Boilers - ''Only professionals should fix boilers''

21/05/2008

DIY enthusiasts should not carry out repairs to their boilers and should instead hire a professional, experts have advised.

The National Home Improvement Council (NHIC) said that unqualified people attempting to move or fix boilers could lead to serious complications and pointed to examples of explosions damaging homes.

Andrew Leech, technical consultant to the NHIC, commented: "Most certainly boilers should be left because boilers are restricted by the CORGI arrangement - the Council for Registered Gas Installers - and if you're tampering with your gas boiler then you could have really big problems."

Mr Leech also warned that homeowners who tamper with their gas supply run the risk of having their claim turned down by insurance companies.

Earlier this month, research from Zurich Insurance showed that fixing boilers or radiators are the DIY activities most needing professional advice, with 26 per cent of respondents calling in help.

The study also found that while 72 per cent of homeowners had bled radiators themselves, just nine per cent admitted to fixing a boiler.