What a boiler service record should include

Start with the appliance, not just the address

A service record should let another engineer identify exactly what was serviced. Write the appliance make, model and serial number, its location and the date of the visit. If several appliances are present, give each its own entry. A serial number is more useful than a description such as “white boiler in kitchen”.

Keep the customer and site details separate where they differ. Record the engineer’s name and Gas Safe ID, and make the job reference easy to find. This is a record of work by an appropriately qualified person, not instructions for an unqualified reader to carry out a service.

• Appliance make, model, serial number and location
• Customer, site, visit date and job reference
• Engineer name and Gas Safe ID

Record readings with their units

Where taken as part of the manufacturer’s service procedure, record flue gas analyser readings before and after the service: CO in ppm, CO2 as a percentage, and the CO/CO2 ratio. Label the two sets clearly rather than leaving an unexplained row of numbers. The conditions under which readings were taken should be clear in the visit notes.

Include the burner or operating pressure, or gas rate, as appropriate to the appliance and the work performed. Do not copy a previous visit’s figures or treat a template’s example as an acceptable limit. The manufacturer’s procedure and the engineer’s judgement determine the checks and expected readings.

• CO ppm, CO2 % and CO/CO2 ratio before and after
• Burner/operating pressure or gas rate, with units
• Any relevant note explaining a reading or change

Make the checks and defects understandable

Record the flue and ventilation checks and the safety devices tested. Describe the work done, parts fitted and the outcome in plain English. A customer should be able to distinguish a completed repair from an advisory or a part that still needs ordering.

Write defects clearly, including any warning notice issued under the Gas Industry Unsafe Situations Procedure. Follow the applicable professional procedure; do not reduce a safety concern to an unexplained “fail” box. Record the action taken and what the customer was told, keeping any separate required documents with the visit record.

• Flue, ventilation and safety-device checks
• Work carried out, parts and remaining defects
• Any warning notice and action recorded under the applicable procedure

Close the visit and keep the records separate

Ask for the customer’s name and signature to acknowledge the handover, without presenting it as acceptance that every defect has been resolved. Record the next service due and update the manufacturer’s Benchmark service record where applicable. Give the customer a legible copy of what was done and what remains outstanding.

Annual servicing is recommended by manufacturers and is often needed for warranty conditions; check the particular appliance’s terms. Landlords have a separate legal duty for an annual gas safety check. A boiler service and a landlord gas safety check are not interchangeable simply because they happen during the same visit.

Use the free boiler service template as a starting point and edit the questions to match your paperwork and appliance procedures. JobForms can keep readings, photos and signatures in the same job sheet. The gas safety site-record template can support notes, but it does not replace a required landlord gas safety record.