The days are growing longer and the weather is slowly getting warmer, which can only mean one thing: summer is on its way! With this in mind, you’re probably thinking of ways to prepare your home for the warmer weather; from dusting off your garden furniture to checking over your BBQ, getting ready for summer can feel like a never-ending task! However, there’s one extremely important task you shouldn’t neglect: getting a boiler service.
As we don’t typically use our heating in the summer months (depending on how kind the British weather is!) many people push their boiler service back to later in the year. However, there are many reasons to book a boiler service in the summer and prepare for the cooler weather in advance. Winter may be the last thing on your mind as the sun shines, but preparing now will help you later on in the year! With this in mind, here are five reasons to book a boiler service this summer:
Annual boiler services are crucial safety measures
No matter what time of year it is, having your boiler serviced annually is essential for keeping you and your property safe – but why? During a boiler service, qualified engineers will check that your boiler is burning fuel safely and efficiently. Crucially, they will check that you aren’t at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, which can be deadly. Any issues can be dealt with quickly and appropriately, minimising the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning and keeping you safe.
It can be all too easy to push back a boiler service and think, “I’ll take care of this when winter comes”. However, boilers don’t have calendars; you need to make sure you have it serviced annually, no matter what time of year it is. Regular servicing and maintenance can also help to prevent breakdowns from occurring, which can be difficult to cope with in the middle of winter.
Having a summer boiler service will prevent issues from developing in winter
Throughout the winter, you’ll need a boiler that runs smoothly and efficiently. After all, the last thing you need is a boiler breakdown when it’s cold outside. This can be downright frustrating, not to mention dangerous; living in an unheated home in the midst of winter could seriously impact your health. By having your boiler serviced in the summer, you can prevent this from happening and minimise the risk of anything going wrong at the worst possible time.
Your chosen heating engineers will be able to identify potential issues early on and solve them before they develop. Then, when it’s cold outside, you can turn the heating on and enjoy a warm, cosy house! Winter is naturally a very busy time, but with a boiler service, you won’t need to add a broken boiler to your long list of things to take care of.
A boiler service will identify problems you hadn’t spotted yourself
During the winter, when you’re switching the heating on most days, it can be easier to spot problems with your boiler. Whether it’s making an unusual sound or you’ve noticed an unfamiliar smell, you are more likely to identify problems with your boiler when you’re using it frequently. This means that problems may go undetected during the summer months when you don’t rely on your boiler as often. Unless your water isn’t heating properly, you may not notice issues at all.
This is another important reason to have your boiler serviced in the summer; just because you haven’t picked up on boiler-related problems, it doesn’t mean they aren’t there. Having your boiler serviced will allow engineers to pick up on issues that may otherwise go undetected, subsequently increasing the efficiency of your boiler and making it safer to use.
There is less demand for boiler services in summer
Typically, fewer people decide to have their boiler serviced in the summer. As a result, it will be easier to find a trusted heating engineer to service your boiler without paying extortionate call-out fees or waiting for weeks to be seen. In the midst of winter, boiler companies will be swept off their feet; after all, this is their busiest time of year! Avoid the rush by having your boiler serviced during the warmer months and enjoy a fast-tracked service.
When you service your boiler in summer, you can also spend more time sourcing the right boiler engineers for you. Instead of calling the first company you find to deal with a boiler emergency, you can make your decision carefully to find the best possible professionals.
Summer boiler services are typically less expensive
Leading on from our previous point, you’ll be pleased to know that summertime boiler services are typically less expensive than those completed in winter. This is often because there is simply less demand at this time. Heating engineers will have more time to take care of your boiler and the competition won’t be so high, meaning they can offer discounts they wouldn’t usually.
Not only that, but having your boiler serviced in summer will help you save money during the winter months. Winter can be a financially challenging time for many people; from paying for increased energy bills to celebrating seasonal holidays, there’s no denying that winter can be an expensive time of year! By paying for a boiler service before winter rolls around, you can remove this as a financial burden.
How to find a trusted boiler service company
So, now you know how important it is to have your boiler serviced annually. Regular maintenance can minimise the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning in the home, keep your boiler running efficiently, and save you money on energy bills and boiler repairs. Now, the next step is to find a boiler company you can rely on! Here, we’ve listed a few top tips for sourcing the best heating engineers in your local area:
Ask for recommendations
One of the most effective ways to find great heating engineers is to ask for recommendations from friends, family members and colleagues. If they’ve worked with a boiler company who delivered exceptional service, they will likely be happy to share their contact information. Working with a pre-approved company will also give you peace of mind that you can expect great service.
Find out what services they offer
Once you’ve found a great boiler company, you’ll likely want to use them again and again for all future services. With this in mind, it’s a good idea to find out what services a boiler company offers before agreeing to hire them. If they only offer boiler servicing and repairs, you may want to look for contractors who also specialise in central heating maintenance, gas appliance repairs and so on. You will likely require these services at some point and working with a pre-approved company will save you the stress of finding trusted contractors.
Check experience and accreditations
To make sure your chosen company is experienced and operating legitimately, ask how many years they’ve been in operation and what organisations they’re accredited by. In particular, look out for Which? Trusted Traders and never work with a company that isn’t on the Gas Safe Register. It’s a legal requirement that all gas engineers are accredited by the Gas Safe Register – so be sure to double-check this.
Compare quotes from a couple of companies
To make sure you aren’t being overcharged, it’s worth getting quotes from three or four companies and comparing them. It may be tempting to opt for the cheapest company, but if they’re offering significantly lower prices than others in your local area, ask yourself: can I expect a quality service at this price? Lots of companies offer competitive prices, but any costs that look too good to be true probably are.
West London Gas: Boiler servicing, heating installations, gas appliance repair services and more in West London
No matter what time of year it is, look no further than West London Gas for a quick, efficient and cost-effective boiler service. Our team of highly experienced and qualified heating engineers can keep your boiler well-maintained from summer through to winter, in addition to specialising in a range of other services. From central heating installations to gas appliance repair, we can take care of everything you need for a safe, comfortable and energy-efficient home.For more information about our range of services, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the team at West London Gas today. We’re always happy to help.