Commissioning, Benchmark & customer handover record

What you need to know

The plain-English guidance that comes with this document.

• Commissioning and Benchmark aren't paperwork — they're what makes the warranty real. A new boiler is only as good as its commissioning, and most manufacturers require the Benchmark checklist to be completed and the appliance registered for the guarantee to stand. Skip it and you can cost the customer years of warranty and yourself the callback when they find out. This record proves you did it.
• The handover is where you prevent half your callbacks. A customer who's been shown how to work the thermostat, top up the pressure, and what the noises mean rings you far less — and rates you far higher. Ten minutes of genuine handover, recorded here, saves you time and builds the relationship. The signature confirms it happened.
• Set up the controls to meet Boiler Plus — and show the customer. A new gas boiler needs time and temperature controls, and a combi needs the additional measure (smart thermostat with automation/optimisation, load or weather compensation, or FGHR). Fitting it is half the job; showing the customer how to use it is the other half, and it's what actually delivers the efficiency.
• Flush, inhibit, filter — protect the new appliance from the old system. Connecting a new boiler to a dirty system voids warranties and causes breakdowns. Recording that you cleaned the system, added inhibitor and fitted a filter protects the customer and answers the manufacturer if there's ever a warranty claim.
• Book the service before you leave. Annual servicing keeps the appliance safe, efficient and in warranty. Noting the next-due date here — and offering a reminder — turns every install into a recurring service customer.
• Give the customer the paperwork and keep a copy. Manuals, the Benchmark, the registration and this record are the customer's proof of a valid warranty. Hand them over, and keep your own copy with the job file.
• Adapt to the appliance. A combi, a system boiler with a cylinder, or an unvented cylinder each have their own checks — follow the manufacturer's instructions and the relevant Benchmark, and tailor this record to what you fitted.