After moving home, create one place for heating manuals, service records, control details and useful contacts. The aim is to understand the equipment you have inherited and identify questions worth asking. Missing paperwork does not, by itself, prove that a system is unsafe or that a guarantee is invalid.
Take this in manageable steps alongside the rest of the move. Start with documents and normal user controls. Do not remove appliance covers, enter an unsafe loft or change unfamiliar settings just to complete a checklist.
Identify the equipment from available information
Look through the handover folder for boiler instructions, installation documents and details of the controls. Note the make and model where stated. If there is a separate hot-water cylinder or other heating equipment, keep its documents together too.
Compare the records with what is readily visible in the home. A folder may contain instructions for equipment that has since been replaced. If the names do not match or the arrangement is unclear, put that on the question list rather than choosing the closest-looking online manual.
Record where ordinary user controls are located and what you have been told they operate. Avoid writing down account passwords in a household folder that may be shared with visitors or contractors.
Build a simple service history
Arrange available service and repair records by date. Separate completed work from quotations, recommendations and reminders. A quote for a repair does not show that it was carried out, while an invoice may need supporting detail to explain exactly what was done.
List any gaps without drawing conclusions. You can ask the previous owner, landlord or managing agent through the appropriate route for missing information. If a manufacturer guarantee may remain, consult its actual terms and ask the manufacturer what evidence or transfer arrangements apply.
Vaillant’s home-mover guidance highlights the usefulness of service history and appliance information. It cannot confirm the condition or guarantee of an individual boiler you have just inherited.
Find the right control instructions
Work out which device sets the schedule and which responds to room temperature. Some controls combine those functions, and a home may have more than one heating zone. Ask for an explanation if the labels or handover notes are unclear.
When you find the correct user manual, keep a copy you can return to. Write down the tasks you want demonstrated, such as understanding the normal schedule or recognising a warning message. You do not need to master every advanced setting on moving day.
Make a short list for an engineer
- Which appliance and controls are installed?
- Which service or repair records are missing or unclear?
- Has anything behaved unusually during normal use?
- What maintenance is appropriate for this equipment?
- Which ordinary controls would be helpful to explain?
If the home is rented, use the landlord or agent’s repair and safety arrangements. If the appliance already has a fault or warning, report it as a current concern rather than waiting for a routine service.
Call UKHS on 07494 144363 with your new home’s postcode to discuss boiler servicing or a heating enquiry. Availability and scope must be confirmed. Once a visit is agreed, our appointment preparation guide can help you organise safe access and the relevant records.