The service

The service

Appliances should be inspected and cleaned, and consumable items such as fuel nozzles and flexible fuel lines should be replaced as required, when the appliance is serviced. If your appliance is not serviced annually, it is at a higher risk of breaking down and costing you more money in the long run. 

Cleaning the appliance provides a chance to look for other tell-tale signs that parts of the appliance may need replacing, and an opportunity to inspect the condition of the combustion chamber. Old steel heat exchangers will often have rust marks, which can give a warning that the appliance will soon need to be replaced. This approach can limit the possibility of water damage occurring and enables replacement work to be planned rather than having the inconvenience of trying to arrange an appliance replacement at short notice when a heat exchanger unexpectedly fails.

Long term damage can also occur if the appliance is not serviced regularly. During the combustion process, deposits will build up on the internal surfaces of the heat exchanger and the baffles, which can decrease appliance efficiency. If left for several years, these deposits harden and with some designs of heat exchanger render it impossible to remove the baffles without destroying them. A replacement baffle will come at a significant cost on top of the routine service charge. Open flued appliances should have their flues or chimneys swept regularly as advised by your service engineer for liquid fuel-fired appliances.

Any combustion and/or ventilation air openings should be checked for their correct size and ensuring that they are free from obstruction

We recommend using a member of a recognised sweeps’ organisation these can be found on The Federation of British Chimney Sweeps  website.

The condition of the fuel storage tank, fuel supply pipework and all ancillary fuel supply components (such as filters, de-aerators) should always be visually inspected and observations reported during service visits, so action can be taken to replace, or repair equipment as necessary. Fuel filter elements should be replaced and the fuel inside the tank should also be tested to determine if any water contamination is present. Fuel supply pipework between the tank and the burner which is hidden or inaccessible should be pressure tested at least every five years to confirm its integrity.