Boiler questions, answered

It depends on the fault and the part. MyJobQuote's UK price guide (updated October 2026) puts a minor repair at £100–£180, an average repair at £300–£350 and a more substantial one at £500–£700. Your engineer will give you a firm price once they've found the fault.

Yes. Sending an enquiry is free and there's no obligation to go ahead. Some engineers charge for a call-out or a diagnostic visit; if yours does, they'll tell you before they come out.

We pass your details to one vetted, independent boiler engineer who covers your area. They contact you directly to talk it through and arrange a visit. Nobody else gets your details.

In general, a repair makes sense when the boiler is otherwise reliable and the part is available. If it keeps breaking down, parts are hard to find, or a repair would cost a large share of a new boiler, it may be time to replace it. Your engineer can talk you through both options.

Once a year is the usual advice, and most manufacturers need a yearly service to keep the warranty valid. If you rent out a property, the law requires a gas safety check on gas appliances every 12 months.

MyJobQuote's UK price guide (updated October 2026) puts a gas boiler service at £85–£120, an LPG boiler at £90–£120 and an oil boiler at £90–£125. Any repairs found during the service are quoted separately.

By law, work on a gas boiler must be done by an engineer on the Gas Safe Register; ask to see their ID card. Oil boilers are usually worked on by technicians registered with OFTEC.

We take enquiries from Exeter, Exmouth, Newton Abbot and Tiverton. Put your postcode on the form and we'll pass it to an engineer who covers that area.

It helps. A photo of the boiler's model label, or of the error code on the display, lets the engineer work out what's likely to be wrong before they arrive.

Check the boiler has power and the display is on, that the gas or oil supply is on, and that the pressure gauge is within the range in your manual. Try the reset button once. In freezing weather, check the condensate pipe outside isn't frozen. If none of that helps, send an enquiry.

Condensing boilers send water out through a plastic condensate pipe. In a hard frost that pipe can freeze, and the boiler shuts down to protect itself. Pouring warm, not boiling, water along the pipe at ground level often fixes it. Never climb to reach it.

Like-for-like repairs are usually straightforward. Moving a boiler or running a new flue through an outside wall can need listed building consent or planning permission, so check with your council before that kind of work.

In general, salty coastal air is harder on metal parts outdoors, including flue terminals and fittings. It's worth asking your engineer to check them during the annual service.

Common causes include a blocked oil filter, a worn nozzle, dirty electrodes, air in the oil line, or a faulty pump. Try the reset once only, because repeated resets can flood the boiler with oil, then get an engineer to look at it.

Turn off the gas at the meter if it's safe to, open doors and windows, don't use switches or anything that could spark, leave the property and call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999. Don't send an enquiry first.

Sometimes, but often not straight away. When a tank runs dry, air and sludge can get into the supply line, and the engineer may need to bleed the line and clean the filter before the boiler will run reliably.