Are your reviews verified?
Yes via Which? Trusted Traders. We made the choice to predominantly collect reviews via our Which? Trusted Traders platform. The reason for this is all reviews are verified as being genuine and a true customer of Boilers Direct. Which? Trusted Traders will only publish reviews that have been through a stringent moderation process. You can be confident these reviews are an accurate representation of the service we provide. Read our verified reviews.
Do I have to pay a deposit for boiler installation?
No. We do not require deposits for any work we carry out. From small jobs to boiler replacements and full central heating. Upon satisfactory completion of a job, we will invoice for the price agreed. You can rest assured a quote from us, is the price you pay.
Is your work guaranteed and are you insured?
Yes – to both. Work carried out by Boilers Direct is covered for a period of 12-months. We will replace or repair, free of charge, mechanical or electrical breakdown due to defective workmanship or materials. Boiler installations are covered under the manufacturer’s warranty of normally between 10 or 12 years (provided the boiler is serviced annually). We hold Public Liability Insurance up to £2 million and Employers Liability Insurance up to £5 million.
Are you endorsed or accredited?
Yes – to both. We are Endorsed by Which? Trusted Traders: a scheme to recognise reputable and trustworthy traders who have successfully passed a rigorous assessment process. We are trained Ideal Max Accredited Installers, which allows us to provide you with extended boiler warranties up to 12-years. We are also experienced Gas Safe Registered Engineers who are qualified to work legally on gas appliances. We have a long list of qualifications and years of experience - you can rest assured you are in safe and reliable hands.
Will I receive a Building Regulations Compliance Certificate for my new boiler?
Yes. All our installations are registered with the manufacturer to ensure your warranty does not lapse and with the Gas Safe Register. On completion, you will receive a warranty certificate and a Building Regulations Compliance Certificate (you will need this if you ever decide to sell your property).
Will you arrive on time and the date agreed?
Yes. We pride ourselves on timekeeping and on the rare occasions we are running late, we will call ahead and keep you updated. Here is our 5-point commitment to you:
1) We arrive on time in one of our sign written vans and in uniform.
2) We aim to make you feel comfortable, carrying out our work with integrity, to a high standard.
3) We lay poly-backed dust sheets to protect your property and wear overshoes to protect carpets.
4) We leave your home tidy, using our own vacuum cleaner where required.
5) We demonstrate and explain to you in full how to use your boiler and heating controls.
Who will register the boiler?
We will register your new boiler with the manufacturer for its warranty. We will also register your boiler with the Gas Safe Register for the building regs requirements. We will email or post your boiler warranty certificate and building regulations compliance certificate.
What does the warranty cover?
Generally, the manufacturer’s warranty will cover every component within the boiler casing. This includes parts and labour for repairing the boiler should anything go wrong. Ideal Heating can be contacted 364 days a year on 01482 498660. Ideal Heating believe in a high-quality service all year round and endeavour to get an engineer to your home the same day of your call, or the following day. The central heating system such as motorised valves, radiator valves and pipework are not covered under the warranty. Any new pipework or valves fitted by us will be covered under our 12-month warranty.
How often does my boiler need servicing?
The boiler needs to be serviced annually for the warranty to remain valid. This can be carried out by us annually at £84.00 inc VAT. We provide a full service of the boiler in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, clean the system filter, perform a gas tightness test and flue gas analysis. Lastly, we annotate and stamp the back of your service manual providing a record of maintenance.
What does low water pressure mean?
Low water pressure is a common and usually straight forward problem to fix. Modern systems are filled with cold water from the mains supply, this is done manually using a filling loop. Your boiler requires the system to have sufficient water to operate safely. Each boiler has a water pressure sensor, and the boiler will not operate when pressures drop below a safe level. Usually, a common reaction is to blame the boiler, but in fact the boiler is working exactly as it should and alerting you to the fact there is not enough water for the system to operate correctly. There are several causes of low water pressure in the system. The first and most likely is that air takes a couple of days to settle and a few days after a new boiler installation it is possible you may need to top up the boiler. Another cause is when radiators are vented. Venting a radiator (also known as bleeding a radiator) is the process of removing air from radiators which causes a change in the water pressure. Repressurise the system using the filling loop (please see dedicated guide in your boiler information pack). Top up the system to approximately 1 to 1.5 bar when the system is cold. In general, the system will require topping up around once or twice a year. If you are topping up more frequently then water is being lost somewhere on the system. This is either due to a leak on pipework or radiator valves or it could be an issue with boiler. Further investigation would be required to attempt to trace and repair any leaks or identify if the boiler is at fault. With a new boiler it is often the system at fault rather than the boiler.
How does a combi boiler work?
