New Boiler Folkestone

New boiler installation in Folkestone

A boiler is a ten to fifteen year decision, and the difference between a good installation and a cheap one rarely shows on the first day. It shows in year four, when the system that was never flushed starts killing the pump, or when the warranty claim gets refused because the paperwork was never completed.

We survey at the property before quoting, and the figure we give you is the figure you pay.

Combi, system or regular

Combi. Heats water on demand. No cylinder, no loft tank, so you get the airing cupboard back. Ideal for one bathroom homes and flats where space is tight. The limitation is that a combi heats one outlet at a time, so if two showers run together you will be disappointed, and no amount of boiler size fixes that.

System. Works alongside a hot water cylinder with most components built in. The right answer for two or more bathrooms and larger households where several outlets get used at once.

Regular, sometimes called heat only. Cylinder plus loft tank. Usually specified when replacing like for like in an older property where converting would mean significant pipework changes for little gain.

Converting from regular to combi

People often assume this is a straight swap priced like one. It is not.

It means removing the cylinder and loft tanks, altering pipework throughout, and frequently upgrading the incoming main because a combi asks far more of it than a gravity system ever did. It is often the right decision, particularly where the airing cupboard is worth reclaiming, but it should be priced honestly at the start rather than discovered halfway through.

It is also the wrong decision more often than it gets sold. In the larger detached houses around Saltwood and on the newer estates at Hawkinge and Ashford, a system boiler with a properly sized unvented cylinder will serve a family far better than any combi.

Sizing, and why oversizing is the industry default

Most boilers fitted in this country are bigger than the house needs, because oversizing is the safe option for an installer who has not done a calculation.

An oversized boiler cycles on and off constantly, never settles into efficient operation, wears its components faster and costs more to run for the whole time you own it.

We size on a heat loss calculation for your property, taking account of external wall and window area, insulation and exposure, rather than counting bedrooms. It takes a couple of hours during the survey and it affects your bills for the next decade.

What is included

• New boiler and filling loop

• Magnetic system filter fitted as standard

• Chemical flush or full power flush, depending on the state of your system

• Corrosion inhibitor dosed

• Thermostatic radiator valves where required

• All flue work and condensate pipework, routed to avoid freezing

• Gas supply upgraded if the existing run is inadequate

• Building Control notification

• Warranty registered on your behalf

• Old boiler removed and disposed of

We install Worcester Bosch, Vaillant, Ideal and Baxi, with manufacturer warranties running from 5 to 12 years depending on the model, conditional on annual servicing.

The flush is not an upsell

Fitting a new boiler onto a system full of sludge is the most common way installations go wrong, and it is why some people find their expensive new boiler performs no better than the old one.

The sludge is still in the radiators and pipework. It circulates straight into the new heat exchanger, restricts flow, causes overheat lockouts and eventually destroys the pump. Most manufacturers now require a magnetic filter to be fitted for the warranty to stand, precisely because they got tired of paying for it.

If you are getting quotes and nobody has mentioned flushing or a filter, that is worth asking about. See power flushing and why radiators develop cold spots.

Condensate routing, which matters more here than you think

Every condensing boiler drains acidic condensate through a plastic pipe, and where that pipe runs outside it freezes in cold weather and shuts the boiler down.

We route condensate internally wherever the layout allows, and where it must go outside we increase the diameter and lag it properly. That is a design decision made at installation, and getting it right means you are not calling anyone out on the first hard frost every year.

It matters particularly on exposed sites, so up on the downs at Hawkinge, on the clifftop at Capel-le-Ferne and along the escarpment at Lympne. See boiler repair.

"We've used this company several times and they've been fantastic. They're incredibly responsive and always take the time to explain different options, making sure we understand what's best for our home and budget. The quality of their work is consistently excellent."

Max Rowe, Google review

Why we survey rather than quote from a form

Online boiler quotes are generated from a handful of dropdown answers. They cannot see your gas supply, your flue route, the condition of your existing system or whether the incoming main can support what you are being sold.

Those four things are exactly what determines the real price, which is why fixed online quotes so often change once someone actually arrives.

We come and look, then give you a written quote that holds. Our guide on how to prepare for a new boiler installation covers what to sort beforehand, and questions to ask before approving a plumbing quote is worth reading before you commit to anyone, ourselves included.

How long it takes

A straight swap is usually a single day. Conversions and relocations take two to three.

You will be without heating and hot water while the work is done, and we tell you exactly which days when we book rather than leaving you to work it out. In older properties around the Folkestone terraces and Dover, where pipework has been altered by several owners, we allow for the surprises rather than pretending they never happen.

"Fantastic experience. On time, on budget and an excellent standard of work."

Google review

Grants, honestly

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme applies to heat pumps and biomass. It does not apply to gas boilers. If anyone tells you there is a government grant available towards a new gas boiler, that is not correct.

Off grid properties

Around Lyminge, Elham, Sellindge and across the Marsh at New Romney and Dymchurch, mains gas is patchy. Oil and LPG installations are covered on our oil and LPG page.

After installation

Annual servicing is a condition of every manufacturer warranty, so it is not optional if you want the cover you have paid for. We book your first service twelve months ahead at the point of installation. See boiler servicing.

It is also the right moment to think about controls, since a new boiler paired with weather compensation or a properly set programmer will outperform the same boiler running flat out. See heating controls and central heating.

Where we work

Folkestone, Hythe, Sandgate, Seabrook, Saltwood, Hawkinge, Capel-le-Ferne, Lympne, Lyminge, Elham, Sellindge, Dymchurch, New Romney, Dover and Ashford.

Common questions

How do I know if I need a new boiler or just a repair? Rough rule: if the repair costs more than a third of a new boiler and yours is over twelve years old, replacing usually wins. Under eight, repairing almost always does.

Can I move the boiler somewhere else? Usually yes, though it adds pipework, flue and condensate work, and it turns a one day job into two or three.

Do I need my radiators changed too? Not normally. If the heat loss calculation shows a room is underserved, we will tell you which radiator is undersized rather than replacing the lot.

What happens to my old boiler? Removed and disposed of by us, included in the price.

Will a new boiler cut my bills? If you are replacing something old and inefficient, noticeably. If your current boiler is already a modern condensing model in good order, far less, and we will say so.

Call +44 7915 255984 for a boiler quote in Folkestone.