Warning to households to get boiler checked as breakdowns rocketed 200% over festive period last year

Households are being urged to have their boilers serviced before it’s too late, to avoid a freezing cold house over Christmas, as it emerged that emergency call-outs to fix faulty appliances, rocketed more than 200% over the festive period last year.

According to data from boiler breakdown insurer Prominence Support, which handles thousands of emergency call-outs every year, there were three times as many boiler breakdowns over the nine-day period from Christmas Eve to New Year’s Day last year than during the nine-day stretch leading up to Christmas.

Prominence Support data also reveals that December is the most active month for boiler breakdowns. Analysis of boiler breakdown call-outs during 2018 and 2019, shows that December was twice as busy as November and 15% busier than January.

However, with the country in lockdown last month, Prominence Support handled significantly more breakdown call-outs in November than normal, up by more than a third (36%) compared to November 2019.

The reason for this increase in call-outs last month is likely to be due to millions of families being stuck at home at a time when the weather turned colder. With adults working from home during the day, when typically they would be at work, the heating has been on and boilers have been working overtime.

Lorraine Taylor of Prominence Support, comments:

“No one wants to spend Christmas shivering in a freezing house because the boiler has broken, so make sure that you aren’t caught out.

“The period between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day is the busiest time of the year for boiler call-outs, and our engineers are on call 24 hours a day to help out the people who find. themselves in this stressful situation.

”There’s plenty you can do to make sure your boiler is in good working order. If it’s due a service, act now and get an engineer round before the rush starts. Don’t let a broken boiler ruin Christmas.”

Lorraine Taylor of Prominence Support offers some advice on ensuring your boiler is in good working order over the colder months:

Regular servicing is vital – have your boiler serviced annually by a Gas Safe registered engineer to make sure that it is running safely and efficiently.
If you have a pressurised system, check the pressure regularly and (if required) adjust it so that it mirrors the recommended readings in your boilers installation and servicing manual.
Test your central heating timer and room thermostat to make sure they are working properly.
Make sure that your boiler condensate pipe is properly lagged, to prevent it from freezing during cold weather.
Check your boiler for black marks, which could indicate a problem of combustion. If you notice any, contact a Gas Safe registered engineer immediately.
Inspect for adequate ventilation around your boiler. If your boiler is located in a cupboard, keep the area around it clear.
Inspect all external vents, flues (chimneys) and air bricks. Are they clear?
If you can see the pilot light in your boiler, make sure that it has a strong blue flame. If the flame is yellow or appears to be elongated, contact a Gas Safe registered engineer immediately.
Install a Carbon Monoxide detector close to your boiler and test it at least once a fortnight.