Edinburgh can get very cold. Even the summer months are known to be often cool and even partly cloudy. The winter months promise very cold and windy nights and days. This makes reliable indoor heating of utmost importance.
Boilers are very important for this reason. Depending on the kind that is used, they offer warmth and/or help in providing hot water. You can click here if you are interested in finding out more about Edinburgh’s weather and climatic peculiarities.
Given the important roles that boilers play in Edinburgh, they must be properly handled. This would require proper and periodic maintenance. Speaking of proper maintenance, this should only be carried out by professionals with the required experience and expertise.
This equipment is too important to be left in the care of incompetent people. For this reason, Edinburgh residents need to know how to identify the right boiler service company in this city. To this end, factors to consider in choosing a boiler service company will be discussed in this article. So, ensure that you continue reading to find out how to make the right choice.
Factors to Consider when Choosing a Boiler Service Company
The wrong company should not be trusted with the maintenance or repair of your boiler. The reason is that they can miss out on very important things to be addressed. It is even possible that they cause further damage. For this reason, here are some considerations when choosing a boiler service company:
Licensing & Certification
Ensure that the options that you consider are duly licensed to operate in Edinburgh. One of the ways to find out is to go through their website. By the way, options that do not have a working website are questionable. So, we do not recommend working with them.
The reason is that the company’s website is supposed to help you understand what they can offer. For example, you can see their ratings on notable review platforms like the BBB, Angie’s List, and the like.
Check for the registered company licensing number on the website. Often, this is usually situated at the homepage’s bottom section. However, the one that you check may be different.
These sorts of technical service providers are usually licensed and regulated by the Gas Safe Register. So, you can run checks on this regulatory body’s website. This is to be certain that the presented certification checks out.
Skilled Technicians
The company’s technicians or engineers are its major driving force. This is not to say other staff members are not important. It only stresses the crucial roles of these technical staff members.
As a result, you need to be certain that they have the required level of expertise to work on your boilers. This is for maintenance or repair purposes. One way to know is by checking if they are Gas Safe accredited technicians.
Yes, this regulatory body also registers these technicians. Ensure that technicians employed by the Edinburgh boiler service that you choose are duly registered by this body.
Fairness and Transparency
Do not fall into the trap of so-called cheap service providers. These are companies that advertise attractively low prices but work with several hidden and expensive charges. This is not fair to clients in need of boiler repair or maintenance services.
However, it has not stopped many of them from operating this way. So, you should beware of them. Make sure that your eventual choice is very transparent and fair to you.
Comprehensive Service Delivery
These companies are also expected to handle repair services and not just maintenance work. Experience has shown that companies that offer a comprehensive list of services usually have more to offer. This is because their knowledge of one task comes in handy for other services.
For example, knowledge of how to properly install this equipment can help a technician quickly notice if improper installation has led to damage. This will enable the technician to take the right steps. So, it is strongly advised that you choose options that offer a wide range of services.
This is also because such companies are more likely to have more technicians available. Having sufficient technicians increases the likelihood of a company being available when the need for their services arises. Speaking of being available when needed, let us talk more about that in the next point.
Response Time
Your need for the services of these technicians might be urgent. This is especially for repair purposes. Given how wasting time can be inconvenient for you and can even lead to further damage, you should only hire a company with a good response time.
Their availability should be well thought about before deciding to choose them as your boiler servicing company. The truth is that virtually every company promises a good response time. However, some of them do not keep to their word.
Customer reviews from people you know and from credible online platforms can be of great help. So, do not just take the words of the company for it. Do your findings.
Industry Affiliation
Boiler service companies in Edinburgh may or may not be part of an industry association or trade organization. The most important thing is being licensed by the relevant authority that certifies and permits their business operations in this city.
However, we like to think that options that are affiliated with certain industry associations and trade organizations are usually better. For one, this is because they are kept up to date with the latest industry practices and more is expected of them. Some of these industry associations and trade unions even organize helpful training for people in this line of work.
All these are reasons why choosing one that is not only duly licensed but associated with pertinent industry associations and trade organizations is advised. There are a couple of these associations that a boiler service company may be registered with. The HHIC (Heating and Hotwater Industry Council) is one of the very relevant ones. Others include:
- APHC – Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors
- CIPHE – Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering
- SNIPEF – Scottish and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers’ Federation
- FMB – Federation of Master Builders
These are some of the relevant industry associations. So, you can as well decide to hire a company that is associated with any of these organizations.
