Our team of experienced central heating systems installers complete fittings in 2-3 days.
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What is a central heating system?
Central heating is the system that heats your home and warms your water. It includes the boiler, radiators, any tanks and all the pipework that heats your home.
New Boilers
Boilers provide warm water for radiators and floor heating. Boilerhut helps you decide on:
- The best boiler for your home.
- The price range of the new boiler
- Combi, system or regular boiler setup.
Combi boilers
The average price for a gas combi boiler is between £550 and £3,200.
Combi boilers provide on-demand hot water from the mains supply. We provide the best combi boiler brands and models available. These boilers:
- Don’t require a separate water tank or cylinder.
- Are well-suited for smaller homes
- Are more efficient than system or regular boilers, helping you save money
Reasons not to get a combi boiler? The hot water flow rate is limited by either the incoming cold water flow or the boiler’s maximum heating capacity, whichever is smaller. This means the hot water demand in properties with more than two bathrooms could be too high.
System boilers
The average price of a system boiler is between £750 and £2,600.
A system boiler requires a separate hot water cylinder. Heating is delivered directly from the boiler to the radiators. They use mains water pressure for efficiency. Turning on a cold water tap won’t affect the hot water. System boilers:
- Are closed-vent or sealed systems.
- Have a high volume of warm water.
- Give water to many taps or showers.
- Can be integrated with solar systems.
Reasons not to get a system boiler? System boilers need a hot water cylinder, which takes up space in your home. They can also run out of warm water if the demand is too high.
Conventional boilers
Regular boilers cost on average £650 to £2,100.
They consist of a boiler unit, a pump, a hot water cylinder, and a feed and expansion tank in the loft. The system heats cold water from the tank. Warm water goes to the radiators or is used to heat water in the hot water cylinder. Regular boilers have:
- Uncomplicated design.
- Fewer internal parts.
- Provide ample warm water.
- Ideal for large properties.
Reasons not to get a regular boiler? Regular boilers need tanks and pumps. They can also run out of hot water during high-demand periods.
Heat pump
The average cost of an air source heat pump is between £8,000 and £12,000.
Heat pumps use refrigerants to create heat and need a hot water cylinder. They feed hot water into radiators, but at a lower temperature than gas-fired boilers. Heat pumps are efficient and quiet.
The government is currently offering a £7,500 grant for heat pump installations.
Reasons not to get a heat pump? Retrofitting larger pipework and radiators can be expensive. Gas is currently three or four times cheaper than electricity, meaning there are likely no savings on energy bills. To qualify for the government grant, homes must meet specific heat loss requirements.
Radiators
Almost every room will require a radiator. The room’s size will dictate the best radiator type and size. All but one radiator must have thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs). This is so your system meets current building regulations. Pipework must be laid throughout the home to feed each radiator with warm water.
Controls
Building regulations require temperature-controlled boiler controls. We offer wireless ‘dumb’ units that allow daily timed schedules and ‘smart’ controls such as the Tado, which is controlled by an app.
Extras
A few extras are required, including: filters, chemical flushes, tundish, boiler commissioning, warranty registration, building regulations and expert handover.
Our installation process
1. Map out the heating network
You will need to consider the location of the boiler, any tanks and radiators. Boilers need:
- A gas supply.
- A flue (duct) to bring fresh air in.
- A condensate pipe leading to a drain.
Radiators need to be connected to a loop of pipework to the boiler. There is one loop per floor. Underfloor heating is on its own loop.
2. Installation of the radiators
The radiators are installed using brackets drilled into the wall. Ensuring there is enough space below the new radiator to connect to the pipework loop, which is typically 10-15cm.
3. Laying the pipework
We lay the pipework and start installing. We always recommend:
- Copper over plastic.
- Pipes running in pairs.
- Independently looped radiators.
Otherwise, each radiator in turn will cool down. If a radiator is turned off manually or by the valve, the following radiators won’t get heat. It could cause a build-up of pressure, damaging the boiler.
4. Installing the boiler
Our experienced Gas Safe-registered heating engineers install the boilers that require a gas pipe. This can run outside the house and come in through a wall or under the floor. An electrical connection will also be required.
Boiler installation should be carried out according to the manufacturer’s strict instructions. This will ensure any out-of-the-box warranty is valid.
5. Fitting the controls
Whether it’s a wireless thermostat or a smart device like a Tado. We fit the heating controls to ensure correct operation.
6. Commissioning
The system must be filled with water and air to be turned on. Each radiator’s lockshield (the valve on the ‘out’ side of the radiator) needs to be balanced. This ensures a good flow through each radiator, as water will take the easiest path.
How long do your central heating installers take?
On average, it takes 2 to 5 days to install. Installation times will vary depending on the size of your property. If you are living in the property, our installers will need to work around you, which may delay the installation.
Below you will find the typical installation times for various installation scenarios:
Cost of central heating system installations
The average cost of installing a system in a 3-4 bedroom home is £6,800 – £8,300. For a 2-bedroom house, the average is £5,500 – £6,200. This is an approximate price for a whole-house system installation. This is NOT just a boiler replacement or installation.
| Bathrooms | Radiators | Bedrooms | Average cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Up to 10 | 1-2 | £6,200 |
| 1-2 | Up to 15 | 3-4 | £8,300 |
| 2+ | Up to 20 | 4+ | £10,290 |
➔ 1 bathroom, up to 10 radiators, 1-2 bedrooms: average cost £6,200.
➔ 1-2 bathrooms, up to 15 radiators, 3-4 bedrooms: average cost £8,300.
➔ 2+ bathrooms, up to 20 radiators, 4+ bedrooms: average cost £10,290.
These costs are estimates. The final cost will depend on a number of factors, including boiler location, brand, fuel type, pipework, heating controls, required flue or pump, system economy and whether you are converting to natural gas from LPG to oil.
To get the most accurate quote, please fill out an online quote form, and we’ll call you back with the final price.
Considerations for installing central heating
Case Study: Central Heating Installation by Boilerhut’s Heating Engineers
In the video, you can see a recent full central heating installation that we undertook in a property development in Cyncoed, Cardiff.
See the full case study here >
The property, which was formerly a doctor’s surgery, was being redeveloped into a day nursery and required an upgraded heating system to meet building regulations.
We installed the pipework, radiators, and an Ariston Clas ONE combi boiler.
