Central Heating Installation
With temperatures starting to rise, have you given a sigh of relief that your old central heating system has managed to struggle through another winter? Perhaps you’re fed up with increasing boiler breakdowns and ever climbing heating bills, or maybe you just have a heating system downstairs, and want to extend it upstairs. Whatever the reason, a new central heating installation needs careful planning to meet your personal requirements.
Planning your new central heating installation
A new central heating system can be a costly project for anybody, and serious thought needs to be put in at the planning stage. Not least the budget available to obtain the desired result. The cost obviously will depend on the size of your property, family members, average amount of hot water used daily, type of boiler, number and size of radiators required, and the level of heat you want to obtain. Also, the quality of your existing thermal insulation will have a bearing on the output required from the boiler, to keep your home warm through the colder months.
With so many points to be discussed, No1 PHD system’s heating engineers will be happy to cover in depth the steps needed to provide the system you want. For now, we’ll just concentrate the main points, and how you can trim your installation to suit your budget.
The boiler
The boiler is the powerhouse of any central heating system, and the one thing that shouldn’t be skimped. Your finished heating system will only ever be as good as the engine that powers it. Although natural gas is the most common, and most popular fuel to power your boiler, other fuels include Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG), oil, and solid fuels such as coal, logs, and biomass, which heat the water in a back-boiler. In this instance we’ll concentrate on a wall mounted gas fired boiler. Please have a chat with one of No1 PHD heating engineers if you’re considering the use of solid fuel.
A radiator is a radiator
Well, pretty much. There are two basic types of radiators, but both serve to heat the surrounding air, and hence the room they are in. Although more pleasing in design, modern standard radiators operate in exactly the same way as their old heavy iron forebears. The air surrounding the radiator rises as it heats, and is replaced by cold air from the bottom. Convector radiators have small fins, which increases the heated area’s contact with the cold air. Again, the warm air rises and cold air replaces it. Although a standard radiator takes a little longer to warm up and is hotter to the touch, they are cheaper to buy and have a longer serviceable life time.
Pipework and fittings
Over recent years, plastic pipe and push fittings have become increasingly popular for central heating installations, and are perfectly safe when correctly fitted. Chat to your No1 PHD plumber about whether you prefer a full copper pipe system over a plastic push-fit system. Although plastic push-fit is not as visually appealing as copper, it meets all the required building regulations, is cheaper to buy, and quicker to fit. Hence an installation using plastic should cost out cheaper than one using all copper.
Don’t forget the thermostats
While your central heating installation may only be as good as the boiler that runs it, the economic efficiency of the system will only be as good as the thermostats used to govern it – and there are plenty of those to choose from. Digital and analogue thermostats, wireless thermostats, room thermostats, radiator thermostats, and zone heating thermostats, all can have a part to play in the efficiency of your central heating installation.
Although digital thermostats are more accurate than analogue units, and therefore more energy efficient, they are also more expensive. One of our central heating technical staff will be pleased to go through the types of thermostats available and highlight those best suited to your needs.
Helping budget the cost of your central heating installation
While a full new central heating system might be the ambition, limited funds may be the reality, but don’t despair. Spread the cost of your installation over a more manageable period. Ask your friendly No1 PHD heating engineer to look over your system. You can get just a new boiler to begin the conversion, and maybe add a thermostat or two to improve efficiency. Ask your heating engineer to flush the heating system for you, but keep your current radiators for a time, and add radiator thermostats to make them more efficient.
No1PHD local heating engineers are happy to go through the whole budgeting process with you. All our quotes are totally transparent, and set out item by item to help you work within your budget. Whatever the final cost of your new central heating installation, it shouldn’t be viewed as an expense, but as an investment. Think years of trouble free operation after your warranty period, and beginning to recoup the outlay when your first lower energy bill drops through the letterbox. Call us now on 08006906777 for all your central heating needs.
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After noticing that the house was unusually cold, we found that the heating wasn’t coming on and that our hot water had also failed. We called the team at No 1 PHD who dispatched an engineer to investigate. After discovering that the culprit was a faulty boiler part, they ordered in a new part and got it fitted as quickly as possible. The guys were great, and we couldn’t be happier.
Mr Lincoln
For days, we’ve noticed a foul smell coming from outside and a gurgling sound coming from one of the drains. Whenever it would rain, the area around it would flood slightly and take ages to drain. We tried buying drain unblockers, but none seemed effective. Eventually, we turned to No 1 PHD and were left wondering why we didn’t do this sooner.
Mrs Griffin
