Two jobs, one team. Breakdown repairs when a fault has already happened, and annual servicing to catch faults before they become repairs. Both by Gas Safe engineers with vans stocked for the boilers most Swansea homes actually have.
In eight winters running repair callouts across Swansea we've built up a fairly precise mental map of what breaks, when, and on which boiler brand. About 86% of the faults we're called out to are resolved on the first visit because the parts are already in the van.
Every repair starts the same way. £65 diagnostic fee, honest quote for the fix, and the diagnostic fee comes off the total if you go ahead. We don't sell repairs we don't recommend — sometimes the honest advice is "this boiler is 18 years old and needs three parts today, get a quote for replacement instead," and we'd rather tell you that than empty your wallet on a losing patient.
| Fault | Symptoms | Fix | Typical price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low pressure | Pressure gauge below 0.8 bar, no heating | Repressurise + check for leaks | £75 |
| Frozen condensate | Locks out overnight in cold snaps, gurgling | Thaw + reroute + insulate | £95 |
| Failed diverter valve | Heating OK, no hot water (or vice versa) | Replace valve cartridge | £210 |
| Faulty PCB | Random shutdowns, error codes, no ignition | Replace circuit board | £320 |
| Pump seizure | Kettling noise, cold rads, boiler ticking | Free pump or replace | £240 |
| Expansion vessel | Pressure climbs when heating on | Recharge or replace vessel | £180 |
| Thermocouple / ignition | Pilot won't stay lit, no ignition on modern combi | Replace thermocouple or ignition lead | £140 |
| Flue seal | Damp patch around flue, service report failure | Reseal flue joints | £95 |
Prices above are typical — a modern combi with easy access sits at the lower end; a 20‑year‑old Baxi Bermuda back‑boiler behind a fireplace lives at the top of the range.
Modern boilers tell you what's wrong if you know how to read them. Here's a quick translation for the codes we see most often in Swansea, so you can decide whether it's a five‑minute reset job or a proper callout.
You can safely try one reset. If the fault comes back immediately, don't keep resetting — you can damage components (especially ignition electrodes) and turn a £70 fix into a £300 one. Ring us instead.
Before you ring anyone, three quick checks that solve about a third of the "no heating" calls we get. Two minutes at the boiler often saves you a callout fee entirely.
If the needle is below 1 bar, your boiler has locked out because pressure has dropped. Locate the filling loop underneath (a silver braided hose with two black valves), open both slowly and watch the gauge climb to between 1 and 1.5 bar, close both valves, reset the boiler. If it drops again in a day, ring us — there's a leak somewhere.
Note the code exactly (numbers and letters) — we can often tell you over the phone whether it's a DIY fix or a callout. Photograph the display before pressing reset so we have it if needed.
In cold weather (below 2°C), the plastic condensate pipe leaving the boiler can freeze. Pour a kettle of warm — not boiling — water along it slowly. If the boiler resets afterwards, that was the fault. We can re‑route or lag the pipe permanently for around £95.
Ring the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 immediately. They'll isolate your gas supply at the meter. Once they're on their way, ring us — we can attend once the supply is safe and quote the repair. Never try to trace a gas leak yourself.
If you own a boiler and haven't had it serviced this year, you're gambling with your warranty and with your gas bill. An annual service is the cheapest home maintenance we know of that actually pays for itself in savings — usually many times over.
Boiler manufacturers require an annual service by a Gas Safe engineer to keep the warranty valid. Miss it and if the heat exchanger fails at year six — a £900 part — you're paying for it. Beyond warranty, an unserviced boiler runs progressively less efficiently as its combustion drifts out of spec, its condensate trap silts up, and its expansion vessel loses pressure. A boiler running at 82% efficiency instead of its rated 93% is costing you an extra £120 per year on a typical Swansea gas bill.
A five‑minute "service" for £40 doesn't cover any of this. The service certificate looks the same on paper, but when a warranty claim is made the manufacturer requires evidence — and no manufacturer accepts a service that skipped the flue gas analyser reading.
Ideal timing is late summer or early autumn — September and October — before the heating comes on. That way we spot any issues while you don't yet need the boiler urgently, and we're not competing for slots with everyone whose boiler died in the first cold snap of November. If you're a landlord, book to coincide with the CP12 renewal and bundle both for £110 total.
You do not need to have your boiler serviced by the installer to keep the warranty valid. Any Gas Safe engineer can service it. What matters is that the service is documented and that the flue gas analyser reading is recorded. We service boilers other companies installed all the time.
Some households prefer a fixed monthly cost that covers everything — annual service, priority callouts, most parts. We keep it simple: one plan, one price, no upsells.
Book each year individually. £72 flat rate. Ideal if you like keeping things simple and only paying when you actually receive service. We'll send one reminder email 30 days before your renewal window opens.
Annual service included. Same‑day emergency callouts prioritised (no queue). No diagnostic fee for the first callout per year. £150 excess on parts over £150 (so a £320 PCB costs you the £150 excess). Cancel any time.
MON–FRI · 07:00–20:00
SAT · 08:00–17:00
SUN · 09:00–14:00 (emergencies)
EMAIL · hello@boilerserviceswansea.co.uk