The true cost of a potential boiler breakdown

Are you protected?

Protect your wallet and your home

Without boiler breakdown cover, a lack of heating or hot water won’t be your only worries. Boiler breakdowns can be a huge inconvenience and expense.

Take a look at just some of the things that can go wrong and how you can ensure you’re protected.

• Call-out charges: Most companies will charge a call-out free for non-policy holders. This will differ for each supplier. Average charge: £75.00
• Labour charges: Charged by the hour. Based on an average job taking two hours. Average charge: £150.00

Average part prices:

• New boiler: To supply and install. Average price: £2,000.00
• Heat exchanger: A heat exchanger is a device built for efficient heat transfer from one medium to another. Average price: £350.00
• Printed circuit board: Modern boilers are controlled by electronics and the PCB is the brain of the boiler controlling all of its activities. When the PCB fails the boiler stops. This can be a major cause of problems as pipework leaks can often put water on the PCB leading to failure. Average price: £175.00
• Water pump: The central heating water pump circulates the water through the central heating system. The boiler may still produce hot water but the failure of the pump means that this water will not circulate and heat up the radiators. Average price: £100.00
• Flue fan: The flue fan expels exhaust gases through the flue. This is essential for your safety and ensures that waste gases do not build up within the boiler area. If this fails, the boiler’s control mechanisms will prevent it from operating. Average price: £150.00
• Gas burner: Your central heating boiler mixes gas and air at a regulated mixture to burn and heat the water in the most efficient manner. Average price: £150.00
• Expansion vessel:  The expansion vessel controls the pressure within the heating system. Heated water expands and would significantly increase the boiler internal pressure. The expansion vessel provides an outlet for this pressure and is an important part of modern boiler systems. Average price: £75.00
• Thermostat: The boiler’s internal thermostat is a secondary protection device monitoring the boiler internal temperature. If the external control thermostat fails this internal thermostat ensures the safe and effective operation of the boiler. Average price: £75.00
• Gas valve: The gas valve regulates the flow of gas to the burner. Average price: £150.00

As you can see from the charges above, depending on the problem you could be looking at over £1,500 in repairs and replacement parts.

Protecting your wallet and your home
In order to protect your home and your wallet from the damage of a broken boiler, it’s wise to invest in boiler breakdown cover. Sutton and East Surrey Water Services’ 365 Assured Classic Policy for central heating, for example, offers you the protection against such household emergencies from just 59p a day, including:

• Annual service of boiler and systems safety check
• Radiators and pipework repairs
• Replace irreparable standard pattern radiators and towel rails
• Standard domestic hot water cylinder
• Feed and expansion tank
• £500 contribution towards a new boiler, when required
• Same day call-out for heating emergencies if reported before 9pm
• Unlimited number of call-outs.

Plus with any of SESWS’s 365 Assured policies, you can benefit from a guaranteed response time, 24-hour free phone emergency helpline and all work is fully guaranteed. For more information, please visit http://www.h2oservices.com/ or call 020 8722 7004.