Boiler Service London: Servicing and Repair

Boiler service and repair for homes in London

Climate Flow Limited services and repairs domestic gas boilers for homeowners and landlords across London and surrounding areas. An annual boiler service in London is a safety check of the boiler, its flue (the pipe that carries waste gases outside) and the gas pipework to it. Climate Flow is Gas Safe registered for domestic gas work. When a boiler breaks down, the engineer finds the fault and explains the repair before any work is priced.

A boiler service is a planned inspection of a gas boiler and the parts around it, to check that it is burning safely and working as it should. Our boiler work is domestic only: boilers, radiators and pipework in homes. It sits with the rest of our home heating work on the central heating and boilers page.

How often should a boiler be serviced?

Once a year. The Health and Safety Executive strongly advises that gas appliances, flues and pipework are regularly maintained and serviced at least annually (HSE, Gas safety: home owners). For an owner-occupier that is advice, not a legal duty. Landlords have a stricter duty, set out further down this page.

Who is allowed to work on a gas boiler?

Only a Gas Safe registered engineer who is competent in that work. HSE states that anyone employed to work on gas appliances in a home must be a Gas Safe registered engineer and competent in that area of gas work (HSE, Domestic gas: frequently asked questions). The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations say that no one may carry out work on a gas fitting unless they are competent to do so (Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations, legislation.gov.uk).

What happens on a boiler service visit?

The visit follows the same order each time.

1. Booking. You tell us the type of boiler, where it is fitted and anything it has been doing, such as a noise, an error code on the display or a loss of heating or hot water.
2. ID at the door. The engineer shows their Gas Safe ID card so you can see what they are qualified to work on.
3. Inspection. The engineer checks the boiler, its flue and the gas pipework to it, and checks that the boiler is burning safely.
4. Findings. The engineer explains what they found, whether anything needs repairing and whether the boiler is safe to keep using.
5. Repairs, if needed. Any repair is explained and priced with you before work starts.

What are the signs a boiler is not burning safely?

The same HSE guidance lists these warning signs on a gas appliance:

• yellow or orange flames instead of blue (fuel effect fires and flueless appliances are the exception);
• soot or yellow-brown staining on or around the appliance;
• a pilot light that keeps blowing out;
• more condensation than usual on the inside of windows.

These signs are not a diagnosis, and an engineer needs to check the boiler. HSE is clear that it is illegal for anyone to use a gas appliance they suspect is unsafe, so if you see one of them, stop using the boiler and book an engineer.

Boiler repair and breakdowns

When a boiler stops giving heating or hot water, the engineer finds the fault first, then explains the repair and what it involves before any work is priced. Nothing is replaced on a guess. For a breakdown outside normal hours, Climate Flow offers 24/7 emergency callouts.

Carbon monoxide and CO alarms

Carbon monoxide is a colourless, tasteless, odourless gas produced when fuel does not burn completely, and faulty home boilers are among its sources. Brief exposure can cause headache, nausea, dizziness and muscle pain, which are easy to mistake for ordinary illness (UK Health Security Agency, Carbon monoxide: general information). Anyone with symptoms should get medical advice.

HSE strongly recommends carbon monoxide alarms as one useful precaution. An alarm adds to servicing; it does not replace regular maintenance and safety checks by a Gas Safe registered engineer.

What should I do if I smell gas?

Call the National Gas Emergency number on 0800 111 999. The emergency line's own advice (National Gas, Emergency contacts) is:

• do not smoke or light matches;
• do not switch electrics on or off;
• open doors and windows;
• turn off the meter at the control handle, unless the meter is in a cellar.

Climate Flow is not the emergency service. Call the emergency line first, then book an engineer to repair the fault once the emergency service has made it safe.

Gas safety checks for landlords

If you let a home, the law asks more of you than of an owner-occupier. A landlord must have a gas safety check carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer within 12 months of providing a new appliance or flue, and every year after that. The landlord must keep the record of the check for 2 years, give each existing tenant a copy within 28 days of the check, and give new tenants a copy before they move in (HSE, Gas safety: landlords and letting agents). Climate Flow services boilers in rented homes as well as owner-occupied ones.

Other work we do

Boiler service and repair is one part of what Climate Flow does. The full list of our services covers the rest, including maintenance contracts and 24/7 emergency callouts.

This guide is general information, not a survey or a quote for your site; every system is different, so an engineer needs to see yours before any work is priced.

To book a boiler service or a boiler repair, call 020 3488 5452 or request a quote. Climate Flow covers London and surrounding areas. Climate Flow Limited, 2 Engineers Way, Wembley, London HA9 0JS.