If you’re asking ‘can I service my own boiler?’, read on for a clear answer to this question and the reasons behind it.
When looking for ways to cut costs around the home, DIY is usually the first way that springs to mind. While this can work for various jobs around the house and in the garden, it isn’t an approach to take with your boiler.
Can you service your own gas boiler?
The only people who should be dealing with the gas appliances are Gas Safe trained engineers. If you are a gas engineer and are qualified and trained to work on boilers, there’s no legal reason you cannot service your own boiler. However, it is illegal to try and service a gas boiler without the necessary qualifications as per the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998.
Fiddling with any gas appliance is highly dangerous and can cause damage and loss of life.
Can you service your own oil boiler?
Oil boilers are far less common than gas boilers in the UK. As such, the rules around servicing them are not as stringent or made as clear as those for gas boilers.
The Oil Firing Technical Association (OFTEC) recommends that oil boilers are serviced once a year, and given that OFTEC is the oil boiler equivalent of the Gas Safe register, it follows that it’s advisable to use a OFTEC-registered engineer to service your oil boiler. Oil can easily contaminate your home, especially when it’s heated and pressurised inside a boiler’s system. Working on an oil boiler without the proper knowledge is dangerous and shouldn’t be attempted.
Is it illegal to service your own boiler?
If you’re not qualified to be dealing with gas, it’s illegal to service your own gas boiler.
It doesn’t matter if you have a high technical knowledge and are a competent handyman—dealing with gas should never be taken lightly. Inadequate work can leave your boil with leaks that affect its lifespan and invite corrosion, or with gas leaks that can lead to explosions. Trained gas engineers don’t just understand what bits of a boiler do what. They understand the whole system on a deep and interconnected level, meaning they know what can go wrong in a boiler’s system and how to avoid it. They also understand correct procedure for dealing with gas, and if something were to occur with a boiler during a service, they know how to fix it then and there.
In short, while it might save you some pennies in the short term, trying to service your own boiler just isn’t worth the risk. Get it done right; ask a trained provider for help.
For a trusted plumbing and heating company in and around Warrington, look no further than Bumblebee. Whether you need a domestic or a commercial boiler service our team is fully trained and qualified to service your boiler and give it a clean bill of health.
To book a service, contact us now.
