Rooms that never quite warm up
Undersized radiators or pipework starved of flow leave bedrooms and extensions permanently cooler than the rest of the house, however long the heating runs.
Central Heating Installation in Reigate, Epsom & Surrey Designed Around Your Home
A wet central heating system sized room by room, piped properly and commissioned to manufacturer figures, fitted by the same Gas Safe registered engineer who surveys and quotes it, for a fixed price agreed before work starts.
Free survey and quote, no call-out fee ever, fixed price agreed in writing before any work begins.
What it costs
- No call-out fee, ever. You never pay simply for me turning up.
- £90 + VAT for the first hour, then £45 + VAT per additional 30 minutes on reactive work.
- Jobs likely to run past 3–4 hours get a fixed price upfront.
- Quotes are always free.
- Gas Safe registered 627292All gas-fired heating work is designed, installed and commissioned by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
- Vaillant & Worcester Bosch approvedManufacturer-approved installer status unlocks the longest available warranties on the boiler at the heart of the system.
- Up to 10-year warrantyUp to 10 years parts and labour on Vaillant and Worcester Bosch boilers, plus 1 year on my workmanship and the parts I supply.
- Fixed price, free quoteFull system installs are priced as a fixed job upfront, not billed by the hour, and the survey is free.
What a full central heating installation involves
A central heating installation is bigger than a boiler swap. It means designing a wet heating system for the whole property, boiler, pipework, radiators, controls and, where needed, a hot water cylinder, so every room reaches the temperature it needs without the boiler working harder than it should. That starts with a room-by-room heat loss calculation, not a guess based on the old radiators already on the walls.
I see this work most often in three situations: a property that has never had gas central heating and is moving off storage heaters or an old oil system; an extension or loft conversion that needs new pipework and radiators run into it; and a full rip-out where old microbore pipework, undersized radiators and a tired boiler are all replaced together. Each is priced and planned differently, but the process is the same: survey, design, fixed quote, then a clean, methodical install.
Because I work solo, the same engineer who calculates the heat loss, specifies the radiators and quotes the job is the one running pipe under your floors and commissioning the boiler at the end. On multi-day jobs I use dust sheets and floor protection as standard, and I tell you at the quote stage exactly how many days the work will take and what state each room will be left in overnight.
Who it is for
Homes in Epsom, Reigate, Banstead, Cobham and South West London converting from storage heaters, oil or an ageing gravity system to modern gas central heating, plus extensions, conversions and self-builds needing a system from scratch.
When it is needed
When there is no wet heating system in the property at all, when an extension or new rooms have no radiators or pipework run to them, or when the existing pipework and radiators are so undersized or corroded that patching them is no longer worthwhile.
Why a professional matters
Undersized pipework and wrongly specified radiators are the single biggest reason central heating systems underperform. Correct pipe sizing, radiator output calculations and gas supply capacity all need checking together, and the gas connection itself is legally restricted to a Gas Safe registered engineer.
What goes wrong with a poorly designed heating system
A heating system that has been pieced together over the years, or installed cheaply without proper calculations, rarely fails outright: it just underperforms quietly, room after room, for as long as you live with it.
A boiler working harder than it should
A system with poor pipe sizing or an unbalanced circuit makes the boiler short-cycle or run at a higher flow temperature than necessary, which shows up directly on the gas bill.
Retrofitting problems later
Adding rooms or radiators onto an already-stretched system without recalculating pipe sizes just moves the shortfall elsewhere in the house.
Early boiler and pump wear
A boiler paired with a system it was never sized for tends to cycle more than it should, putting extra wear on the pump and heat exchanger years before it needs replacing.
Common mistakes I get called out to fix
- Specifying radiators by what looks about right rather than by a room-by-room heat loss calculation.
- Running new radiator branches off existing microbore pipework that was never sized for the extra load.
- Fitting a boiler sized for the whole house without checking whether the pipework can actually deliver that output to every room.
- Skipping thermostatic radiator valves and zone control, so the whole house heats to one temperature regardless of use.
- Leaving inhibitor out of a brand new system, inviting corrosion and sludge from year one.
- Accepting a verbal estimate instead of a written fixed price covering the full scope of pipework, radiators and controls.
My central heating installation process
- Step 1
Survey & heat loss calculation
I assess the property room by room, insulation, glazing, floor area and current radiators, to calculate the heat output each space actually needs, then check gas supply capacity and boiler position options. The survey is free.
- Step 2
System design & fixed quote
I specify the boiler, pipe sizing, radiator sizes and control strategy, and send a written fixed price covering appliance, materials, labour and making good.
- Step 3
First fix pipework
Pipework is run to size, properly clipped and supported, with routes agreed to minimise disruption to floors, walls and decoration.
- Step 4
Radiators, boiler & controls
Radiators are hung and connected, the boiler is installed and commissioned, and thermostats, programmers and thermostatic radiator valves are fitted so each area of the house can be controlled independently.
- Step 5
Flush, dose & commission
The whole system is cleaned, dosed with inhibitor and commissioned, gas rate, pressures and flue gas analysis checked and recorded, before controls are set up with you and paperwork handed over.
What a properly designed system gives you
Even heat throughout the house
Radiators sized to each room's actual heat loss mean bedrooms, extensions and living areas all reach temperature reliably, not just the rooms nearest the boiler.
Lower running costs
Correct pipe sizing and a balanced system let the boiler run efficiently at a sensible flow temperature instead of working harder to compensate for a poor design.
Room-by-room control
Thermostatic radiator valves and zoning let you heat the rooms you use without paying to heat the ones you do not.
