Moving Home Checklist

Considerations For Your Gas Boiler When Moving Home

Moving home can bring a long inventory of tasks that need to be completed before you can settle in; from changing contact information with your providers and enrolling your children in new schools, to setting up new home and contents insurance policies. The list is endless. However, the safety and efficiency of your new household heating system should not be overlooked. Darran Smith, Technical Manager for home heating expert Alpha, shares a simple checklist of things to consider to ensure your boiler is working properly when you move into a new home…

Gas safety first

When you first buy a property, it is vital for you to verify that the gas boiler in the home has a gas safety check certificate. This will indicate when the boiler was installed and will help you to identify that it was fitted safely by a qualified professional and in line with regulations. If the previous owner cannot provide these records, or it has been over 12 months since the last inspection, do not hesitate to contact a Gas Safe registered engineer who can ensure that your boiler system is fitted correctly and functions properly prior to you moving in. Alternatively, if you are renting a property, the landlord is legally required to provide a Landlord’s Gas Safety Record. For new build properties, your gas safety certificate should be provided with your new home documents when you move in. Regardless of the age of your boiler, it is also vital to get an annual boiler service. This may not be necessary when you first move in, however, it is a good idea to ask when the previous service was so you can make a record of when it will need the next one.

Check integrity of pipework

As the homeowner, it is your responsibility to repair and maintain any pipe work connecting your home to your water network, as this will impact the integrity of what’s going into your boiler This includes pipes running both inside and outside of the home. If your property is over 20 years old, we recommend that you investigate the condition of the pipework. Some older piping systems may be damaged due to neglect which can not only affect the water supply but can also incur a host of future issues such as flooding, blockages and discolouration of water.

Boiler checks before you buy 

When moving into your new home, the last thing you want to do is be replacing the gas boiler. There are a few questions you can ask before you move in; the first being when the boiler was first installed, followed by what type of boiler it is. One crucial question is whether the boiler is still under warranty. It’s vital that you see the warranty details and proof that annual services have been kept up with. You’ll also want to know how long is left so you don’t get caught out if something does go wrong. Alpha’s boilers come with generous warranties of up to 13 years so you wouldn’t want to miss out on this! 

It is also worth finding out if the vendor has any of the original documentation or whether you can access any instructions or troubleshooting guidelines online. Most manufacturers will be able to provide these upon request and all of Alpha’s user instructions can be accessed online.

Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors 

Check the age and replace the batteries in any smoke or carbon monoxide detectors once you move in to guarantee that they’re operating correctly. Most alarms have a lifespan of about seven years before they lose efficacy. Leaving old devices in place could put your household at risk of serious and sometimes fatal carbon monoxide poisoning. If you’re not sure how old they are, or there are none installed, spare a little time and money to purchase new ones so you can safeguard your new home and those within it.

To help you make the necessary home safety checks, download our Home Safety Checklist.

For more advice, visit our website.