Boiler installation near me

The combi boiler is without doubt the type of boiler we are most often asked to install. ‘Combi’ is short for ‘Combination’ because the hot water cylinder and cold water storage tank found in a regular traditional central heating system are all combined in just one compact casing unit. This is a huge bonus for smaller homes where any form of space saving is welcome.

Possibly the most important feature of a combi is that hot water is produced on demand (unlike the older style immersion heater which needs to be turned on in advance). The only slight downside is that the water flow is significantly reduced if the boiler tries to provide hot water to two or more places (e.g. showers) at the same time.

The water for a combi boiler is supplied directly from the mains cold water feed.
Essentially, a combi boiler senses a request for hot water (for example when a hot tap is turned on) which then switches on the burner inside the boiler, which heats up the water required.
The central heating temperature is controlled by a room thermostat so that if the temperature falls below the desired level (which is set by you) a signal is sent to the boiler to fire up.

It’s worth mentioning that good water pressure from the mains is important with combis. Some people choose an electric shower because they bypass the need to take water from the boiler, meaning that two showers can easily run simultaneously. Power showers cannot be used with combi boilers however, as they need to take water from a hot water cylinder.

The answer to this question depends on which make and model of combi boiler you choose. A budget combi boiler of the smallest size is around £600 – £900, with an additional cost for installation by a Gas Safe engineer, like all of our friendly team. The size of boiler you will require for your home depends on factors such as the number of radiators you have and the number of bathrooms. Give us a call or send us an email if you would like specific (free) advice and/or a boiler quote for your home.

Another consideration for the modern homeowner is whether to purchase smart radiator valves (at a cost of around £50 each) and/or a smart thermostat. All boilers come with a free thermostat which will provide you with all the basic functionality you need to operate your boiler, so an upgrade to a smart thermostat (for example a Google Nest) isn’t essential. They do however allow you to control your central heating remotely (potentially saving you energy and money) as they are designed to work with your smartphone or tablet. There are several on the market ranging in cost from £50 to £200.

A new combi boiler is usually guaranteed for at least 5 years although it should last at least 10 years and very often a lot longer. Of course all boilers come with a parts and labour warranty, usually for anything from 5 to 15 years but it’s not unreasonable to assume, the longer the warranty, the better the boiler.

After around 10 to 15 years, a boiler starts to become less efficient so this is when you may start to lose heat and money. There are however several factors that could alter your boiler’s lifespan; boiler servicing certainly plays a part, as does your annual usage which affects its overall wear and tear. If your boiler has needed a lot of repairs or your bills are unexpectedly creeping up, it might be time to consider getting a new boiler. And if you are thinking about extending your home or making significant changes to the layout of your home, you might find your current boiler becomes unsuitable for your needs and needs replacing too.

You may be able to save money by claiming a government grant towards the cost of a new boiler and some may even be entitled to a free boiler under the nationwide ECO (Energy Companies Obligations) scheme.

The largest energy suppliers (e.g. British Gas, EDF, NPower, Scottish Power) are obliged to help make British households energy efficient with the obvious knock-on of reduced energy bills. It’s a scheme which is available to both homeowners and private tenants and is designed to benefit those on the lowest incomes. If you’re on a very tight budget or low wage, you may qualify, so it’s certainly worth checking out but in short, you need to be in receipt of one of the government income related benefits and your current boiler needs to be at least 7 years old.

There are several factors which need to be considered when determining what size boiler you will need for your home. Our qualified boiler engineers can help you determine the correct size, if you give us a call, or you can use our handy tool which will also provide you with a quote.
Heating and hot water capability and therefore boiler size is measured in kilowatts (kW). The more heating and hot water you need, the bigger the boiler you will require.

In a nutshell it all depends on the size of your house, your household and the number of radiators you have.

As a very rough guide, you’ll need the following power outputs for a combi boiler:

Up to 10 radiators: 24–27 kW (flats, apartments and smaller houses)
10 to 15 radiators: 28–34 kW (medium to large houses with a couple of bathrooms)
15 to 20 radiators: 32–40 kW (larger houses with higher demands)

And for a system or heat only boiler:

Up to 10 radiators: 12–15 kW
10 to 15 radiators: 18–24 kW
15 to 20 radiators: 30–40 kW

Combi boilers need more power because they heat up the hot water instantly. System and heat only boilers do this more slowly via the hot water cylinder so the size of boiler required is determined by the number of bedrooms, the age of the property and insulation levels. Only the heat production needs to be considered, not the hot water production.

One of our engineers will be able to advise you on the installation time required for your home, as this all depends on the type of installation.

A straightforward installation, for example replacing an old combi boiler with a new one in the same location can usually be completed in 4-6 hours.

If you’re upgrading your existing system boiler that has an external water tank to a new combi boiler, this is going to take longer; usually a couple of days. Your water tank will need to be removed and there will be some pipe work involved too, probably involving the lifting of floorboards.

Some people want to install their new boiler in a different location, perhaps following a house refurbishment or a new extension. This is likely to take at least another half day although much depends on where you want the new boiler to be fitted in relation to your existing system.

In a nutshell, the further the boiler is being moved, the more time, effort and materials it’s going to cost the engineer, especially when you remember that gas pipes are usually hidden away under floorboards and behind walls.