When you go through your instant quote we have developed a comprehensive list of questions over years of research and working with many thousands of customers. Your answers to these questions enable us to identify what type and size of boiler you require. Before we install your new boiler one of our Gas Safe qualified technical specialists will review the proposed installation to ensure that everything runs smoothly.

There is not a set installation cost as there are many variables to consider such as the size and type of boiler, the route of the flue, any extra radiators etc. Prices can start from as little as £1,900.00 including VAT, however if you require a large (KW output) boiler, a complicated flue route, new boiler location or any other extras on top of the boiler installation the price will be higher. If you complete our series of questions you will be offered a clear and concise breakdown, which explains what costs are associated to which aspect of the work.

Swale Heating have been trading for over 50 years, so we’ve installed and serviced thousands of boilers. We are an independent, family-owned company with no manufacturer ties which means our focus is on the most important thing – you, our customers and the best products for your individual needs.

Swale Heating have over 300 Gas Safe qualified engineers. This means that we are often able to get your installation started as quickly as 24 hours after your order is confirmed should you require.

Yes, all Swale Heating engineers go through a rigorous quality vetting process and we only employ engineers who are certified, experienced and deliver the highest quality of customer service.

All of our surveyors have been Gas Safe qualified engineers. We firmly believe that anyone who is talking to you about an upgrade or a new boiler installation should have installed and worked with boilers themselves.

Yes there are finance options available. Read more about what finance options are available.

Yes, Swale Heating have operatives trained and qualified in all fuel supplies. We will need to attend your property to conduct a survey but you do not need to worry, we have all the skills required to carry out this work. You can request a visit date and time here.

Of course, we will need to conduct a survey to install any of the above solutions but yes Swale Heating can install any heating solution and water softeners you would like. Click the request a home visit button on the homepage to get an accurate quote.

Swale Heating have over 300 Gas Safe qualified engineers on the road and we look after over 140,000 homes across the UK with breakdown, maintenance and servicing support. With your installation we give you the option to purchase one of our service and maintenance contracts. Our customer service centre is open 24/7, 52 weeks a year. Our vans are always on the road as we understand that if you find yourself in an unfortunate situation you need the peace of mind that someone is looking after you. Our Premium Boiler and Central Heating cover has unlimited call outs without any charges or excess fees.

Yes you are although this is not a standard offering so will incur a small charge, which is currently £87.00 including VAT.

Swale Heating have a number of how to and help videos on our website which may be able to help you. Alternatively use our live chat or WhatsApp options on our website where we will assist you or can organise for one of our qualified engineers to attend your property.

Whilst our operatives will strive to take all the stress and work away from you we do require that you make access (including moving any furniture/ belongings that may prohibit works) to any of the working parts of your heating system so that we are able to work on the installation easily. In some cases we may request that we deliver the materials for your installation in advance of work commencing to ensure that on the day of the installation the works go as smoothly as possible. In this event please make sure that you are in the property for the allotted time and store the materials in a dry and safe location.

Throughout our online buying process we will give you access to our T’s and C’s. You can also find them detailed below:

• Installation Terms & Conditions
• Gas Boiler Service & Maintenance Terms & Conditions

Do not worry, please use our helpful jargon buster below or contact the Sales Team on 0800 731 33 44.

COMBI BOILER

A combination boiler, commonly referred to as a ‘Combi boiler’, provides two main functions.
Firstly it helps to provide a high level of efficient hot water on demand. It does this by heating your mains cold water supply as it flows through the boiler, helping to give you a continuous supply of hot water. This water is then sent around the property for use at hot water outlets such as taps, showers and baths.

Secondly, the Combi boiler provides a property with the hot water needed for your home’s central heating, helping to provide warmth by heating up the radiators within your home.
Both hot water heating and central heating elements are combined within the one unit, helping to give this boiler its name.

CONTROLS

In most cases, your new heating system will require at least a few new controls. These include: programmers, room thermostats, hot water cylinder thermostats, 2-port and 3-port valves. Motorised valves divert heat between your radiators and your hot water allowing individual control of both, for example, in the Summer you are unlikely to want your radiators on but will still require your boiler to heat your hot water.

The specification which your home requires depends very much on the size and design of your property, together with the expectations you have regarding the characteristics of your new heating system. The controls are specifically designed to give you total control of your system.

CONDENSATE

Along with heat, when gas or oil is burned within your boiler condensation is also created. This can be seen in the gases which plume out from the boiler, something that is especially noticeable in cold weather. However, in addition to this condensate being discharged in the air, condensate also collects inside the boiler and is drained away either inside or outside your home. This is safe and nothing to worry about. 

ErP

The Energy-related Products directive (commonly known as ErP) refers to the new legislation that came into force from the 26th September 2015 concerning the way products are labelled with efficiency information.

All water heaters, boilers and other heating products up to 70kW produced from this date for use in domestic and light commercial premises must now be supplied with an ErP label that clearly displays all the relevant efficiency information.

