I had a new boiler put in a few years ago to replace an old and uneconomic model. I specifically chose one of the more expensive boilers that came with a 10 year guarantee. However I made one very big mistake. I did not read through the paperwork properly and did not realise that this guarantee was only valid if I had the boiler serviced annually.
I just didn’t think the boiler would need servicing the first year and the second year I completely forgot. When something is working so well you tend to overlook it with so many other household bills and expenses demanding your attention. I did get the boiler serviced the third year and everything was fine. This is probably why I didn’t bother to get it done the following year.
Heating Problems
Unfortunately the fifth year of owning the boiler it did break down. This could not have come at a more awkward time as my family had just arrived home for Christmas. I had five additional people staying in my home and no heating or hot water.
I frantically called around trying to find a plumber but as it was so close to Christmas they were unable to come out until the following day. The plumber did manage to get the hot water working again but the heating was off for the whole of Christmas until the right parts arrived. We had to sit huddled around the gas fire in the evening and put extra blankets on the beds as it was so cold.
Invalid Guarantees
After Christmas I called the boiler company and got a very nasty surprise. Although the problem was something I could have claimed for on my guarantee when they found out I had not had the boiler serviced annually since the installation they refused to pay up. They told me this was a requirement of the guarantee and as I had not had the servicing done as required they were not under any obligation to fulfil the terms of the guarantee. Basically the guarantee that I had paid more for was not worth the paper it was written on.
This left me feeling very angry but I could not deny that it was clearly stipulated in the paperwork. It was just that I had not bothered to read it properly. Failing to service my boiler annually cost me a lot of money and also nearly ruined a Christmas with my family.
I found out the hard way that avoiding servicing your boiler does not save you money in the long run. You can arrange fast and easy boiler servicing at www.jchlondon.co.uk online now.