This policy explains what personal data Boiler Decoder collects when you use https://boilerdecoder.co.uk/, why we collect it, how long we keep it and what rights you have. It is written with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 in mind.
Who we are
Boiler Decoder is an independent website that publishes information about boiler fault codes, available at https://boilerdecoder.co.uk/. For the personal data described in this policy we are the controller, except where we explain that another company, such as Google, makes its own decisions about data. You can contact us about anything in this policy at support@boilerdecoder.co.uk.
Information we collect
Website analytics
We use our own privacy-friendly analytics system to understand which pages are useful and how people find the site. For each page view it records:
- the page you viewed and when
- the website that referred you, if any
- your device type (for example mobile, tablet or desktop), browser and operating system
- your approximate country
To count unique visitors without following you over time, we create an anonymous identifier using a one-way hash of your IP address, browser details, the date and a secret value. The identifier rotates every day, so visits on different days cannot be linked, and the hash cannot be reversed to reveal your IP address. We do not store IP addresses in our analytics, and our analytics sets no cookies and stores nothing on your device.
Contact form
If you contact us through the form or by email, we collect your name, your email address and the content of your message. We use this only to read and reply to your message and to deal with any follow-up, such as correcting a page you told us about. We do not add you to a mailing list or use your details for marketing.
Server logs
Like almost every website, our hosting provider automatically keeps server logs. These can include your IP address, the date and time of a request, the page requested and your browser details. They are used for security and to keep the site running, for example to detect and block attacks and to diagnose errors.
Cookies and advertising
Our own analytics does not use cookies. We do, however, use Google AdSense to show advertising, which is how we keep the site free. Google and its partners may use cookies and similar technologies when ads are shown.
- Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on a user's prior visits to this website or other websites.
- Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to users based on their visit to this site and/or other sites on the internet.
- You can opt out of personalised advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings (https://adssettings.google.com).
- You can learn more about how Google uses information from sites that use its services at https://policies.google.com/technologies/ads.
If you visit from the UK, the European Economic Area or Switzerland, you will be shown a consent message from a Google-certified consent management platform. It lets you accept, reject or choose which purposes you agree to before personalised advertising is used. You can change or withdraw your choices at any time using the privacy settings option provided by that consent message. If you decline, you may still see ads, but they will not be personalised using your browsing history.
You can also block or delete cookies in your browser settings. Doing so will not stop you using this site.
Lawful bases for processing
- Analytics: our legitimate interests in understanding how the site is used so we can improve it. The system is designed to collect as little as possible and not to identify you.
- Contact messages: our legitimate interests in replying to people who get in touch with us.
- Server logs: our legitimate interests in keeping the site secure and available.
- Advertising cookies and personalised ads: your consent, given through the consent message. You can withdraw consent at any time, and this does not affect anything done before you withdrew it.
How long we keep data
| Data | How long we keep it |
|---|---|
| Analytics records | Up to about 13 months, then deleted automatically |
| Contact form messages and emails | Only as long as needed to reply and follow up, and deleted within 12 months |
| Server logs | A limited period set by our hosting provider for security purposes, then deleted |
| Advertising cookies | Set and managed by Google and its partners, and controlled by your consent choices and browser settings |
Who we share data with
We do not sell your personal data. We share it only with our hosting provider, which stores the site and its data on our behalf, with Google in connection with advertising as described above, and with public authorities where the law requires us to.
International transfers
Google may process data outside the UK, including in the United States. Where that happens, Google relies on appropriate safeguards recognised under UK data protection law, such as approved contractual clauses or an adequacy arrangement, to protect your information.
Your rights
Under UK GDPR you have the right to:
- access the personal data we hold about you
- rectification, to have inaccurate data corrected
- erasure, to ask us to delete your data
- restriction, to ask us to limit how we use your data
- objection, to object to processing based on our legitimate interests
- portability, to receive data you gave us in a commonly used format
Where we rely on consent, you can also withdraw it at any time. To use any of these rights, email support@boilerdecoder.co.uk. We will respond within one month, and there is normally no charge. Because our analytics identifier is anonymous and changes daily, we are usually unable to find analytics records that relate to a particular person.
How to complain
If you are unhappy with how we have handled your data, please contact us first so we can try to put it right. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK data protection regulator, at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113.
Children
This site is intended for adults dealing with their home heating. It is not directed at children under 16, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from them. If you believe a child has sent us personal data, contact us and we will delete it.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy when our practices change or the law requires it. The latest version will always be on this page, and significant changes will be highlighted here.