Buying a new boiler can be like a minefield. So let me help you out by giving you a bit of inside information, and the places where you should be looking to do your research.
The first thing you need to understand when looking into a new boiler is, understanding your hot water requirements. If you have multiple bathrooms in your property then a combi boiler is not going to be up to the job. You will need some stored hot water.
A Little bit About Combi Boilers
When sizing up for a new boiler on your central heating side, if you allow around 1.5kw per radiator it gives you a good indication of the output you need for your central heating. For example a 3 bed house with 9 radiators would require around 13.5kw for your central heating side.
When carrying out your research for a new boiler, you should be looking at the spec of the boiler and particularly the output for the central heating. Although the boiler might be a 30kw, it may only deliver 24kw on the central heating side. The boiler produces 30kw at its maximum rate. Which is on the hot water side. This is why it is so important to test your cold-water main flow rate coming in to your property. This is how we size up a combi boiler properly.
Tips of What to Research
First thing you need to determine is how you use your hot water - If you have multiple bathrooms or run more than one tap at a time then a combi boiler is no good. You will need some stored hot water. Do a little research in to what system will work best for your home and family.
Do research in to different boiler manufacturers - Go on which?, trustpilot, google etc and see the customer reviews who have these boilers fitted in their house, and how they rate the boiler for reliability, value and the after-care service.
Choosing the right boiler installation company - Like you did with the boiler manufacturers check out the company online. The very first place you need to check is the Gas Safe register website to see if they are registered and qualified to be working with gas boilers. Check out their website (look at the photo gallery to see their previous work), facebook page, reviews etc. If you cannot find any/much information about the company, then alarm bells should be ringing.
Public liability insurance – Ask the boiler installation for proof of their public liability insurance. We are dealing with gas and water when fitting a new boiler, so if anything does go wrong then you want to make sure that company is insured to cover any damage to your property.
Always get 3 quotes - Shop around. You must always get 3 different quotes. This will then give you a good indication of what each company can offer you.
Extended guarantee’s - Now most people won’t know this, but certain boiler installation companies will be accredited to certain boiler manufacturers. So once you have done your research into what boiler manufacturer you are thinking about using, then go on their website, and there will be a selection of local boiler installation companies who should be able to offer you an extended guarantee on your new boiler. For example, here at Platinum Boiler Installations, we are Worcester Bosch accredited installers so instead of offering our customers the standard 5 year guarantee, we can offer a 10 year guarantee completely free of charge.
Surveys – When you are having surveys carried out for your new boiler installation ensure the company are bringing out boiler literature, and talking in-depth about the different boiler options and systems. If you have done your research as stated above it will give you a better understanding, and enable you to ask more detailed questions. The MOST IMPORTANT thing when you are having a survey carried out for a new boiler installation, is to make sure they are testing your cold water main flow rate. If not, then they are just guessing at the size of the new boiler for your home. This could then undersize or oversize the boiler, costing YOU money. If they are NOT testing your cold main then I would stay well away from that company!! If you want to see a video of this, then click here
Company guarantee – Does the boiler installation company offer any guarantee on their workmanship? If so, ask how long, and get it in writing via e-mail. If they don’t offer any guarantee ask them why not!!
When looking for a boiler replacement be very careful about using online quoting tools. They DO NOT do full in-depth surveys of your property, and can cost you money and time during the boiler installation. They are great for giving you an idea of the cost for a new boiler, but I will always recommend a thorough in-depth survey. That way you will get the correct sized boiler for your property, and no surprises on the installation day itself.
If you would like any further information regarding a boiler replacement then get in touch today
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Matt Hughes
Matt Hughes is the Managing Director of Platinum Boiler Installations and his mission is to make boiler installations as simple and hassle-free for customers as possible. What Matt doesn't know about boilers simply isn't worth knowing! Connect with Matt Hughes on LinkedIn >>
Established in 2014 to provide a local, quality and affordable boiler installation service. We are a fully insured boiler installation company. Our GasSafe number is 598837.
Matt came and did a fast track installation with a days notice. He was pleasant and efficient in doing the work and made sure he covered the carpets and cleaned up when the job was finished. I would have no problem with recommending him to anyone.
