Business Gas and Electricity News

8 Reasons to Get Your Gas Boiler and Appliances Serviced

17 February 2017

8 Reasons to Get Your Gas Boiler and Appliances Serviced

It’s easy to overlook the importance of having gas boilers and appliances in your business serviced. With the pressures of day-to-day operations, this is all too often something that is left until later–when you have more time or money. Here are eight reasons why you should give your boiler and appliances more attention. After all, the low cost of a maintenance call and the small amount of time it takes to arrange it can save you lots of headaches.

Reasons to Maintain Your Gas Boiler and Appliances

1. For safety–faulty boilers and appliances are potentially dangerous. Weak points and leaks in the system can result in carbon monoxide poisoning, which can be fatal.

2. To stay legal–if your business has employees, you have a legal obligation to keep boilers and appliances properly maintained and safe. You also need an up-to-date Gas Safe certificate for gas boilers.

3. To lower energy bills–when boilers and appliances are serviced, they run more efficiently. This reduces the impact of commercial gas prices and results in lower energy bills.

4. To cut repair costs–boilers and appliances that are not properly maintained can develop faults. The cost of repairing those faults is often more than the cost of getting a service.

5. To reduce business downtime–a faulty boiler or appliance may result in downtime for your business. For example, employees might not be able to come to work, or they might not be able to perform their duties properly. In certain businesses, you might lose stock or damage equipment, and in some situations you might not be able to open for customers. This will cost your business directly in lost revenue and productivity. It can also have long-term effects–customers going elsewhere because you are closed.

6. To maintain warranties–warranties on boilers and other appliances often have a servicing requirement. If you don't get the service done at the appropriate time, the warranty might become invalid.

7. To keep insurance valid–some business insurance policies include a requirement to keep boilers and other appliances properly maintained. Not getting a service can, therefore, invalidate your insurance.

8. For peace of mind–getting your boiler and appliances serviced will let you focus on running your business and making it successful.

What’s Involved in a Boiler Service

A boiler service must be carried out by a registered Gas Safe engineer. This ensures the person carrying out the work is properly trained and experienced. In general, the service will involve making sure the boiler and all the controls work properly.

This includes:

• Inspecting the inner workings and main components
• Cleaning the main components and other parts
• Checking for corrosion and leaks
• Checking the gas pressure
• Testing the flue
• Checking the electrical connections
• Checking the seals

You will also get a report as well as recommendations on further actions you might need to take to ensure the boiler operates safely and efficiently.

You have a legal obligation in regard to the gas boiler and appliances in your business, but even without that it makes good business sense to have them regularly and professionally maintained.