Ensuring your boiler is in tip-top condition is vital when it comes to the safety at your holiday cottage.
In this article, written by Andrew Exelby, we will outline some key points to help you navigate your way through boiler maintenance and common issues.
What are your responsibilities as a landlord?
The gas safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 outline your responsibilities as a landlord to ensure all gas appliances, fittings, chimneys and flues are safe, fit for purpose and working efficiently.
Your 3 main responsibilities are as follows:
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Gas safety check and certification
To ensure that your tenants are safe, all gas appliances and flues within your rental property need to be inspected every 12 months. The gas safety inspection must be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
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Gas safety record
Following on from the gas safety check, you will receive your landlord’s gas safety certificate (CP12). You must provide a copy of your certificate to your tenants within 28 days of the check. If your property is let for less than 28 days, you should display a copy of the gas safety certificate within the property. You will need to keep a copy of your gas safety record until a further two checks have been carried out.
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Maintenance
You must ensure that all gas pipework, appliances, chimneys and flues are kept in a safe condition. The manufacturers of gas appliances will recommend how often an appliance should be serviced. We recommend that most gas appliances are serviced annually.
Do you really need a gas boiler service? Don’t boilers more or less, take care of themselves? My boiler is new; why do I need a service? Can’t I just service it myself?
If you’re asking these questions, you’re not alone.
One study found that millions of UK homeowners are at risk due to unmaintained or improperly maintained gas-powered appliances such as boilers. Most of these homeowners don’t know there’s a problem until it’s too late.
Gas Boiler Service Benefits
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Safety
Gas leaks are rare. Because of the risks involved, those who build and maintain boilers and the lines that feed them work very carefully to ensure that leaks don’t happen.
But because of the potentially severe consequences of a gas leak, you don’t want to take any chances.
Gas leaking into your home could result in carbon monoxide poisoning of those in your home and/or an explosion. Both of these would almost always be a deadly event.
A gas boiler service will help avert mishaps related to gas leakages or other boiler issues.
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Efficiency
You care about protecting the planet and saving money while doing it. Because of this, it’s important that your boiler always runs optimally, using only as much energy as is necessary to heat your home.
In the average household, as much as 50% of the energy bill is the cost of running the boiler to maintain the indoor climate. An inefficient boiler can, therefore, cost you a lot of money.
Don’t pay more for energy than you have to. Instead get a regular gas boiler service.
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Cost-Savings
Replacing a boiler can cost over £2000 for the boiler plus another £550 for installation. For most UK homeowners, this is the single most expensive appliance in the home.
When you make this kind of investment in your home, you need it to last many years to be worth the cost. On top of this, you don’t want to be without heat when you need it.
A well-maintained boiler should last you for 15+ years. But lack of maintenance could cut this by 1/3 or more.
If you think that getting your boiler service means spending more on repairs in the long run, know that a regular gas boiler service also reduces the cost of maintenance and repairs.
4. Boiler Cover Protection
Do you have a boiler cover? If the answer is “yes”, then your home insurance policy will require service records in order for you to remain covered under the policy.
The insurance industry is highly regulated to ensure that they pay claims when you are entitled to payment through your policy. But as a homeowner you have the responsibility to do your due diligence to maintain and protect your home.
If you aren’t taking proper steps to maintain the boiler, the insurance company isn’t obligated to honour their contract because you didn’t honour yours.
Regular gas boiler servicing allows you to keep your side of the bargain so that they will keep theirs in the event that you must file a claim.
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Peace of Mind
Lastly, a gas boiler service offers you peace of mind. Given the risks involved when you don’t book your annual service with a gas safe registered engineer.
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