While we might not be in the deep throes of winter right now (or at least, we’re meant to be approaching spring), it’s still hard to deny how important heating can be in our homes.
Here in Edinburgh, it can get pretty chilly even through to summer. That means it’s a pretty big deal to keep our heating systems operational all year-’round.
For anyone who wasn’t aware, the thing is, most of the time it’s critical that we get our heaters serviced on an annual basis. This is especially the case for boilers.
While they’re not nearly as likely to break down or have issues as a traditional furnace is, that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t have a professional come in to look at them every once in a while.
Of course, this ends up concerning folks sometimes. No one really wants to have to pay for all that, right? However, this worry is largely misplaced. After all, there are a ton of affordable options for annual servicing here in Edinburgh.
If you want to learn more about why it’s important, as well as where you can look for these services, be sure to keep reading!
Why Get Your Boiler Checked Annually, anyway?
Naturally, the first thing we need to consider is why this is such a big deal in the first place. Now, you can read some of the reasons here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-you-should-have-your-gas-boiler-serviced-least-home-heating. However, if you’d like a bit more depth on it, you’ve come to the right place.
Perhaps the most obvious reason to get it serviced annually is the fact that you can end up catching any issues that crop up as early as possible.
Why is that a good thing? Well, maybe this seems a bit silly to say, but it can end up saving you a whole lot of time and energy. Not to mention, if you’re able to get it repaired before something worse happens, it can save you some money, too.
Already, you can start to see why paying a small fee each year for the service is worth it, right? In the same vein, let’s face it – getting a service or a repair is a lot less expensive than having to replace the whole unit.
When that happens, it can be a real pain. Most of us probably don’t want to have to deal with it, considering it can even mean that there are a few days that we have to go without heat.
Something that a lot of folks don’t seem to realize, though, is that doing this can actually help you save some cash on your energy bills, too. How does that work?
Well, when you have a contractor come in and run the tests and everything on your boiler, they’ll check into the efficiency of the whole system. Then, they can fine-tune that, allowing you to enjoy the most energy-efficient boiler that you can possibly have.
With that efficiency comes a lower energy bill, since there’s not as much going to waste in the overall heating system. It might not seem like that big of a deal, but it’s one of the main reasons to get annual boiler service in Edinburgh in particular, given the costs of living. After all, anyways that we can cut costs are valuable.
Beyond that, though, there’s also a safety component at play here. This isn’t to say that boilers are inherently dangerous, of course, but the fact of the matter is that there are sometimes people that get sick if they do not have theirs checked annually.
That’s because one of the byproducts can be carbon monoxide, which is poisonous when inhaled in large amounts.
Unfortunately, the symptoms are kind of subtle, so they can fly under the radar a lot of the time.
A contractor or engineer who comes in to service your unit will be able to check for that, though, and can help to ensure that you and your family are safe with the air that you’re breathing. That’s a pretty big deal.
Finally, it’s important to remember that most of the time, these units fall under a warranty. Often, there are certain requirements or conditions that we have to meet to retain that status.
One clause that crops up fairly often is the requirement to have the boiler serviced annually. So, if you’re not certain about that, it doesn’t hurt to go back and double-check your warranty to see if that’s a term of yours.
How to Find Services
With all of that out of the way, now we can turn our attention to the other part of this, which is how we can locate this sort of thing in the first place.
Thankfully, when we look at our local contractors here in Edinburgh, it’s not hard to see that we’ve got a ton of different options. So, what are good qualities to keep an eye out for?
Obviously, specializing in boilers is a big one. Make sure that whoever you’re bringing in has a lot of experience handling these units and will be able to service them properly.
That way, you know that you’ll be able to trust that they can bring the results that we discussed above – it’s only fair to expect that level of excellence.
The other thing to consider, though, is cost. No one wants to have to pay hefty fees on a yearly basis for this stuff, right? So, look for someone who will be able to do it for a reasonable and affordable cost.
This might narrow down your option pool slightly, but again, it’s not too big of an ask. You certainly shouldn’t have to pay the equivalent of an installation fee for annual servicing.
While it might feel a little bit annoying or frustrating to need to have this done every year, just remember that it’s helping you to save money in the long run. Additionally, it’s helping keep your family safe.