A combi boiler is responsible for both heating and hot water demands at your property. Heating is controlled by the energy saving wireless programmable thermostat installed as standard, this monitors the room temperature and depending on your settings the boiler will heat your radiators to achieve your desired room temperature at the times specified. Hot water is on demand and controlled as and when hot taps are used. With a combi boiler you have unlimited hot water, cold water is fed directly from the mains supply and is heated within the boiler. A combi boiler prioritises hot water over central heating, meaning radiators and hot water cannot be heated simultaneously.
How many litres per minute of hot water be achieved?
The output of your boiler will dictate how much hot water can be heated per minute (this information can be found in your boiler quotation pack). The most popular output is 30kW, this boiler can achieve a flow rate of 12.4 litres per minute at 35ºC temperature rise. An example of this is if the incoming cold water temperature is 10ºC the boiler will be able to increase this by 35ºC at a flow rate of 12.4 litres per minute. Meaning the hot water temperature will be 45ºC. To heat the water to hotter temperatures just reduce the flow rate, this allows the boiler more time to heat the water to hotter temperatures. This may mean reducing the flow rate of your hot tap during a cold winter when incoming temperatures are lower. It is also worth noting that stated litres per minute is reliant on the incoming mains water pressure and flow rate. As a rule of thumb, we suggest opening your hot tap fully for a few seconds, then reducing the flow to about half and wait until hot water reaches the tap, then you can open the tap to your desired flow rate. How water temperatures can be set on your boiler using the control knob labelled with the tap symbol.
What is preheat and should I use it?
Preheat is related to hot water, the boiler will continually keep the heat exchanger warm so hot water is more responsive. When you open a hot tap, the water in the pipes will arrive first, this will most likely be cold depending on the last time the tap was used, the boiler then fires up and sends hot water to the tap you are using. Preheat will reduce the time taken to heat the water up to temperate and reduce the waiting time to get to the hot tap. However, this comes at a cost, the boiler will periodically fire up, even during the night therefore additional gas will be used. For more economical operation we suggest keeping preheat switched off. The only time we may suggest otherwise is if your boiler is located far from hot water outlets.
How do I control my heating?
All combi boilers we install will be accompanied by an energy saving programmable room thermostat. With this equipment you can choose when and at what room temperature the boiler will switch on. For example, if the room temperature was 18ºC and you had a set temperature of 20ºC the boiler will send hot water to your radiators until the room temperature increases to 20ºC. The system will then maintain this temperature until it is no longer required. We utilise OpenTherm when wiring the boiler. The thermostat is then able to communicate more precisely with the boiler and provide more precise control by adjusting the flow temperature. This will mean room temperatures are more consistent and the boiler will be condensing for longer, saving energy.
What flow temperature should I set on my boiler?
Not to be confused with the temperature of a room. You can also set the temperature of the water going to each radiator. This can be achieved using the control knob labelled with the radiator symbol. The old school of thought was 80ºC flow temperatures. However as heating systems have improved and the thermal efficiency of homes has also improved, we can now run boilers at a lower temperature. As a rule of thumb, we set the flow temperature to 70ºC this will allow a cooler return temperature and thus the boiler will be condensing for longer, which in turn makes the boiler more efficient. The lower the flow temperature the more efficient the boiler will be. However, there is a trade-off between setting a low flow temperature and effectively heating your home. If it is a cold day you may struggle to heat the rooms sufficiently at a low flow temperature. If you want to maximise efficiencies, we recommend a reactive approach by setting the flow temperature depending on the weather conditions. Lower the flow temperature in 5ºC increments and find the best balance between efficiency and comfortably heating your home. For a more hands off approach set the flow temperature to 70ºC. We only recommend reducing the flow temperate on combi boilers as if you have stored hot water, higher temperatures are required to kill legionella bacteria.
How do Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRVs) work?
We highly recommend Thermostatic Radiators Valves (TRVs) to be fitted on all radiators except for one which acts as a bypass. TRVs measure the ambient room temperature and close the valve when the temperature has been reached and therefore saving energy. Below is a rule of thumb for approximate temperatures when setting TRVs.
0 = Off
* = 7°C
1 = 10°C
2 = 15°C
3 = 20°C
4 = 25°C
5 = 30°C
For TRVs to work, the system will need to be calling for heat from the room thermostat. Heated water will flow to each radiator and heat the rooms. However, if you do not want a room to be as warm as others, the TRV will stop the flow when the temperature is reached. If the temperature drops the valve will open and let heated water through until the desired room temperature is reached. TRVs do not alter the temperature of the water, they restrict the flow when temperatures are reached. Some radiators will not come on if room temperatures are above the set temperatures. This means you are not heating the whole house unnecessarily, reducing energy usage and saving money.
