14% of Homeowners Experienced a Broken Boiler in 2018

According to the AA, staying on top of home maintenance is just as important as keeping your car’s service history up to date. A recent survey by the organisation found that a sizeable percentage of Irish homeowners have suffered the effects of a broken boiler in the past 12 months.
“Speaking from experience, waking up in the morning, to discover you have icicles for toes is awful” says Arwen Foley, Spokesperson for the AA. “You’ll only ever know how cold a house can get in winter when your boiler or central heating kicks the bucket.”
Over 4,000 people responded to the survey undertaken by AA Home Membership, the organisation’s home emergency response service. 14% of respondents said their boiler had broken on at least one occasion in the past year, while almost 5% said their boiler had let them down in the last month. Almost 7% reported that their central heating had stopped working during the month of December.
“Just as with your car, staying on top of home maintenance and getting a professional to carry out necessary checks and services on a regular basis is incredibly important” says Arwen. “Having spent all your money on Christmas presents, the last thing you want is to face January with a massive quote to fix your heating system or your boiler.”
Each year, in January, amongst many other call-outs, the AA Home Membership team deal with on average 30 broken boilers or central heating systems. The top reasons AA customers needed the assistance of the Home Membership team in winter also included internal plumbing issues and problems with damaged roofing.
“It’s also time to check your roof for damage” warns Arwen. “After the recent stormy weather, it would be a good idea to check for loose or damaged tiles. This will help you avoid leaks and if we do get snow again this winter, it can help to protect against serious damage.”