Ideally, you should clear all space around the areas where you anticipate access will be required to make life easier for the installer. 5. Your hot water demand – bathrooms, ensuites etc There are calculations that your installer will be able to make based on your room specification and he or she will be able to recommend the correct size radiator. It’s not good enough to simply guess the size when a simple calculation taking a few minutes will give you an exact size.

Further reading: Energy Companies Obligation and Free Insulation – Green Deal Affordable Warmth Obligation

If you have a regular or system boiler (i.e. a boiler that also uses a cylinder, hot water tank, expansion tank in the loft) and want to convert to a new condensing and efficient combi boiler then additional pipework modifications will need to be made. Often the hot water tank is in the landing cupboard or bathroom or other inconvenient place and you might want it out of the way. Are you eligible? Again, you’ll need to be receiving certain grants to qualify and either be renting privately or own your own home. If you’re in social housing you might still be able to get help but, usually, only if heating is being installed for the first time. Registering the boiler is a must. It lets the manufacturer know when the boiler was installed and who installed it and whether it was installed legally. The installation date will also let the manufacturer know when the guarantee period starts.

Rerouting new pipework can add considerable expense as well. Beware of companies taking shortcuts, or indeed, charging more for lifting carpets and floorboards. Also note, there are strict rules regarding how pipework is laid in joists and how far you can cut into them. There is a maximum size the ‘notch’ can be cut in a joist and care should be taken. All pipework should be laid or clipped properly and to current standards, not left hanging loose. Resiting a boilerIf you’ve got a system boiler and now want to opt for a more efficient combi boiler you might want to free up some space in your loft or airing cupboard. You might consider having the new boiler fitted in a garage or spare bedroom; sometimes the location you decide (e.g. near the gas meter) can save you money.

You may have heard about the Warm Front scheme but this was replaced by the Affordable Warmth Obligation. It’s part of the ECO scheme and provides help with the cost of replacing or repairing your boiler, as well as help with other energy-saving measures. They also offer advice and tips on other upgrades to your heating.

If you want to size up your own radiator then you’ll need this BTU calculator, and the height, width, and length of the room, as well as the type of glazing in the room. 12. Power flushing your system or flushing your system Now, that’s not bad at all considering the average UK household uses an average of 3,000kWh. However, because the boiler cannot store the electricity it is producing, it needs to be used at the same time it is being produced. That means you might not be receiving the full benefits of the saving if you have a smaller property, with fewer people living in it, using more electricity than the average household. If you’re using the manual valves to control your radiator (the valves with the ‘+’ or ‘-‘ signs) then you probably don’t realise that you’re not controlling (or reducing) the temperature of the radiator – you’re actually reducing the flow of the water through the radiator. If you’re turning the wrong valve then you’re probably causing problems with how the system is ‘balanced’ and might have some radiators not hot enough and others too hot. An installers job, having fitted new central heating, is to balance the system. If the wrong valves are turned this can sometimes cause problems. Boiler manufacturers who offer long parts and labour guarantees will attend your boiler breakdown and if they suspect your system has not been chemically cleansed, they can refuse to honour the guarantee in accordance with their terms and conditions. As mentioned above, it’s a simple test to prove or disprove the presence of inhibitor.