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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To skip boiler service this year?

52 replies

WoundTheBobbinUp · 11/08/2022 15:15

Sorry for the boring thread!

Money is really tight at the moment (as it is for many). We usually get our 20-year-old boiler serviced every September and I'm tempted to skip it this year and save the £60.

Most importantly, we have got a carbon monoxide alarm so if there was a dangerous leak we should know about it.

The other thing is of course keeping the boiler running. When we've had it serviced before (by several different tradespeople) they haven't really done anything, just had a look and done some checks. I'm not convinced that it's ever helped prolong the life of the boiler.

If you are a bit more clued up about these things than I am, would you skip it? Or does it really make a difference?

OP posts:
girlfriend44 · 11/08/2022 15:20

if its under guarantee it wont be valid if you dont have it insured.

If not under guarantee it probably wont hurt to skip a year.

Elleherd · 11/08/2022 15:27

Personally, no. Too many gas related explosions for one reason.

There are many things I'd cut first, that one isn't one of them.

Food/household products budget swapped out/cut by £1.15 a week would cover it.

AclowncalledAlice · 11/08/2022 15:54

I used to think "why bother all they do is look at it and go away", until the year they looked at it, rang the landlord and said it was dangerous and it was condemned. I know, because I was renting, it didn't cost me anything for either the service or the replacement, but to be told your previously fine boiler is now a danger to both yourself, your family and the house next door is terrifying. My boiler was less than 7 years old at the time so I definitely would not take any chances with one that is 20 years old...I'd find the money from somewhere and get it serviced.

WorkFromH0meChoice · 11/08/2022 16:19

If it is a gas boiler you should definitely get it serviced every year
I know a story of someone who died, by not getting their boiler serviced correctly

Heroicallyl0st · 11/08/2022 16:23

If it was a couple of years old personally I’d skip it, but at 20 years old no!

have you considered you might save money over the next few years by replacing it? New boilers are much more efficient.

Ladyofthepeonies · 11/08/2022 16:27

Currently on offer with British Gas for £49. I wouldn’t recommend them at normal price but it’s cheaper than you are paying if you decide to book it in

TheFairyCaravan · 11/08/2022 16:27

It’s £49 with British Gas if you book before the end of August. You don’t have to be a customer either. I know it’s not a lot of difference but every penny counts atm.

BarbaraofSeville · 11/08/2022 16:42

I'd be suspicious about getting British Gas in to service a boiler, especially an old one.

They're very good at condemning them because they 'can't get the parts' leaving people with little choice but to buy a new one, which they often do from the service engineer who's waving a vastly overpriced credit and service plan at them while they face going into winter with no heating.

If you're going to take them up on the offer at least do some preparatory research by getting a quick quote from somewhere like Boxt where you can get a price by just entering a few details online.

GurningGolfer · 11/08/2022 16:43

20 years old and you're worried about the 60 quid to service it?! Have you got £3000 available to replace it which will be needed fairly soon?!

Mumofgrownupkids · 11/08/2022 16:44

I wouldn't. You don't want a potentially lethal carbon monoxide leak into the house.....

PinkPlantCase · 11/08/2022 16:47

I have never had my boiler serviced, if you have a carbon monoxide detector and it’s working as expected then I really wouldn’t worry.

TheCatsPjammas · 11/08/2022 16:59

I’ve got a 20 year old boiler and we have a service contract (300?)with British Gas, which includes the service visit. We have been warned for years that parts would be hard to come by should anything go wrong. Still fine. Had a few bits replaced. We got the service contract as new boiler in old house packed up after 2 years. It’s just peace of mind for us.

For 60 quid I’d get it serviced before winter. But tbh BG are in and out in about 20 mins- not sure what they do! But fingers crossed,it’s been fine the last 5 years. Went through a time where there were a few repairs.

have been told that it’s a good make and could last, gonna keep using until it goes… they don’t make boilers like they used to. We have a fund in case it does go.

JudgeJ · 11/08/2022 17:07

I've just booked the annual service to be done in September, it's only 4 years old but I still get it serviced, the guy in the village who does it will call round very promptly if I have any other issues with plumbing etc so I like to keep him sweet.

StoneofDestiny · 11/08/2022 17:10

Don't skip a service. False economy.

HerbErtlinger · 11/08/2022 17:11

My DP is a heating engineer and the concerning stories he tells me about dodgy boilers would make me too worried to skip a service. He often picks up very dangerous faults during servicing that are a simple fix but not something having a carbon monoxide detector alone would fix

HerbErtlinger · 11/08/2022 17:11

Would pick up* not fix

Alphabet1spaghetti2 · 11/08/2022 17:15

For £50 it’s worth it. Ensures appliance and gas supply is safe. No chance of household insurance citing it as a reason not to pay out.

Chevyimpala67 · 11/08/2022 17:15

You may find your home insurance is invalid if you don't get a yearly service

Ladyofthepeonies · 11/08/2022 19:15

@Chevyimpala67 i think that’s only for landlords if it applies

IcedOatLatte · 11/08/2022 19:34

Chevyimpala67 · 11/08/2022 17:15

You may find your home insurance is invalid if you don't get a yearly service

I've had home insurance with lots of different insurers, I've never once been asked if I have my boiler serviced, I don't think that's a thing

I do have it serviced and think it"s worth the money for peace of mind

MacKenzieMcHale · 11/08/2022 19:40

A service helps your boiler run as efficiently as possible; if you don't keep it maintained it'll cost more to run, and leave you more than £60 out of pocket over the winter.

Alphabet1spaghetti2 · 11/08/2022 19:40

Insurance might say that it comes under maintenance and keeping the house in a good state of repair (ours does). Worth reading your small print. ?
Ours insists on a chimney sweep at least once per year. So highly likely they would use it to avoid paying out if I didn’t service the boiler.

5foot5 · 11/08/2022 20:14

GurningGolfer · 11/08/2022 16:43

20 years old and you're worried about the 60 quid to service it?! Have you got £3000 available to replace it which will be needed fairly soon?!

This. We had our 21 year old boiler replaced at the end of last year because a) we were worried about its age and b) with energy prices going up we wanted to make sure we were maximising efficiency. When we looked inside the old boiler before it was taken away we were pleased we had acted when we did.

The new boiler has a ten year guarantee BUT only if we have it serviced annually.

Agree about British Gas. In our last house we wanted to replace a back boiler with a gas boiler and we had a British Gas person in to quote. He recommended we fit the new boiler in the large walk in airing cupboard and put in a vent. His quote was very high so we got a recommended local tradesman to do the job and he fitted it exactly where and how the British Gas man had said. When we subsequently tried to get the British Gas five star cover (or whatever it was called) we were turned down because they said the airing cupboard was not the right place to fit it. I wonder if they would have said the same if we had gone with their original quote.

DashboardConfessional · 11/08/2022 20:16

We skipped a year when we had a newborn. There was a crack in a seal. It leaked down through our built-in wardrobe and then down again through the living room ceiling. Don't skip.

BMW6 · 11/08/2022 20:24

We had a local company supply and fit our boiler 4 years ago, and joined their Service scheme. We pay them £7.99pm and that covers annual service, parts and labour.
The boiler has a 25 year guarantee BUT a condition of that is an annual service must be taken.

With heating costs rocketing I want my boiler to be working as efficiently as possible. Money well spent.