A three-storey Paignton terrace after a frosty night. Heating off, system sitting at 1.2 bar, every room around 12°C.
The thermostat calls for heat.
The smart thermostat in the front room is set to 20°C. The boiler checks its fan, flue and gas valve before it lights.
The boiler fires.
Burner lit, pump running. We set the flow at around 60°C so the boiler condenses, which is where the efficiency is, not flat out at 80.
Flow runs through the copper.
22mm flow, dropping to 15mm at each radiator. On the way back a magnetic filter catches sludge before it reaches the boiler.
Radiators, room by room.
Each one warms from the top down. TRVs ease off as rooms reach temperature, and the lockshields are balanced so the loft gets its share.
Pressure settles.
Hot water expands, so the gauge creeps from 1.2 to about 1.6 bar and the expansion vessel takes it up. Heading for 3 bar? Call us.
Snug, with hot water on tap.
Every room at 19 to 21°C in about half an hour. Run a hot tap and the combi switches straight over to hot water.
Fixed price, in writingThe price we quote is the price you pay. No surprises on the invoice.
Fully insuredPublic liability cover on every job, big or small.
Gas Safe registeredGas Safe reg. no. shown here on a live site
We tidy upDust sheets down, shoe covers on, old boiler taken away.
Warranty registered for youWe register your new boiler with the maker, so the cover's live from day one.
Diagnose it in a tap
What's that noise?
Tap what your heating's doing. You get the likely cause, how urgent it is, what's safe to do now and the job it usually turns into.
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Boiler kettling or rumbling
Likely cause
Limescale or sludge on the heat exchanger. Water overheats in spots and boils, which is the kettle noise. A sluggish pump or a blocked filter can do the same.
Safe to do now
Check the pressure gauge is where it normally sits and note any fault code on the display. You can keep using the heating if it's running, but if the boiler keeps locking out, switch it off and call us.
Usually becomes
A system clean or power flush and a magnetic filter, sometimes a heat exchanger descale. Power flush from £395 (sample)
Pipes that aren't clipped tight, moving as they heat up and cool down. If it bangs when a tap shuts off, that's water hammer, usually high mains pressure or a fast-closing valve.
Safe to do now
Note when it happens: when the heating comes on, or when a tap or the washing machine shuts off. That tells us where to look before we lift a board.
Usually becomes
Re-clipping, a pressure-reducing valve or a water hammer arrestor. Plumbing from £75 first hour (sample)
Water is getting out somewhere: a weeping valve, a small leak under a floor, a radiator that's been bled, or a pressure relief valve letting by. Sometimes the expansion vessel has lost its charge.
Safe to do now
Many combi boilers sit around 1 to 1.5 bar when cold. Your boiler's manual shows how to top it up, so follow that. Look for damp under radiators and the boiler, and if it drops again within days, leave it to us.
Usually becomes
Leak find and repair, or an expansion vessel recharge. From £75 first hour (sample)
Air trapped in the radiator, common after work on the system. If it's cold at the bottom or in the middle instead, that's usually sludge.
Safe to do now
Bleeding the radiator usually sorts it. Do it with the heating off and the radiator cool, then check the pressure gauge, because bleeding lowers it. If the air keeps coming back, something's drawing it in.
Usually becomes
A system check and balance, or a power flush if there's sludge as well. From £75 first hour (sample)
On a combi, usually a sticking diverter valve or a faulty flow sensor, the part that tells the boiler a tap is open. With a cylinder, it's often the motorised valve, the programmer or the cylinder thermostat.
Safe to do now
Check the hot water hasn't been switched off or timed off on the programmer. Note any fault code on the boiler display and tell us when you book.
Usually becomes
A boiler repair: diverter valve, sensor or valve motor, usually fixed on the first visit. From £75 first hour plus parts (sample)
Once they've made it safe, we can find and fix the fault and check your appliances. This is the real emergency number; every other number on this page is a placeholder.
Services
Boilers, radiators and everything plumbed in.
Fixed prices on installs, a clear hourly rate on repairs, and the van stocked so most jobs are done first visit.
Demo pricing: sample "from" prices for this demo. A live site shows the firm's own prices.
New combi boiler fitted
Old boiler out, A-rated condensing combi in. A like-for-like swap is usually done in a day, with the system cleaned and the controls set up before we leave.
A pumped chemical clean of the whole system that shifts sludge and scale. For radiators cold at the bottom, a noisy boiler, or before a new boiler goes on old pipework.
Air source heat pumps designed from a room-by-room heat-loss survey, with radiators checked for lower flow temperatures. Sized for your house, not guessed.
Sample pricing for this demo. The final size comes from a survey of your house, not a calculator.
Reviews
Warm words from round the bay.
Sample reviews written for this demo
Combi died on a Friday night in January. Engineer was round first thing Saturday, new diverter valve in by lunch, and he showed me the old one and what had gone.
Jo R., Preston, PaigntonBoiler repair
Three rentals, one renewal date for all of them now. The records land in my inbox the same afternoon and the tenants get theirs without me chasing.
Priya S., landlord, TorquayGas safety records
Old back boiler out, new combi in, two days. Dust sheets everywhere, the fireplace made good, and the airing cupboard is a cupboard again.
Alan and Sue W., BrixhamBack boiler to combi
Book
Book an engineer.
Pick a day and a window that suits. We text to confirm, and again when the engineer's on the way.
Under a floorboard when you ring? You'll get a text back straight away, so you're never left wondering.
Booking request received (demo)
Demo only: nothing was sent. On a live site this arrives as a text on the engineer's phone straight away.
What the engineer would see
Questions
Good to know.
How often should my boiler be serviced?
Once a year. Most manufacturers need an annual service by a Gas Safe registered engineer to keep the warranty valid, and it's the best chance to catch a worn seal or a blocked condensate trap before it lets you down in January.
What should the pressure on my boiler say?
Many combis sit around 1 to 1.5 bar when the system is cold and a little higher when it's hot. Your boiler's manual gives the exact range. If it keeps dropping below 1 bar, or climbs towards 3 bar when hot, give us a call.
Combi, system or regular: what's the difference?
A combi heats water on demand, with no tank or cylinder. A system boiler heats a hot water cylinder, which suits homes with two or more bathrooms. A regular boiler also has a cylinder, plus a cold water tank in the loft. We'll tell you which suits your house and why.
Do I need a power flush with a new boiler?
Not always. Manufacturers expect the system to be cleaned before a new boiler goes on, in line with BS 7593, but how depends on its condition. We test the water first and only recommend a power flush if the sludge is there.
Will a heat pump work in an older Torbay house?
Often, yes, if it's designed properly. That means a room-by-room heat-loss survey, sometimes bigger radiators, and sensible insulation first. We'll tell you if your house isn't ready yet. Ask us about current grants.
Areas covered
All round the bay, and up the Teign.
TorquayBabbacombe, St Marychurch, Chelston, Barton