Seasoned Leicestershire plumbing and heating professionals, GCL Hopkins, have shared advice for homeowners and landlords following sustained trends where many delay sometimes urgent boiler servicing until the winter, experiencing delays, higher costs and even periods without heating and hot water.
The business, which offers a full range of services including boiler installations, repairs and servicing, warns that complacency can have serious repercussions, invalidating manufacturer warranties and leading to boiler failure and replacement far earlier than should have been necessary.
Issues Related to Late Boiler Servicing and Winter Backlogs in the UK
As part of a campaign to improve awareness around the vital importance of on-time, regular servicing for boilers and all fuelled appliances, the GCL Hopkins team has noted issues that have affected countless customers during the first serious cold snaps of the winter in previous years. These have included:
- Longer waiting times when Gas Safe-registered engineers are in heavy demand
- Penalties levied against landlords without up-to-date gas safety certificates
- Discomfort for those who have failed to organise boiler servicing and found that problems like freezing pipes or pressure imbalances have caused a boiler to malfunction when they are most reliant on their heating
- Higher heating bills due to boiler inefficiencies
Steve Gallagher, Director of GCL Hopkins, says, 'It’s incredibly common to disregard boiler servicing reminders during the summer, because you’re unlikely to be particularly worried about your heating, especially during the series of heatwaves most of us have experienced this year.
However, we want to try and ensure every homeowner is fully informed about the risks, because servicing your boiler now, or having periodic maintenance checks, is the cheapest, quickest and safest way to protect your home and family before the winter arrives, and it always creeps up on us sooner than we expect.’
This advice is echoed by the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering, which states that regular maintenance is essential to ensuring boilers are running safely and efficiently, remain compliant with warranty terms, and stay efficient and in good working order for longer.
Guidance on the Benefits of Keeping Up With Boiler Servicing During the Summer Months
Steve goes on to explain that ‘When winter arrives, we can guarantee that there will be a vast surge of emergency calls, particularly in homes and commercial properties where boilers have been turned off or put on standby mode for several months.
While we will always prioritise those for whom this is a critical concern, such as homes and spaces where residents may be vulnerable, there can be a cost associated with diverting engineers from the jobs they’ve already scheduled, particularly if you need an engineer to visit you on the same day to get your boiler back into action.
Booking maintenance means you won’t need to experience this horrible sense of panic, and you can avoid a wide range of failures and malfunctions, at a fraction of the cost associated with an emergency repair, replacement parts or even a new boiler when this could have easily been prevented.’
Safety Advice for Homeowners With Boiler Maintenance Concerns
Steve clarifies that ‘Staying on top of boiler maintenance isn’t only a question of cost, but one of safety. Any fuel-burning device in a home, school, business or other building must be properly maintained, and the risks to health and life are very real.
Boilers that aren't working properly can, in the worst-case scenario, explode, catch fire, or emit odourless, tasteless Carbon Monoxide. If you don't have a good-quality CO2 alarm fitted, we'd strongly recommend you do so, regardless of how much or how little you're currently using your heating systems.
If you know you’ve skipped a service, or haven’t had your boiler maintained, you’re welcome to contact us by phone, email, or our user-friendly contact form, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.’
Homeowners, business owners, and landlords are reminded that servicing, maintenance, and general checks should always be carried out by engineers who are Gas Safe registered.
About GCL Hopkins Ltd
GCL Hopkins Ltd is a trusted provider of plumbing and heating services across Leicestershire including Loughborough and Leicester, offering expert solutions to keep your home or business running smoothly. With over a century of experience, we’re here for all your plumbing, heating, and maintenance needs.
Media Contact:
GCL Hopkins Ltd
01509 212332
https://gclhopkins.co.uk/
Source: Digital PR
Release ID: 1880140
