People ask how long they will be without heating. Fair question, and the answer depends entirely on which of three jobs yours is.
A straight swap: one day
Same type of boiler, same place on the wall. We arrive in the morning, the old one comes off, the new one goes on, and you have heating and hot water by the evening. This is most of what we do.
You will be without hot water for the working day, and that is the whole disruption. There is no need to move out, take a day of leave, or make arrangements for the evening.
Moving the boiler: two days
Gas, water and the flue all have to move with it, and the old holes have to be made good. Two days is realistic. Anyone promising one is either not moving the flue properly or not clearing up.
People usually move a boiler to get it out of a kitchen cupboard they want back, or into a garage or loft. It is worth doing if you are keeping the house, and it is the sort of thing to decide before the quote rather than after.
Converting to a combi: three to four days
The cylinder comes out, the tank in the loft comes out, and the pipework changes. It is a bigger job and it frees up an airing cupboard, which is often half the reason people do it.
The trade-off is worth understanding before you commit. A combi heats water as you draw it, so there is no cylinder to run out — but two showers running at once will notice each other. If that is how your house is used in the morning, say so at the quote and we will tell you honestly whether a combi suits you.
What can add a day
Two things, and both get spotted at the quote rather than sprung on you.
A system full of sludge needs flushing before a new boiler goes on it, or the warranty will not stand. And an older gas supply sometimes needs upgrading to feed a bigger boiler. Neither is common, and neither is a surprise if somebody has actually looked first.
You will know which before we start
Not on the morning we turn up. Which of the three yours is gets decided at the quote, and it is written down with the price. If you want to know what moves that price, we have set it out in what a new boiler actually costs.
Ready to get a figure? Have a look at gas boiler installation, or ring us and we will come and look.
What people worry about before we start
On a straight swap, no. You are without hot water for the working day and have heating back by the evening. On a conversion it can be a night, and we will tell you which at the quote.
Someone needs to let us in and be there at the end so we can show you the controls. You do not need to sit in for the middle of it.
It should not, because the quote follows a visit. The two things that can add a day — a sludged system or a gas supply that needs upgrading — get spotted then, not sprung on you.