Matt gave us the run down of the advantages of different systems and we chose the one right for our needs, he then ordered all the parts and fitted everything on time and as expected, although our system is fitted in the garage he still made sure everything was level and straight,In fact I’ve never seen such neat looking pipe work before… heating and hot water now work perfectly
Matt provided us with an awesome service and excellent value for money. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend him to anyone needing a new boiler or service. His pricing is clear and his service is second to none. Hes a great guy, and is highly professional. He's product is fantastic. Accredited by Worcester Bosch we won't be going anywhere else for any of our heating needs following his excellent installation work of our new boiler
I rang Platinum for a quote on a new combi boiler. Price was competitive and explained all of the necessary jobs for installation which I was pleased with.Matt and his colleague came over to Install the new boiler and removed the existing boiler and tank plus the additional water tank in the loft.The team was incredibly professional and carried out the work, effectively, efficiently and in a timely manner.Thank you for a brilliant service. True professionals within their industry.I would highly recommend them.
Platinum Boiler Installations & Matt were exceptional from start to finish. Like most people, when considering replacing a boiler I sought several survey's & quotes. During the survey with Matt, I found him to be extremely knowledgeable, friendly (yet professional) and honest. I felt 100% comfortable in his responses to my questions and he put forward a no. of alternatives that I hadn't considered previously.I was most impressed by Matt's view on customer service & support on a longer-term basis and felt this was a good fit for me when it came to future support & servicing. I also liked the fact that Matt only installs Worcester Bosch boilers making him something of a subject matter expert on them. As I'd already chosen this manufacturer, it was important to me that I selected a business that knew these boilers to an exceptionally high-level. The quote was received earlier than I expected and was the most favorable in terms of other quotations and service offerings provided.On accepting the quote, we agreed a date for installation. On the day Matt was punctual and made an immediate start. Matt & a colleague (Russ) were fantastic. Other than the obvious noise that goes hand in hand with a new boiler installation, I wouldn't have known they were there. They were tidy to the point that when they left the area they had worked in looked better than when they arrived.I can't recommend Platinum Boiler Installations highly enough & by selecting them will maintain a customer relationship with them over the next 12-years (minimum), as they maintain my boiler & in the future replace it. I like to support local businesses & the local economy and have to say, by doing so feel I get a better level of customer support as a result. that is certainly the case with Matt & Platinum Boiler Installations.
Matt from Platinum Boilers & Heating was fantastic, from start to finish it has been a pleasure doing business with him. He rang to confirm the date, time of work to complete etc. Boiler replacement. On the day I was working at home. He arrived promptly, ran through what he was going to do. Protected the kitchen surfaces and floors and got on with the job in hand. On completion he went through instructions with advice and left the kitchen really clean. All work carried out to high standards. Very professional, thank you Matt 😊.
This company was recommended to be as a local installer. I requested a quote to replace an old conventional heating system with a modern combi. They were fast to respond and the quote arrived shortly before Christmas with a very reasonable price considering the market.On the day, Matt was polite, clean and quick to work and went above and beyond what I would have expected. There have been no unexpected surprises and the job was done in the time frame planned and my house was left almost cleaner than it had been before!I would definitely recommend anyone to use this company. I am very satisfied with the service.
Couldn’t be happier with the service provided by platinum, Matt and his coworker installed my boiler in just one day and that included moving it to another location, they were friendly, efficient .incredibly tidy and made sure I knew how everything worked before they left! Couldn’t be happier thanks boys 👍🏻
Complete upgrade of central heating system from Matt at Platinum Boiler Installations. Everything was fully explained from the initial quote right through to installation. The job was completed on time and to plan. Matt was professional, very knowledgeable and clearly took pride in his work. Matt delivered a first class job and I would not hesitate to recommend Platinum!
Worcester Bosch has recommended Matt from Platinum Plumbing to do our installation .Matt was professional right from the start till the finish and the Installation of our new Boiler was flawless and thorough.We were very impressed by his time keeping and professionalism .Highly Recommended.
What a brilliant company. I called matt and he came round the same day. Gave Me a cost to fix the boiler or a cost to replace. We went for replace option. He juggled his other customers to fit our new boiler as we had no hot water or heating.He was extremely efficient and tidied before he left.We will definitely be using again and strongly recommend
No need to shop around, Platinum exceeded my expectations: great communication, on time appointment, no fuss, went beyond the job to get us back up with heat and hot water which was an urgent need. A pleasure to deal with and a great value package.
