How to service commercial boilers
Before you arrange for an experienced engineer to service your commercial boiler, you may be tempted to take steps to service it yourself. Many people often assume that they aren’t allowed to service their own boiler, when in fact, it’s perfectly possible to maintain your boiler to a certain extent as long as a proper servicing is being conducted regularly by a professional.
By law, the person who services a boiler – be it domestic or commercial – requires gas safety registration to do so. However, while carrying out an entire boiler service is in breach of UK law and therefore wouldn’t be advisable, a few checks and minor alterations to keep it in a good enough condition until the next professional service by an engineer could be worth considering.
How to service a boiler
As commercial boilers are designed to provide heating and hot water to larger facilities at an accelerated rate, they are often significantly larger and more complex than boilers that are solely intended for domestic use.
Due to their complexity, it’s advisable to book an experienced engineer for a professional commercial boiler service at least once a year. However, throughout the rest of the year, you may be able to prevent unnecessary additional callouts by carrying out a few minor checks yourself.
Tips for servicing a commercial boiler yourself include:
- checking for telltale signs of potential future issues such as cracks, leaks, soot on the exterior and peculiar noises
- monitoring boiler pressure and comparing with an average reading
- keeping the boiler clean and frequently cleaning the area around the boiler to prevent blockages or excessive debris
- if it’s a gas boiler, ensuring that the flame is a solid blue colour
- testing the boiler during quieter periods to prevent it from seizing up
- bleeding radiators to release trapped air in the system
- insulating the pipes to prevent the pipes from freezing in the colder months.
Although these tips are likely to keep your commercial boiler running smoothly, if you have problems that can’t be remedied by these easy fixes, you should get help from a trained professional.
What does a boiler service include?
Whether or not you decide to carry out regular checks on your commercial boiler, a professional service should be conducted once a year. You can arrange this through a number of providers to either book individual services each year or set up an ongoing plan whereby your commercial boiler is serviced annually.
Commercial gas engineers are registered with the Gas Safe Register to ensure that the service is being carried out in accordance with the latest standards. If you’re opting for an independent engineer to service your commercial boiler, you should check that they’re on the Gas Safe Register and that the company or individual has positive customer reviews, valid insurance and accountability through an office or website. Alternatively, you can refer to an established, trusted company to conduct the service on your commercial boiler.
During a commercial boiler service, it’s the engineer’s duty to make sure that the boiler is running properly and safely. They will also check that it is operating efficiently and isn’t showing any signs that could indicate the possibility of it breaking down in the near future.
Health and safety is an important factor during any commercial boiler service, so the engineer will take steps to prevent the boiler from causing harm to anyone in the vicinity. For example, this could include checking for gas leaks and minimising the chance of the boiler causing carbon monoxide poisoning. As boilers carry water, the engineer will also check that the system is suitably sealed to counteract the possibility of flooding occurring in the near future.
