Does home insurance cover boilers?
Find out if your boiler is protected by home insurance and when you might need home emergency cover.
Key points
- Home insurance usually covers your boiler if it's damaged as a result of an insured event like fire, flood.
- Home emergency cover can offer support if your boiler stops working, depending on your policy limits and exclusions.
- Having your boiler serviced annually by a qualified engineer helps ensure it runs safely and efficiently, and may help you avoid costly repairs.
- If your boiler is still within its warranty period, you may be able to have it serviced at no additional cost.
Understanding boiler cover in home insurance
Most home insurance policies cover your boiler if damaged as a result of an insured event like fire or flood. Your policy may also offer something called 'accidental damage' as an add-on to building insurance cover. This could protect your boiler against accidents, like if you knock it while decorating.
If your boiler breaks due to wear and tear, poor maintenance or age-related faults, most home insurance policies won’t cover the cost to fix it. That’s why it’s important to check your policy documents carefully and make sure you understand exactly what’s covered.
What Aviva’s optional add-on Home Emergency cover includes
If you want to feel reassured that your boiler is covered, it could help to have home emergency cover. This helps to protect your boiler and includes things like the cost of urgent repairs, call-out fees, any parts you might need and the labour.
We offer boiler breakdown protection as part of our home emergency cover. If you're having an emergency like a leak you can't control, no access to electricity or your home is unsafe, we can offer round the clock assistance and access to qualified engineers who can give you support quickly.
Why boiler maintenance matters
It might not be at the top of your to-do list but getting your boiler checked regularly can help to maintain it's condition. Regular maintenance could keep your boiler from breaking down and leaving you in the cold, quite literally.
When you don’t get your boiler checked regularly, it could cause issues that lead to expensive repairs or even a full replacement. And if you think about the cost of regular checks, it’s probably much less than the price of getting a new boiler installed.
Boiler maintenance checklist
There are few things to look out for when checking that your boiler is running well so it’s worth having a simple list you can tick off:
- Check boiler pressure
Make sure the pressure gauge is between 1.0 and 1.5 bar. If it’s too low, look at your boiler manual for instructions on how to top it up.
- Bleed radiators
Remove trapped air from your radiators to keep them working efficiently. Bleed them at least once a year, especially before the winter.
- Look for leaks
Regularly check around your boiler and pipes for any leaks or corrosion. Listen out for unusual noises and pay attention to any error codes on your boiler.
- Create ventilation
Keep the area around your boiler clear and well-ventilated to prevent it from overheating.
- Arrange a service
If you choose to have your boiler serviced, it should be carried out by a qualified Gas Safe engineer.
Common boiler problems and quick fixes
Even when you keep on top of boiler maintenance, you can still come across unexpected issues, like low pressure or needing to reset it after a power cut. These are relatively quick fixes that you may be able to sort yourself.
Topping up the pressure
If you’re having problems with your boiler, it may be due to low pressure. You can check this by looking at the pressure gauge, which is usually found on the boiler itself or near the red expansion vessel, depending on your system.
If the pressure is below one bar, your boiler will need to be re‑pressurised. This simply means allowing more water into the system. For full, model‑specific instructions, please refer to your boiler manufacturer’s manual.
To do this, first turn off the boiler and allow it to cool. Locate the filling loop and check it’s securely connected to the pipes. Slowly open the valve to let water in. Once the pressure gauge reaches between 1 and 1.5 bar, close the valves, turn the boiler back on, and press reset if needed.
Resetting after a power cut
You might find that your boiler stops working after a power cut. Even if you have a gas boiler, it uses electricity, so it probably won’t turn itself back on. To get it going again, it might need resetting, which is easy to do yourself. Your boiler manual should have instructions on how to reset your boiler, but it usually involves finding the reset button and holding it down for a few seconds until it ignites.
Leaks or error codes
There are other boiler problems that are best left to a professional. Call an expert if you keep noticing leaks or error codes. It can be very dangerous to carry out your own repairs on gas appliances so get a qualified engineer to look at any problems. And to stay safe, make sure you have a working carbon monoxide alarm near your boiler to detect any toxic fumes.
Planning your annual boiler service
Servicing a boiler needs to be done by a qualified Gas Safe engineer. This is someone who’s legally registered to work on gas appliances, like boilers. When an engineer conducts a boiler service, they’ll carry out safety checks, clean internal parts of your boiler and run efficiency tests.
The average cost of an annual boiler service is around £100, though prices can vary depending on where you live and what type of boiler you have. Footnote [1] You might want to avoid peak boiler servicing times during winter and book yours in the summer months. Staying up to date with your annual services helps to make sure that your boiler is safe and working well, which could extend its lifespan and may reduce your energy bills.
Related articles
Ready to get Aviva Signature home insurance cover?
Aviva home insurance protects your home inside and out – covering your building and belongings.