

They will be able to explain everything you need for the new boiler installation.

 

In the United Kingdom, the law states that any gas appliances serviced, repaired or installed, should only be done by a registered engineer.

 

You should not try to replace your boiler yourself, as this breaks gas and building regulations.

 

You could also find you leave yourself open for prosecution with a high penalty.

 

I hear what you say it’s my property I can do what I want within my property, yes but not with gas.

 

If you undertake the installation yourself, your property insurance becomes void, so ensure you use a registered boiler engineer to carry out the installation.

 

When purchasing a new boiler, ensure you get the right one for your property.

 

Boilers all look the same these days you need to get the correct heat output required for your property.

 

When looking at a particular brand, don’t buy the cheapest model, it may look the same as the others, but it could be the wrong model for your property.

 

All boiler installations must now comply with boiler plus regulations, which is about saving energy when using the boiler.

 

An example would be, a new combination boiler installation must now have a minimum of a load compensation thermostat fitted.

 

There are other options to choose from, such as a weather compensator, but it then starts to become somewhat expensive.

 

A common boiler mistake is an undersized gas pipe most boilers now require a minimum of a 22m pipe size within one meter of the boiler.

 

The boiler will still work with an undersize supply but, not to its full potential.

 

It could also be dangerous if undersized, due to the incorrect volume of gas to the boiler.  

 

All gas appliances need to have the correct volume of gas to work correctly.

 

The gas engineer will carry out a gas rating check for each of the gas appliances.

 

Gas rating an appliance proves the correct volume of gas as well as the safety side.

 

When buying any gas appliance always check it is suitable for your gas supply.

 

The main gas supply in the United Kingdom is natural gas if you live in a rural area you may have LPG (liquid petroleum gas) installed.

 

Don’t try to install an LPG boiler on natural gas supply or vice versa.

 

Every new gas boiler installation installed by a registered engineer needs to be registered.

 

Registration is normally with the gas safe register, who in turn notify the local authority.

 

Once the boiler has been registered, you will receive a certificate confirming registration.

 

You need to keep the certificate safe as you will need it when selling your property.

No certificate will cost you in the long term.

 

Failure to register the new boiler will result in the boiler warranty becoming void.

 

There is a misconception that by trying to install your new boiler yourself will save you on the installation costs.

 

The real truth is it will cost you more in the long term as well as the possibility of getting a criminal record.

 

These are just a few of the common boiler installation mistakes we come across every day.

 

We hope this gives you an insight into what a boiler installation now involves.

 

If we can be of help when it comes to replacing your boiler, please let us know.

Annual Gas Boiler Service

• Why do I need an annual gas boiler service, I have a long warranty?

  

  
  

  Safety, Safety is one of the main reason why you should have a gas boiler service.

  Most gas boilers these days are the high efficiency condensing boiler type.

  The condense they produce is acidic, it can burn through the seals of the flue pipe as well as the boiler casing.

  Should it burn through either of the above, it could leak carbon monoxide, and as we all know carbon monoxide is a killer.

  So what is involved in a gas boiler service?

  We start with a visual inspection first, looking for any sign of distress around the boiler casing.
  Now we ask the client if they have had any problems since the last service.

  Next, we carry out a gas tightness test at the gas meter to determine that the gas supply is leak free and safe.

  Not every company will carry out the tightness test, but we like to ensure before we carry any workout, the gas supply is safe.

  Now we test the integrity of the flue pipe.

  All joints on the flue pipe are inspected to ensure there are no signs of leakage.

  Should your flue pipe be boxed in or running in a duct, you will have inspection panels fitted, so the joints can be checked over.

  We now fire the boiler up while we are setting up the flue gas analyser.

  A flue gas reading is taken first from the air intake section of the flue, this is to prove no products of combustion are leaking into the air section.

  Once the air intake is proved safe, we now take a reading from the inner section of the flue where the products of combustion are dispersed via the fan.

  The flue gas readings are then checked to ensure they are within the boiler manufacturers limits.

  Some boilers as they get older tend to need adjusting to bring them back into the safety limits.

  The front cover is then removed so we can now carry out an internal inspection of the boiler.

  All boiler manufacturers have a gas boiler service schedule for the engineer to follow.

  This is normally located within the boiler installation book.

  We then follow the boiler schedule instructions ensuring everything is within the maker’s limits.

  One item that seems to get missed out from the gas boiler service is the expansion vessel.

  This expansion vessel is a very important part of the boiler and needs checking regularly.

  The expansion vessel is like a sponge, it soaks up the water expansion when the boiler is working. Over time it will lose its pressure.

  You may have noticed water dripping from the discharge pipe on the outside wall.

  This normally means the expansion vessel has lost its charge and needs resetting or replacing.

  Now the gas boiler service has been completed another flue gas reading is taken.

  We take a reading on high gas, then on low gas, then print off the readings.
  If the benchmark book is available the readings are recorded in the book.

  Another gas tightness test is carried out, now that the service is complete, this ensure the gas supply is still safe.

  Now to the paperwork.

  The boiler benchmark book is then filled in, signed and dated.

  We also issue a gas boiler service certificate for the client.

  Now back to the beginning of this article regarding the long warranty.

  Any boiler that has a long warranty has to have an annual gas boiler service to keep the warranty valid.

  Should your boiler breakdown and you need to call in the makers under the warranty, you will need to prove the boiler has been serviced.

  The engineer will need to see the benchmark book or service certificates, without you will be charged.