Biomass Boiler Servicing Across the UK

The UK's Leading Biomass Heating Specialist

Having supplied and installed over 1,000 biomass boilers over the past 20 years, Treco are one of the UK's leading biomass boiler specialist. There is no company better placed to understand the importance of servicing and maintaining biomass boiler systems.

All our engineers have undertaken manufacturer based training at a number of factories, and are all HETAS accredited ensuring compliance with RHI legislation so your ongoing obligations are met.

With a wide range of installation types in our portfolio including country estates, schools, nursing homes, hospitals, leisure centres, council offices, manufacturing plants and various others, we fully understand the need to provide a bespoke service and maintenance package that is tailored to your specific needs.

We are the importers and distributors for two of the main biomass boiler manufacturers; Guntamatic and Froling. We also deal directly with a number of the other manufactures or have close ties with their distributors, so we are able to source genuine parts for all the main manufacturers as well as provide manufacturer-approved servicing and training.

Why Regular Servicing Matters

A properly serviced biomass boiler operates at maximum efficiency, burns cleaner, and lasts longer. Regular servicing ensures:

• Compliance of manufacturers warranty
• Continued eligibility for RHI payments
• Compliance with MCS040 and HETAS standards
• Early detection of wear or component failure
• Reduced downtime and repair costs Lower fuel consumption and emissions

Whether your system is a single 100 kW boiler or a multi-megawatt plant room, our engineers keep your system operating at its best — and your site fully compliant

What’s Included in a Treco Biomass Boiler Service?

Our comprehensive servicing package covers all major components of your boiler, buffer and fuel-handling systems. Each visit includes:

Inspection and Cleaning

• Full combustion chamber and heat-exchanger clean
• Removal of ash and clinker buildup
• Cleaning of fans, augers and sensors
• Inspection of refractory lining and seals

Performance Testing

• Efficiency testing and flue-gas analysis
• Adjustment of air/fuel ratios for optimum burn
• Calibration of temperature and pressure sensors

Safety & Compliance Checks

• Full HETAS-approved service checklist
• MCS040 documentation and RHI compliance report
• Safety system testing (emergency shut-off, interlocks, alarms)

Service Reporting

• Engineer’s report with photos and service notes
• Recommendations for any remedial work
• HETAS certificate of compliance for RHI evidence file

We also offer multi-year service contracts with priority callouts and discounted rates on genuine manufacturer parts.

A breakdown of typical work that can be included is provided in the following table. A series of pictures taken before and after a service are also given below.

Commercial Sectors We Support

Our experienced service team supports clients across a wide range of industries and sectors:

• Education – schools, colleges, and universities
• Healthcare – hospitals, care homes, NHS Trusts
• Estates and rural properties
• District heating and housing associations
• Industrial and agricultural facilities
• Public sector and local authority buildings

Wherever your site is located, our UK-wide network of HETAS-registered engineers ensures prompt, professional service.

Pay as you go biomass boiler servicing

Servicing, maintenance and breakdown visits are available on a pay as you go (PAYG) basis. This applies to customers outside of their parts and/or labour warranty, or works not covered by the warranty.

As a PAYG customer, access to breakdown engineers and technical support is available weekdays from 09:00 to 17:00. Should there be an issue outside of these hours, customers have the option of dropping an email to our dedicated customer service team who will address it as soon as they're back in the office at 9am.

Service Contracts Tailored to You

Treco offers bespoke maintenance contracts designed around your operational needs:

Each contract includes full documentation for RHI/MCS040 compliance and access to our national technical support team.

Customers signed up to a service and maintenance contract have access to the following benefits:

• Priority telephone support with trained engineers to assist you with items such as boiler fault diagnosis and fuel specifications
• Priority servicing, maintenance and call out visits
• No more worrying about when your boiler is due for a service. We schedule all of your boilers routine maintenance and contact you to check that the date is convenient.
• Remote monitoring

Case Studies

School District Heating

Treco services a 700kW biomass boiler system supplying a large boarding school campus. Our proactive servicing reduced unplanned downtime by 35% and improved seasonal efficiency by 8%, saving on annual fuel costs.

Rural Hospital Network

We manage annual HETAS servicing for four hospital sites. Our engineers ensure RHI compliance and provide next-day response for urgent breakdowns.

National Trust Estate

For a heritage estate, Treco provides bi-annual servicing and flue cleaning for two 199 kW boilers. Regular maintenance has extended boiler life and minimised replacement parts costs.

Zoo

We don't just specialise in keeping humans warm, we are contracted to ensure gorillas and elephants houses mimic their natural habitats.

Ceramic Filters

It isn't just biomass boilers that Treco can service, on a number of our sites where waste wood is used as fuel the systems also include ceramic filters. These are large filters installed between the boiler and flue, where its purpose is to removed particulate matter before the emissions go to atmosphere. Regular servicing of these is needed to ensure the emissions are kept with the levels that are defined as part of each sites Environmental Permit. More details on this can be viewed on this case study.

HETAS, RHI and MCS040 Compliance

Treco’s engineers are HETAS-registered and fully trained to the latest MCS040 maintenance standard. After each service, we issue a compliance certificate confirming that your biomass system meets all requirements for ongoing RHI accreditation.

We also maintain detailed service records and component traceability — essential for audits and warranty validation.

Nationwide Coverage

With engineers strategically located across England, Scotland and Wales, we provide reliable servicing wherever you are. From the Highlands to Cornwall, our mobile service units carry specialist tools and genuine manufacturer parts to minimise downtime.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should a biomass boiler be serviced?

Most commercial biomass boilers require at least one full service per year. Systems operating continuously or above 500 kW may need two or more services annually to remain within manufacturer and MCS040 guidelines.

