Why are some of my radiators hot and others cold?
Most often the system needs balancing. The radiators nearest the pump take more than their share of the flow and the ones at the end of the run get what is left, which is why it is usually the back bedroom that suffers. Balancing costs nothing but time. If a radiator is cold at the bottom and warm at the top that is different: it is sludge sitting in the base and it needs flushing rather than adjusting. Cold at the top and warm at the bottom is just trapped air, and bleeding it will fix it.
What is a power flush, and does my system need one?
It is a machine-driven clean of the whole system that pushes water and a cleaning agent through the pipework and radiators at high flow, lifting out the magnetite sludge that builds up over years. The signs are radiators cold at the bottom, a boiler that bangs or gurgles, slow warm-up, and black water when you bleed a radiator. Not every tired system needs one, and we will tell you when it does not.
Do smart heating controls actually save money?
Sometimes a lot, sometimes very little, and it depends on the house and the household rather than on the kit. The saving comes from not heating space nobody is in, so an empty house on weekdays, or a home with rooms that go unused for most of the year, has plenty to gain. If someone is at home all day and every room is in use, expect much less. Anyone who quotes you a fixed percentage before seeing the house is guessing.
Which smart thermostat should I choose?
We fit Wiser, Hive, Honeywell and Tado. Wiser is the strongest for room by room zoning, Hive is the simplest to live with, Honeywell suits larger houses with a lot of zones, and Tado does the most with weather and open window detection. The right answer depends on how many rooms you want to control separately and how much you want to think about it, which is worth talking through before anything is ordered.
Can I fit smart controls without replacing my boiler?
Usually, yes. Smart controls retrofit to most existing systems, and swapping the controls is far cheaper than replacing a boiler that still has years left in it. We check compatibility at the survey rather than after the kit has arrived.
How long does a new central heating system take to install?
It depends on the size of the property and whether the pipework is being replaced or reused. A controls upgrade is usually a single visit. A full system is a multi-day job. Either way the timescale goes in the written quote, so you know how long the house is disrupted before we start rather than halfway through.
Do you cover heating emergencies?
Yes. We answer the phone 24 hours a day, because heating rarely fails at a convenient time and a house with no heat in January is not something that waits until Monday.
Are your engineers Gas Safe registered?
Yes. Anyone working on gas appliances or pipework in the UK has to be on the Gas Safe Register by law, and it is worth asking to see the card. We are also F-Gas certified, for the air conditioning side of the business.
Which areas around Banbury do you cover?
Banbury and the villages around it, including Daventry, Southam, Wroxton, Shutford, Bloxham, Adderbury, Hook Norton, Deddington, Chipping Norton, Bicester and Woodstock. We work across Oxfordshire and into Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire and Warwickshire. If you are not sure whether you are in range, call and ask.
