If you’re thinking about having your boiler and heating system replaced, or an entirely new central heating system installed, you’re probably wondering how disruptive this will be to your home and life.

Getting a new central heating system fitted at this time of year will help keep disruption to a minimum. After all, you’re much less reliant on it during the summer months!

If you choose the right company with fully qualified, Gas Safe registered engineers – like us here at Aura Heating – then the installation should be a seamless transition, making your home more comfortable ready for the Winter months.

What disruption can the installing of new central heating cause?

Whether you are replacing your central heating system or installing an entirely new one in your home, it is likely to cause a bit of disruption to your home and life – But only for a few days.

You may find that some carpets will need to be lifted and surfaces might get a bit messy. We pride ourselves on the tidiness of all our engineers here at Aura Heating – They will always leave your home the way they found it.

How long does it take to install new central heating?

It typically takes between 1 and 5 days to install a new central heating system. Of course, this depends on the size of your home, the number of radiators and how many heating engineers will be sent to do the job.

To gain a better understanding of how disruptive it might be to have new central heating installed, let’s go through what’s actually involved. This will of course vary from home to home, but the main parts will remain similar if not the same.

What is involved when having new central heating fitted?

The installation of a new central heating system will usually include the following elements:

• A boiler replacement with a newer, more efficient model to improve how your home is heated and hopefully keep your energy bills as low as possible
• The entire property will be fitted with a new heat distribution system (either radiators or under floor heating, or both)
• All of the radiators will be connected to the boiler with new pipework
• Heating controls will be fitted once all the radiators are in place
• Once everything is fitted and in place, the system will be filled with water
• The new boiler can then be fired up for the first time, enabling the engineer to check water flow and temperature and make any necessary adjustments for effectiveness and efficiency

How can I keep disruption to a minimum when having new central heating installed?

As you can imagine, the fitting of new radiators and pipework as part of a new central heating system will mean access to the entire property. Many customers choose to be out of the house during the day when having this work carried out. Of course, this is a bit trickier in the current climate and many people are working from home. Our advice would be to choose an area in the house that needs the least access for new radiators and pipes.

There are some things you can plan in advance to make life easier over the few days the engineers will be in your home. Here are some things to consider:

• There will be no heating until the job is completed, so try to schedule this work for the summer months when you don’t need to be heating your home. If you get new central heating installed in the chillier months of the year, then make sure you have electric heaters available.
• The water will need to be turned off while the work is being carried out, so make sure you have plenty stocked up.
• Do you have a gas cooker? There will also be no gas, so make sure to meal plan with what you have available. Or enjoy a takeaway or two!
• Move anything valuable away from the work areas.
• Cover your carpets with sheets, particularly where the radiators are / will be to prevent any damage.
• Talk through the plans with your installer – We are more than happy to answer any questions our customers may have and help them plan for minimal disruption.

When is the best time to install central heating?

We’ve touched on this a couple of times already. If you want to keep disruption to your home and life to a minimum whilst having a new central system installed then try to book the work in for during the summer months.

Now is a great time of year to have your central heating replaced as you’re not relying on your heating to keep your home warm. You’ll also tend to find that heating engineers have more availability over the Summer months as they are less likely to be called out to boiler breakdowns, faults and repairs. So you should be able to choose a date that suits you.

Is new central heating really worth all the disruption?

Absolutely! As with all appliances – The newest products are always the most efficient and effective.

• Comfort – By installing a new central heating system, you will be using appliances that are superior to your old ones – More reliable and more efficient. You can rest assured that by the time Winter arrives, your home will be more comfortable with a reliable and effective heating system.
• Cost – You may also find that you save money on your heating bills. Older boilers and radiators may not work as effectively, resulting in higher energy bills. Replacing these old ones with a more efficient appliance could mean your boiler is working less hard to heat your home, and thus not using as much energy.
• Control – There have been huge developments in central heating technology over recent years, which place the control of your heating system directly in your hands. Smart Thermostats can adapt to your heating habits, and TRV’s allow you to control each radiator individually. You can even control your heating coming on when you’re not at home via your smartphone!
• Quiet – Older heating systems tend to be rather noisy – Clunking, gurgling and even banging. Those noises are not a sign of good health! With a new central heating system, you’ll have peace of mind that it’s working as it should and peace and quiet when it’s on!
• Compact – More modern boilers tend to be smaller, which means it’s easier to install them out of sight – Like in a cupboard!
• Consistency – As with most things, natural wear and tear over time can cause heating systems to become less reliable. Component parts start to wear out and sludge may build up in the system itself. New developments in technology mean that newer appliances and parts have increased reliability. This means less repairs and thus, less call outs to a heating engineer!
• Cover – Each boiler is covered by a warranty period, usually between 1 and 10 years. This means that if anything goes wrong with it during that time, you’re covered by the manufacturer. If you have an older boiler and your warranty has come to an end, replacing it with a newer model will give you back that peace of mind that you’re covered should something go wrong. 

How much will a new central heating system cost?

Whilst a new central heating system is undoubtedly a big investment, hopefully the points above will have proven its worth.

The cost of fitting a new central heating system depends on several variables including the type of boiler, the number of radiators required and whether or not new pipework is needed. Your heating engineer will also run through other options with you like smart thermostats, thermostatic radiator valves and underfloor heating.

To get an idea of how much new central heating would cost for your home, please give us a call and one of our boiler experts can arrange for one of our professional heating engineers to carry out an estimate for you.