It is an ongoing obligation of the RHI that the biomass boiler is serviced as per the manufacturers requirements. Ofgem do undertake site audits, and one of the things they always request is evidence that the biomass boiler has been serviced.

How long does it take to service a biomass boiler?

This varies depending on the biomass boiler size. Typically smaller domestic systems will require half a day. Most commercial boilers from around 50 to 250kW in size will need a whole day. Commercial biomass boilers that are 500kW in size will typically require 2 days. Commercial biomass boilers that are 1MW in size will require 3 or more days to fully service the system.

Can you service any make of biomass boiler?

Treco can service any make of biomass boiler. We have been supplying, installing, servicing and maintaining biomass boilers for around 20 years, and during this time we have built up a pool of knowledge on a range of biomass boilers. It does not matter what system you have, we can service and maintain it, so contact us today to see how we can help you keep your biomass system operational and running efficiently. The following is a selection of biomass boiler manufacturers we can service and maintain, many of which we have completed manufacturer based training on.

• Guntamatic
• Froling
• Lindner & Sommerauer (now called Sommerauer)
• Effecta
• Kalvis
• Tatano
• Uniconfort
• ETA
• Herz
• Hargassner
• Binder
• Windhager
• Schmidt
• KWB
• Gilles
• Trianco
• Passat
• Okofen
• Heizomat
• Hoval
• Termofarc
• Twin Heat
• Unical

What is the MCS040 - HETAS approved biomass maintenance scheme?

Changes in RHI legislation in April 2022 means people /companies with boilers registered on the non-domestic RHI must have their boilers serviced at least annually to MCS040 standards. By annually this is in relation to your RHI payment year. In order to demonstrate that a boiler has been serviced to MCS040 standards, the company undertaking it must be registered and approved by HETAS for biomass maintenance. Evidence of servicing must be kept by the RHI account holder and this can be requested by Ofgem. A document is also required from HETAS that certifies the boiler was serviced to the required standard. This certificate is something the servicing company provides after registering the service on HETAS' online database. To avoid having your RHI payments suspended, make sure any future servicing is undertaken by a HETAS approved company such as Treco. The paragraph in the RHI legislation that details this can be read here.

Do I need a HETAS-approved engineer?

Yes. RHI rules require that at least one service by RHI payment year is completed by a HETAS approved engineer for biomass maintenance. This is part of your ongoing obligations of being on the RHI as detailed in both the RHI guidance and RHI legislation.

Are your engineers HETAS approved?

Yes. Every Treco engineer is HETAS-registered and trained in all the biomass categories which include domestic installations, small non-domestic installations (<200kW), medium non-domestic installations (200 to 999kW), and large non-domestic installations (1,00kW +). Our engineers have undertaken factory training with a number of different biomass boiler manufacturers which includes; ETA, Froling, Herz, Guntamatic, Kalvis, Sommerauer, Effecta, Heizomat and KWB to name a selection

Will my RHI payments stop if I miss a service?

Your RHI payments will not stop straightaway if you miss an annual service. Missing a service will lead to non-compliance with RHI as it is one of your ongoing obligations. This is currently only picked up during site audits, which means that a lot of boilers that have not been serviced are flying under the radar. Ofgem however are aware of which boilers have been serviced as are provided the details by HETAS. Ofgem have confirmed that they will be reviewing everyone's account over the duration of the scheme. Ofgem have also confirmed that where they have ident

Our proactive scheduling ensures all required documentation is submitted and your payments remain uninterrupted.

Do you offer emergency breakdown support?

Yes — our maintenance contract clients benefit from priority call-outs and remote diagnostic support, reducing downtime and keeping heating systems operational. To ensure that we can be reactive to breakdowns we keep free slots available in our engineers schedule each week.

We limit the number of customers we deal with based on the number of service engineers we have. This ensures we do not overstretch ourselves and can be quicker to respond than other biomass boiler service and maintenance companies. If you are in need of our breakdown support then contact us and we will look to get to you ASAP.

Do heat meters have to be recalibrated or replaced when they are 10 years old?

Yes they do, this is one of your ongoing obligations of being on the RHI and is detailed in the RHI legislation. Assuming the meter was new on installation, this period is 10 years from when your RHI application was first submitted, and Ofgem keeps a record of these details. Typically we find the total cost to replace is cheaper than recalibration, as such this is the route people chose as they then also benefit from a new meter with warranty. If your meters are found to be out of date or non-compliant, your RHI payments can be suspended whilst a compliance case is raised, which ultimately results in you being fined 10% of RHI payments that are made from the 10 year mark until the meter is replaced. Currently Ofgem are only identifying out of date meters during random site audits or when amendments are made to an RHI account, they have however advised they will be reviewing all accounts during their lifetime, so it will impact each and everyone. Replacing meters before they expire helps you stay ahead of deadlines and ensures your payments continue without disruption. We have provided a detailed breakdown of this subject in one of our blogs.

Who can replace my heat meter?

Unlike biomass boiler servicing, anyone can replace a heat meter, however, it is not something we would recommend you do yourself. To ensure the work is completed as quickly and easily as possible a heat meter that's the correct size and dimensions should be used that matches the existing one. However, many meters that were installed 10 years ago can no longer be purchased, so a like for like replacement needs to be found. The installation of the meter is just one part of the process, once it is done your RHI account needs to have an amendment issued to allow you to submit readings from the new meter. If you are not familiar with the RHI amendment process there can be a number of pitfalls that can result in your payments being delayed or you even missing out on some. We highly recommend that you seek the assistance of a company such as us to take on the full install and RHI update, to ensure all the pitfalls are avoided. If your heat meters are approaching the 10 year mark or exceeded it and you would like to discuss this further, please contact us and we will talk you through your options.We have provided a detailed breakdown of this subject in one of our blogs.