Boiler Breakdown Costs

If you experience a boiler breakdown or central heating problem you could face a large bill in addition to the disruption and worry of waiting for a plumber to turn up to fix the problem. Of course this does not concern you if you have taken out boiler or central heating cover as help is only a quick phone call away you will not have to pay any parts and labour charges.

Which, the consumer organisation, has recently conducted research which, shockingly, reveals that approximately 30% of new and replacement boilers will have a breakdown within the first 6 years of heating your home. Don’t think that boiler breakdowns are someone else’s problem, this research shows that it could be your problem and having no heating or hot water can be very stressful, particularly if you do not know who to contact to get it fixed quickly.

Fixing a boiler problem involves more than buying a new, expensive part. The main costs will come from the call-out and labour costs of the professional plumber and you know that they are not cheap! Typical costs of some of the common break down problems are illustrated in the examples below.

Boiler Printed Circuit Board – £225
The latest boilers are controlled by sophisticated electronics and the ( P.C.B. ) printed circuit board is the central intelligence of the boiler controlling all its activities. If the P.C.B. fails the boiler stops. This can be a larger cause of problems as pipework leaks often spill water onto the P.C.B.. leading to a boiler failure.

Boiler Thermostat – £90
Boilers need to operate to a designed temperature.The boilers internal thermostat is a secondary safety and protection device monitoring the internal temperature boiler. If the external control thermostat fails this internal thermostat ensures the safe and effective operation of the boiler.

Circulating Water pump – £210
The central heating circulating water pump moves the heated water through the central heating system. Whilst the boiler may still be operating and produce hot water any failure of the hot water pump means that the water will not circulate and heat up the radiators.

Exhaust Flue Fan – £150
The flue fan expels the exhaust gases through the external flue to the outside. The correct operation of this mechanism is essential for your family’s safety and ensures that waste gas does not accumulate within the boiler room. If the flue ventilation fails the boilers control mechanisms will prevent it from operating to protect you.

Expansion Vessel – £145
The boiler expansion vessel controls the internal pressure within the central heating system. Heated water expands and would increase the boiler internal pressure without any regulation measures. The expansion vessel provides an outlet for this pressure and is an important part of modern boiler systems.

Gas Burner – £155
To operate efficiently and safely your central heating boiler mixes gas and air at a regulated mixture to burn and heat the water in the most efficient manner.

Heat Exchanger – £320
The boiler heat exchanger is a simple device that transfers the heat from the hot gases to the circulating water and allows the central heating system to heat up. The heat exchanger allows the boiler to transfer a high percentage of the energy used to heating the water and helps to reduce running costs as it captures waste heat that would have been expelled to the outside.

Internal Air Vent – £80
The internal air vent allows any bubbles of air that develop within the boiler to escape to the outside.