A system built to last
Correctly sized pipework, inhibitor dosing and filtration reduce the wear that causes early pump, radiator and boiler failures.
Cost certainty
Full installations are quoted as a fixed price covering the whole scope, agreed before I start, with a free survey and no call-out fee.
One engineer, whole project
The person who designs the system fits it and commissions it, so decisions made at survey stage are carried through accurately on site.
Central heating installation detail: layouts, materials and situations
The right specification depends on the property type, how many bathrooms are in use, and whether pipework is being run into existing fabric or a stripped-back shell. Here is how I approach the variations I see across Surrey and South West London.
New systems and full replacements
Properties moving off storage heaters, electric heating or an oil boiler need a gas supply assessed, a boiler position agreed and an entirely new pipework layout run, usually more disruptive than a like-for-like swap but with the advantage of designing the system correctly from the outset.
Full replacements of an old gravity or microbore system let me correct historic undersizing at the same time, rather than perpetuating whatever compromises were made decades ago.
- Conversion from storage heating or oil to gas central heating
- Full rip-out and re-pipe of an undersized microbore system
- New-build and self-build first fix and second fix heating installation
- Extension and loft conversion pipework and radiator runs
- Zoned systems with separate upstairs and downstairs control
Pipework, radiators and materials
Pipe sizing is calculated against the flow rate each radiator or zone needs, not fitted at whatever diameter happens to be easiest to run. Radiators are specified by output (in watts) against the room's heat loss, not by the size of the radiator being replaced.
- Copper or plastic pipework sized to calculated flow requirements
- Panel, column and low surface temperature radiators to suit the room
- Thermostatic radiator valves and lockshield valves on every radiator
- Room thermostats, programmers and, where useful, smart heating controls
- Magnetic system filter and inhibitor dosed to the full system volume
Commissioning and handover
Once pipework and radiators are in, the system is flushed, dosed and the boiler commissioned to manufacturer figures: gas rate, pressures and combustion all checked and recorded on the benchmark log.
You get the controls talked through in person, the paperwork for the boiler warranty, and my direct number if anything needs balancing or adjusting once you have lived with the system for a few weeks.
Domestic and small commercial projects
Most installations are in houses and flats across Epsom, Reigate, Banstead, Cobham, Walton-on-Thames, Dorking, Worcester Park and South West London, including landlord instructions where timing needs to fit around tenants.
Small commercial premises are taken on where the scope sits within my Gas Safe registration; I will say plainly if a project needs specialist commercial qualifications beyond that.
Central Heating Installation — your questions answered
How much does a full central heating installation cost?
It depends on the number of radiators, pipe runs and whether a hot water cylinder is involved, so I always survey and calculate heat loss before quoting. You get a written fixed price covering the whole job, the survey is free, and there is no call-out fee.
How long does a central heating installation take?
A full system in an average three-bedroom house typically runs three to five days depending on pipe routes and how much making good is needed. I confirm the expected timeline in the written quote so you can plan around it.
Can you install central heating in a house that has never had gas heating?
Yes, provided there is a suitable gas supply or one can be run in. I check supply capacity, meter position and boiler location options at survey stage as part of the design.
Will I be without heating during the installation?
During a multi-day install there will be periods without heating while pipework is run, particularly early in the job. I sequence the work to reconnect radiators as soon as possible and will tell you upfront what to expect each day.
How do you decide what size radiators to fit?
I calculate heat loss room by room based on floor area, insulation and glazing, then specify radiator output in watts to match. This is why systems I design heat evenly, rather than leaving certain rooms permanently cold.
What warranty comes with a new central heating system?
Up to 10 years parts and labour on Vaillant and Worcester Bosch boilers, subject to the manufacturer's terms and annual servicing, plus 1 year on my workmanship and 1 year on the materials and parts I supply.
How long should a new central heating system last?
Correctly sized pipework and radiators, protected with inhibitor and a filter and serviced annually, should give many years of reliable running. Undersizing and skipped servicing are what shorten a system's life, so both are covered in every install I design.
Can central heating installation be done alongside an extension or loft conversion?
Yes, this is a common project. I extend the existing system or design a new zone for the extra space, sizing pipework and radiators for the added load rather than simply tapping into the nearest existing pipe.
Do you cover emergency central heating faults as well as new installs?
Yes. Standard call-outs are attended within 24 hours where possible, and genuine emergencies, no heating in freezing weather, for example, are usually same day, often within a couple of hours.
Which areas do you install central heating systems in?
Epsom, Reigate, Banstead, Cobham, Walton-on-Thames, Dorking, Worcester Park, the wider Surrey area and South West London, working out from my base in Reigate.
Related services
- Boiler InstallationVaillant and Worcester Bosch approved installs, with up to a 10-year parts and labour manufacturer warranty.
- Central Heating RepairsCold radiators, noisy pipework, pressure loss and thermostat faults traced back to the real cause.
- PowerflushingSludge and debris flushed out to restore circulation, cut running costs and protect a new boiler.
- Radiator Installation & RepairNew radiators, towel rails, valve swaps and relocations, finished neatly and tested before I leave.
Where I cover this work
Central Heating Installation is carried out across Epsom, Reigate, Banstead, Cobham, Walton-on-Thames, Dorking, Worcester Park, Surrey, South West London and the surrounding towns. See the full areas covered or request a free quote.
Get a fixed price for a new central heating system
Tell me about the property and where the cold spots are, and I will survey it, calculate heat loss room by room and send a written fixed price. No call-out fee, free quotes, and up to a 10-year manufacturer warranty on the boiler.