This new efficiency criteria has been brought in across the European Union in order to make end users more aware of the efficiency levels of the products and appliances they are using on a day to day basis. The labels will state minimum performance specifications that relate to efficiency and emissions limits for each appliance.

As a result, all boilers produced by manufacturers after 26 September 2015 will come with an ErP label and will have been built to align with the new ErP requirements in mind.

FLUE

The flue is the part of the boiler which allows exhaust gases to exit the boiler. The flue is typically situated directly behind the boiler enabling waste gases to exit safely straight out of the external wall of your home.

FULLY PUMPED

If your system is gravity fed, we will need to convert it to a ‘Fully Pumped’ system. This is a requirement of new high efficiency boilers. The advantage of this is that your new system will run far more efficiently, and this means your boiler will be on for a shorter period, thus reducing your gas consumption.

FUSED SPURS

A Fused Spur is an electric point with its own removable fuse and an isolation switch. Current regulations require your new boiler to have an electricity supply from a fused spur, as this ensures that when an engineer carry’s out routine maintenance on your boiler, there is no danger of electrocution. The engineer is able to turn off the switch and remove the fuse and carry out the service without the danger of someone accidentally switching on the appliance.

If your existing boiler does not have a fused spur, then we will need to fit a new one close to the new boiler position. This will be carried out by a fully qualified and approved electrician, which if it’s required we have arranged and included in your quotation.

GAS SAFE REGISTER

It is imperative that anyone who installs or maintains the gas appliances in your home is a qualified Gas Safe heating engineer. This ensures that they are fully compliant with the latest rules and regulations concerning gas installations and repairs and hold the necessary qualifications needs to undertake gas work in a safe and effective manner. 

All qualified gas safe engineers are fully compliant with the latest regulations. As the largest independent heating company in the South East of England, all of Swale Heating’s engineers are fully compliant with. Our company Gas Safe registration number is 6494 – for more information please visit the Gas Safe website. 

HOT WATER CYLINDER

A hot water cylinder allows you to store hot water within your property, so that you have a supply ready to use when you need it at hot water outlets in your kitchen and bathrooms (e.g. taps and baths). If you do have a hot water cylinder it will likely be found in your airing cupboard, loft space or another discrete location within your home. 

Your requirement for a hot water cylinder will be governed by the type of boiler and heating system setup you have. For example, a combi boiler provides both central heating and hot water on demand so does not need a hot water cylinder, whereas regular and system boilers only directly address the central heating aspect so will require a hot water cylinder to enable you to enjoy hot water at the hot water outlets in your kitchen & bathrooms. 

LPG

Most common domestic boilers rely on a natural gas fuel supply however some homes who are unable to access the main natural gas grid may rely on a Liquid Petroleum Gas fuel source, more commonly known as LPG, to fuel their boiler. Typical examples include mobile homes, caravans or out buildings.

SYSTEM FILTER & MAGNACLEANSE

Over time heating systems become dirty. We need to get your system clean to ensure your new boiler works well and will recommend two products, a Fernox system filter and a system clean known as a Magnacleanse. A Fernox filter provides effective magnetic and non-magnetic filtration and is simple to install and service. It provides immediate results and system protection and can cut heating energy bills by up to 6% per year. A magnacleanse provides fast and effective central heating system flushing with ongoing protection. It removes virtually ALL suspended black iron oxide, whilst the cleanser remains heated and concentrated throughout the process, which ensures its effectiveness. The process saves water as there is only disposal at the end. The addition of a Fernox domestic filter provides effective, ongoing protection for the boiler for improved performance and efficiency.

ME BONDING

ME Bonding is the electrical earth wiring in your property. This is an essential safety requirement in every home. It ensures that all metal parts of your new boiler, copper pipework and your existing bath and / or shower are all ‘earthed’ to the ground. This prevents any of the metal parts of your new heating system becoming electrically charged and prevents electric shocks.

It is very common to find homes where the earthing requires upgrading, but our Sales Consultants are aware of what to look for, and if they feel your earthing is not up to standard, they will recommend that one of our team of electricians inspect your property and advise you of any work which is required. In most cases the work will need to be carried out by your electricity supplier and is free of charge on health and safety grounds.

PROGRAMMER

Programmers allow you to stipulate when your central heating comes on. A programmer differs from a more basic timer as it offers more timing options. Timers tend to only allow you to dictate when the heating comes on over a 24 hour period, whereas a programmer lets you set different timings for different days or time zones. Common programmer options include 24 hour, 7 days or 5/2 day (this is useful as you can set weekend heating rules)
Programmers can work in conjunction with a thermostat to allow you to control the temperature that your heating operates at when it is on. If you want this added control it could well be worth looking at a programmable room thermostat as this would let you set your heating timings and temperature settings from 1 device.

REGULAR BOILER

A Regular boiler or a conventional boiler as some may know it are more commonly found in older properties. Regular and System boilers are an older design of boiler but still offer great functionality and control of your home’s central heating and hot water system. A regular boiler’s two main objectives are to provide central heating and hot water to your home. The way it heats your home is by directly heating the radiators throughout the property to your desired temperature. The way it provides hot water is by heating a coil, which is fitted into your hot water cylinder in order to heat the stored water. The hot water cylinder is fed from a cold-water storage cistern (or the mains for an unvented cylinder) and a feed and expansion tank supplies the water for the heating system. 

