Maintenance of your central heating boiler: what’s legally required?

Your central heating boiler is the beating heart of your home. Without a central heating boiler there is no hot water, no comfortably warm living room, no hot towels in the bathroom. So you want to take good care of your boiler. In fact, having your central heating boiler checked and maintained at set times is required by law. Read on to discover what needs to be done during a check-up.

Maintaining a central heating boiler that runs on gas

The law makes a distinction between central heating that runs on gas or on liquid or solid fuel. If you heat with natural gas, butane or propane, and your boiler has a capacity of at least 20 kW, then a two-year check-up is required.

Maintenance of an oil or solid fuel central heating boiler

Other boilers require more frequent check-ups. In the following cases you are legally bound to have your boiler checked every year:

• Oil (black oil) central heating with a capacity of at least 20 kW
• Central heating devices fuelled by wood, pellets, coal or other solid fuel

How it works

You, the end user, are responsible for the maintenance of your boiler. That applies to both owner-occupiers and tenants. Check the current certificate and make an appointment with a certified technician in good time for a check-up:

• The technician will look at several items: the chimney or flue, the unit itself, the combustion, the aeration of the room where the boiler is located, etcetera. Is your boiler still in tip top condition? Then usually, not much needs to be done. Of course, the technician may have to use his tools to clean and recalibrate your installation.
• At the end of the check-up, the technician will give you a cleaning and combustion certificate. Keep the last two certificates and give a copy to the owner, if applicable.

Keep in mind that other rules apply to stoves and electric heating appliances.