Matt came with his mate and removed my horrible electric boiler and installed an new Worcester gas boiler. Both were Extremely professional, polite and have a high standard of work. Would recommend to anyone and I will be using them in future for other jobs i have coming up
I ordered the boiler through Worcester to replace our old inefficient temperamental one and Matt called around 30 minutes later to confirm the install date he put coverings on the floor completed the installation in around 4 hours as it was a straight swap everything was left neat and tidy he took the old boiler away and before he left went through the boiler and thermostat operation so would definitely recommend thanks Matt.
We ordered our heating installation through Worcester Bosch after our boiler broke down and it was getting too expensive to upkeep.Matt was one of their recommended installers and he was very prompt with his communication, very professional and arrived well before time in the day of installation.Upon learning that we were without heating with 2 toddlers at home, he rearranged his diary to prioritise us. We wouldn’t ever go to anyone else now.
Matt and Liam recently installed a new boiler for me after my old boiler breaking.Matt and Liam were able to replace my broken boiler with a brand new Worcester Bosch boiler within a few days of contacting him.The workman was to a high standard and completed for a very good price.I will be definitely using them in the future and recommending to friends and family.
New boiler and thermostat fitted. Very quick service and very professional throughout. Took the time to explain the new thermostat to ensure we knew how to use it. Very tidy worker ensuring that all rooms were left how they were found.Definitely recommend and will use again in future if or when needed.
Matt and Liam were excellent. On time, clean, tidy and super professional. Greatly appreciated as it must be a busy time and a fair distance to come - great job, thanks guys. Wouldn’t hesitate to recommend 👍
We used Matt to remove an old boiler and install a new one at our new property. Excellent service, was quick to respond and work was to a fantastic standard. Would definitely recommend.
My 79 year old fathers boiler failed out of the blue the week before Christmas and once contacted Matt was able to source and install a new boiler in 3 days which was 1 day quicker than was originally planned. On top of being very professional he is a really nice guy and I felt comfortable leaving him in the care of the oldies.I would have no problem at all recommending Matt to anybody who requires boiler assistance.
Old bolier taken out and new boiler and nest thermostat installed, started at 8AM and was completed 14:00 same day, great service, definitely would recommend.
Would 100% recommend to anyone.Price - 10/10Time - 10/10Quality - 10/10 (Best WB boiler installed and couldn't get a quote near it)After-care - 10/10We had our boiler replaced earlier this year, around June.Matt went above and beyond in all aspects of the installation.From quote right through to install and after-care.We had our boiler replaced along with switching to a closed system, and a new (Nest) Thermostat installed.There also seemed to be some issues with our existing electrics regarding the panel all the boiler wires go to - this was also fixed.Been working like a dream since.Please use these guys!
WONDERFUL!!!! Matt got Intouch within half an hour of being given my you details by Worcester Bosch. Came round on the same day to assess the job and told me exactly what was required. He moved a couple of jobs around for me as I had no hot water or heating and have a two year old girl who needed a bath. Rang and said he could install new boiler a day earlier which was music to my ears. Turned up on-time, did a fantastic job and left the place spotless. Can't thank him enough really. Would recommend his services to anyone!!!
Absolutely wonderful service. Came out on the same day of the phone call to assess the situation, and sent a proper written quotation via email on the same day. Competitive quote with a full breakdown. Agreed to do the work on a weekend; arrived on time.Left the place spotless and only left after ensuring everything was satisfactory.A few weeks later had a potential issue and came out to assess it and advice appropriately.
The moment I spoke to Matt over the phone I knew I wanted him to fit my boiler. My career is to profile people, and within the first 10 seconds I knew he was one of the good guys. He was polite, professional and not a typical sales guy who I have experienced many time in the past when buying a new product or service. With 2 young Children at home and no heating or hot water, Matt rearranged his diary and came out straight away, on time. He covered all my floor in protective covering, and worked non stop to fit the new boiler. I was very impressed with the service, I have recommended Matt to my friends, family and work colleagues and I no doubt will always call Matt for any future servicing or if any issues arise.He is one of the decent tradesmenTop bloke, top company, top service,Top priceThank you Matt👍