SYSTEM BOILER

A System boiler operates in a similar fashion to that of a regular boiler. Within its system it still operates using the principle of a stored hot water cylinder, but even though they have this same attribute a System and Regular boiler differ in some crucial aspects. A System boiler directly heats your homes central heating system and also produces hot water, which is stored in your hot water cylinder. However, a system boiler has many of the major individual components of the heating and hot water system built in, which means that installation is quicker, neater, easier and more efficient. A system boiler contains the central heating pump and an expansion vessel. This removes the need for a separate feed and expansion tank and pump being fitted in to the central heating system. 

SYSTEM FLUSH

All full installations (new boiler and radiators) we carry out are ‘hot flushed’ upon completion of the work. This ensures that your new system is as clean as possible, which means it will run as efficiently as possible.

Firstly, debris which may have got in to the pipes during the installation is removed by filling the boiler with cold water and adding a cleaning agent, this is then rinsed through the entire system. Secondly, the system is filled again and this time the new boiler is fired, and the system is rinsed at high temperature, this ensures that any stray solder or ‘flux’ (the material used to connect pipes) is removed.

Finally the system is filled for the last time, and an ‘inhibitor’ is added to it, this is a chemical which helps to reduce corrosion in the system. This procedure will also be carried out for boiler changes, where we do not Powerflush the system.

THERMOSTATS

A thermostat allows you to stipulate the temperature that your central heating system works to. 

It works by switching the central heating system on and off in order to meet your specific temperature requirements. So for example, if you set your thermostat to 20 degrees then the thermostat will monitor the temperature in the air and if it drops to 19 degrees or lower then you’re your central heating will come on. Once the desired temperature is reached (in this case 20 degrees), then your central heating is then switched off. 

This allows you to make efficient use of your central heating by only using it when you feel you need it, helping you to save you money and improve your carbon footprint all in one go! 
Typically installed in one of the most used rooms in the home, thermostats come in all shapes from a variety of different manufacturers. The level of control that you get varies depending on the device you choose, so there’s plenty out there to meet varying requirements. 

Programmable room thermostats are probably the most popular as they allow you to stipulate different temperature settings for different times (the options depend on the device you go for). So for example, you could set your central heating to come on every morning at 8am for 2 hours while you get ready for work and operate at 20 degrees and then get it to turn off throughout the day until 6pm when you come home and want it to operate for 3 hours at 22 degrees. In addition to the digital and mechanical room thermostats available, there are now also a range of internet-controlled thermostats available which offer even more flexibility and control – click here for more information. 

TRV'S

TRVs are Thermostatic Radiator Valves and these can be fitted in place of your existing radiator valves. Part L Building Regulations published by the Government recommend the use of TRVs as they are an energy saving product. They allow you to set individual heating levels in each of the rooms they are fitted. When the heating system is turned on, the radiator will heat up to the pre-determined level you have set. 

The valve will then automatically turn itself on and off to maintain the desired room temperature, until the heating is switched off. TRVs can help to save energy and consequently reduce your gas bill as they stop your heating system wasting unnecessary heat 

WASTE COLLECTION AND DISPOSAL

We will ensure that we remove all redundant materials from your property, including your old boiler. Furthermore, all waste is graded and as much as possible is recycled. All waste which cannot be recycled is disposed of responsibly and safely.

In accordance with Part L building regulations Swale Heating will conduct a hot flush on every installation we complete. During this process, we will also add inhibitor to your system to help prevent future scale build up.

This is not a standard part of an installation. You can however request that a Magnacleanse is conducted to clean out sludge from your radiators. The below video explains how this process works:

Swale Heating will clear all of the rubbish from your installation. If you would like to keep any of the old parts this is of course no problem.

Yes we can and we regularly do. Due to potential complications around gas supplies, electrical supplies and flue routes “together with working at height” we will need to conduct a survey at the property prior to the installation commencing.

Swale Heating will register your newly installed boiler with the manufacturer on your behalf for warranty purposes. You will need to organise for an annual service to be conducted on your boiler by a Gas Safe registered engineer (like Swale Heating) every year around the anniversary date of the installation to keep the warranty valid (subject to individual manufacturer T&C’s and exclusions). We will contact you and offer our services when your service is due. Our products can also be found here.

Yes – provided that you tell us you have changed your mind, please phone us on 0800 731 33 44 to do this. Our Installation T&C’s are attached below which state your cancellation rights: Installation T&C’s

The flue is the part of the boiler which allows exhaust gases to exit the boiler. The flue is typically situated directly behind the boiler enabling waste gases to exit safely straight out of the external wall of your home.

The gas pipe is located from a valve from the underneath of the boiler, and sometimes has gas tape on it.

A condense pipe is a white plastic pipe about the same width as a thumb that comes from underneath the boiler and runs to a main waste pipe or an external gulley or down pipe.