Your boiler will break down in January. Not maybe. Will.
This isn’t pessimism. This is statistics. During winter, boiler engineers across Norfolk are booked solid for weeks. We’re not booking appointments for February. We’re booking for three weeks out. People are cold, frustrated, and wishing they’d done something about their boiler before the season started.
Here’s what you need to know to avoid being one of them.
Why Winter Breaks Everything
Winter puts your boiler under stress it doesn’t face any other time of year.
Your boiler works constantly. It’s heating your home, your water, running radiators that are on for 8, 10, sometimes 12 hours a day. In summer, your boiler might fire up once daily for a shower. In winter, it’s running almost non-stop.
That constant use accelerates wear. Seals that were fine in October start leaking in December. Pump bearings that were quiet in November start grinding in January. A boiler at the end of its life will usually announce it during winter.
Boilers typically last 10 to 15 years. If yours is older than 10, winter is when it’ll probably fail. Not because winter causes failure. Because winter reveals problems that were always there.
Why winter specifically breaks boilers:
- Extended heating demand means continuous operation
- Cold temperatures make components contract and expand repeatedly
- Your boiler works harder when outside temperatures drop
- System pressure increases as water heats and cools constantly
- Older boilers can’t handle sustained demand
We had a property in Eaton last winter where the boiler finally gave up on the 19th of December. The homeowner told us it had been “a bit noisy” since October. They’d ignored it. By December, the noise meant imminent failure. We fitted a replacement on the 21st. They went through Christmas with a new boiler, which was good, but they spent two years before that thinking they’d save money by not servicing it.
The Cost of Ignoring It
An annual boiler service costs £100 to £150. This is the most cost-effective maintenance you can do on your home.
When a boiler fails without warning, the costs spiral. An emergency callout in January costs 30 to 50 percent more than a standard appointment. A repair might cost £300 to £800 depending on the problem. A replacement boiler costs £2,000 to £5,000 fitted.
Here’s the maths: ignore the service for five years, save £750. Then your boiler fails and costs you £3,500 to replace. You’ve lost money and you’re without heat in winter.
The Royal Flushing Plumbing (https://www.royalflushplumbingnorfolk.co.uk) team attended a property in Costessey in January where the boiler failed completely. The homeowner called on a Friday evening. Every engineer in Norfolk was already booked. The earliest appointment was Tuesday. They went three days without heating. The cost to fix? £450. The cost of temporary heating, staying elsewhere, burst pipes that froze? Another £2,000.
If they’d serviced the boiler in October, the engineer would have spotted the fault before it became critical.
What Actually Happens in a Breakdown
Understanding what goes wrong helps you understand why prevention matters.
Pilot light failure: This is the small flame that ignites your boiler. It goes out, nothing happens. Your boiler won’t fire. You call an engineer. They relight it. You pay £75 plus callout fee. This happens repeatedly if the pilot light is faulty—sometimes weekly. A service catches this. A replacement pilot assembly costs £150 and solves it permanently.
Pump failure: Your boiler’s pump circulates hot water through your system. When it fails, water doesn’t circulate. No heat reaches your radiators. Replacing a pump costs £400 to £600. A service would have shown you the pump slowing down weeks earlier, giving you time to budget for replacement.
Pressure problems: Your system pressure drops, boiler locks out. This can be a simple fix (bleeding air from radiators, costing nothing) or a serious leak (costing £300 to £800). A service identifies the source before it becomes a problem.
Frozen condensate pipe: Modern boilers have a plastic pipe that drains condensation outside. If it freezes (common in Norfolk winters), it blocks, boiler locks out. You’ve got no heat. Thawing a pipe takes 10 minutes. Calling an engineer costs £75 plus callout. You could have prevented this by insulating the pipe (costs £20, takes 15 minutes).
Thermostat failure: Your thermostat stops responding. Boiler runs constantly or not at all. Replacing it costs £200 to £400 depending on the model. A service would have tested it and warned you it was failing.
None of these are catastrophic. All of them are preventable with basic maintenance.
The Service That Actually Matters
What does a boiler service actually include?
A qualified engineer will inspect internal components, clean parts that accumulate sludge, check for leaks, test flue integrity (to ensure dangerous fumes are venting safely), and verify your boiler is operating safely and efficiently. You get a gas safety certificate. This matters if you ever sell your property—potential buyers will want proof that your boiler is safe.
The service also makes your boiler more efficient. An unserviced boiler loses efficiency over time. You’re paying more to heat less. An engineer will clean components and adjust burners, often saving you £100 to £150 per year on your heating bill.
Over a five-year period, that’s £500 to £750 in savings. Your £500 to £750 investment in annual services is recouped before you factor in preventing a breakdown.
