What a proper installation includes
The difference between a budget installation and ours is mostly the work around the boiler rather than the boiler itself. This is what we do on every job.
Sizing from the property, not the old boiler
We size the boiler from the radiators, bathrooms and occupants rather than matching whatever was there before. Oversized boilers are common in London and they cycle on and off, which burns gas and wears the boiler out faster. Getting the size right affects your bills more than the efficiency rating on the box.
Checking the gas supply will carry the boiler
This is the step most often skipped. A modern combi can draw considerably more gas than the boiler it replaces, and many London properties have a 15mm gas run that suited an old system boiler and will not supply a new combi. If the pipe cannot deliver the volume, the boiler underperforms or locks out, and no amount of servicing will fix it. We calculate the gas rate, upgrade the run where it is needed, and tell you before the job rather than after.
Cleaning the system before the new boiler goes on
Manufacturers require the system to be cleaned before a new boiler is fitted, and most will decline a warranty claim if it was not. We flush the system, add inhibitor and fit a magnetic filter. Fitting a new heat exchanger onto twenty years of sludge is the quickest way to destroy it.
Flue, condensate and clearances
The flue has to terminate a set distance from windows, doors and boundaries, and where it runs through a void there have to be inspection hatches so it can be seen. The condensate needs a route to a suitable drain, correctly sized and insulated where it runs outside. Get that wrong and you have a frozen pipe and a dead boiler in the first cold week of the year.
Commissioning and paperwork
We commission the boiler with a flue gas analyser, record the readings, complete the Benchmark book and register the guarantee with the manufacturer. We notify Building Regulations through Gas Safe and you receive the certificate. Without that notification the installation is not compliant, and it surfaces when you come to sell the property.
The Benchmark record matters afterwards too. Your 10 year guarantee depends on the boiler being serviced every year and the record being signed each time.