Heating advice
for London homeowners
Straight answers to the questions we get asked on the doorstep, written by the engineer who does the work.
Worth reading before you buy
Boiler pressure: too low, too high, and why it will not stay put
What the gauge should actually read, where the filling loop really is on a system boiler, and what it means when the pressure keeps dropping or climbs on its own.
Read the guide ›A gurgling boiler, and the pipe nobody looks at
Why a frozen or blocked condensate pipe stops a boiler dead, the noise that gives it away, and the pipe size rule a lot of installations still do not follow.
Read the guide ›No hot water, but the heating is fine
Two reasons that are not faults at all, the one-minute test for a combi diverter valve, and why a cylinder takes an hour to come back after a pressure top-up.
Read the guide ›Your boiler will not light. Five things to check before the expensive one
An ignition fault is rarely the part people are told it is. The order we work through it, why the PCB comes last, and the two checks that cost nothing.
Read the guide ›Your shower goes hot, then cold, then hot again
What makes hot water cycle rather than simply run cold, when it is the boiler and when it is the tap, and why a blocked plate means more than a plate.
Read the guide ›Your heating bill has gone up and nothing has changed
Three things worth checking, in order. Two of them you can sort out yourself this afternoon. The third one needs an engineer and is the one that costs the most.
Read the guide ›A new boiler on a dirty system
The line on a boiler quote most people never look for, why it is the first thing cut when a quote is undercut, and what the manufacturers say about the warranty.
Read the guide ›Major gas leaks on work done within the last year
What we found on several recent jobs, what the regulations ask for after gas work, and why we check for a leak before and after every job.
Read the guide ›Two boiler quotes, £400 apart. What is actually different?
Five things to check on a boiler quote before you sign it: the model, the warranty, the flush and filter, hard water, Boiler Plus and the Gas Safe number.
Read the guide ›Combi or cylinder - which suits your home?
How to tell which your home needs, what each costs as a rough guide, and what to do when there is no room for a cylinder.
Read the guide ›Do I qualify for a boiler grant?
Who qualifies, who does not, and where to apply. ECO4, council schemes and the £7,500 heat pump grant, checked against GOV.UK.
Read the guide ›A local installer or British Gas?
The same boilers, the same guarantees, the same rules. What is different between a local installer and a national company, and how to compare the two.
Read the guide ›Your condensing boiler is probably not condensing
The one dial nobody shows you, why turning it down does not make the house colder, and how to do the 60 degree check tonight.
Read the guide ›One radiator cold? Check this before you bleed it
Where the cold part sits tells you whether it is air, sludge or the valve, and in two cases out of three bleeding it will not help.
Read the guide ›How much does a new boiler cost in London?
What actually moves the price, and what a cheap quote usually leaves out. Written from real London jobs, not a price calculator.
Read the guide ›Worcester, Vaillant or Baxi - which should you choose?
All three are good boilers. Here is how they compare on size, guarantee, price and reliability, from an installer who fits all three.
Read the guide ›Want a clear, fixed price for your own home?
Written down before any work starts - so there are no surprises on install day. London & surrounding areas.
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