What you should ask your engineer to check:
- Is the boiler safe to use?
- Are there any warning signs it might fail soon?
- Is it running efficiently?
- When would you recommend replacement?
- Are there any safety issues with your pipework or installation?
Chris from Plumbing Norwich (https://plumbing-norwich.co.uk) said “If they can’t answer these questions clearly, they’re not doing a proper service”.
Timing Matters (And It’s Too Late To Start In December)
When should you service your boiler?
Ideally, September or October. This gives you time to identify problems before winter arrives. If your engineer says your pump is failing, you can budget to replace it. You’re not panicking because it’s failed in December.
If you service in November, that’s still acceptable. December? You’re cutting it close. If they find a problem, you might not get it fixed before the weather gets serious.
If your boiler fails in January and you’re calling then for a service? You’re not getting a service. You’re getting an emergency repair at premium cost, probably done by whoever can squeeze you in when they’re supposed to be helping three other people stay warm.
Service your boiler before October half-term. Full stop.
If you haven’t done this, do it now. January is too late, but today is better than tomorrow.
Preparing For The Worst
You hope your boiler survives winter. Plan for it not to.
Know where your heating thermostat is. Know how to turn it up and down. Know what temperature different rooms should be (usually 18 to 21 degrees Celsius for main living areas, lower for bedrooms).
Know where your stopcock is. If a boiler leaks, you need to turn water off quickly.
Have alternative heating ready. A portable heater for your bedroom costs £30 to £50. It won’t heat your whole house, but it keeps one room habitable while you wait for an engineer.
Keep some emergency cash available. Boiler repairs aren’t cheap and emergency callouts in winter cost more. If you can’t afford a quick repair, you’re in trouble.
Before winter starts, do this:
- Service your boiler
- Test your thermostat works properly
- Bleed your radiators so they heat evenly
- Insulate any exposed pipes
- Know where your stopcock is
- Have a plumber’s number saved in your phone
- Check your boiler is on warranty (or consider an extended warranty)
These things take a few hours total. They cost a couple of hundred pounds. The alternative is spending Christmas without heat and thousands on emergency repairs.
Boiler Age Matters More Than You Think
How old is your boiler?
If it’s over 15 years old, you’re on borrowed time. It will fail. Not might. Will. The question is whether it fails during a mild January or a brutal freeze.
If your boiler is between 10 and 15 years old, get a service. Your engineer will assess how much life remains. They might give you two more years. They might tell you it’s time to replace it.
If it’s under 10 years old, you’re probably okay. But still service it. You’re not just preventing breakdown—you’re maintaining efficiency.
Replacing a boiler is expensive. A modern condensing boiler fitted properly costs £2,000 to £5,000 depending on the model and your system. But a new boiler is more efficient than an old one. You’ll see that efficiency in lower bills. Over 10 to 15 years, you’ll typically recoup the cost.
More importantly, you’ll have reliability. You won’t wake up on Christmas morning without heat because your 20-year-old boiler decided it was finished.
In Bowthorpe, we replaced a boiler for a customer with a 1998 installation. It had worked for over 20 years. It failed on Boxing Day. The emergency repair was £400. The replacement was £2,800. They wish they’d replaced it in October.
What To Do Right Now
Stop reading this and do one thing today.
Ring your boiler manufacturer or a qualified engineer. Book a service. Don’t put it off. Don’t tell yourself you’ll do it next week.
If you can’t get an appointment before December ends, ask to be on a cancellation list. Someone will cancel. You want to be next in line.
If your boiler has already failed, get multiple quotes for repair versus replacement. A £400 repair on a 18-year-old boiler is money thrown away. Sometimes replacement is the better choice.
If you notice your boiler is running noisily, not reaching temperature, leaking, or not firing up smoothly, don’t wait for winter to get worse. Call someone now.
If you’re renting, tell your landlord immediately. It’s their responsibility to maintain the heating. Push them to get it serviced. Don’t accept excuses.
If you own your property, this is on you. Service the boiler before winter. It’s the single most important maintenance decision you can make.
The Bottom Line
Boilers fail in winter because winter demands everything from them. You can’t prevent a boiler from aging. You can prevent a breakdown from catching you unprepared.
Service your boiler in autumn. Replace it if it’s old. Know how to turn things off. Have a plan for if things go wrong.
Do these things and winter is fine. Your boiler might be ancient and creaky, but it’ll keep you warm.
Ignore them and you’ll be one of those people calling emergency plumbers on December 23rd, paying premium prices, sitting in the cold waiting for appointments that don’t exist.
The choice is yours. But choose soon. Winter’s coming, and boilers don’t care about your plans.
