Central heating & radiators, fitted properly

A radiator that’s warm at the top but cold along the bottom is the classic sign of magnetite sludge — black iron-oxide debris that builds up as the steel inside the system reacts with water and oxygen, then settles in the bottom of the radiators and blocks the flow. (A radiator that’s cold at the top instead usually just has trapped air and needs bleeding, which is a much simpler fix.) For sludge, the proper answer is a power flush to scour the system clean, followed by a magnetic filter and a corrosion inhibitor to stop it coming back. We’ll check which problem you’ve actually got before recommending anything, so you’re not paying for a flush you don’t need.

Power flushing is a deep clean of your central heating system. We connect a pump that pushes water and cleaning chemicals through the radiators and pipework at high flow to break up and flush out the magnetite sludge, rust and debris that collect over the years and leave radiators cold and the boiler struggling. It restores proper circulation, so rooms heat evenly and the boiler runs more efficiently and quietly. To stop the problem returning we finish by fitting a magnetic filter on the return pipe and dosing the system with a corrosion inhibitor. It’s well worth doing on an older system, and we’ll always tell you honestly whether your system actually needs one.

Yes — we fit designer, column, vertical and heated towel radiators, and the key is that we size each one to the room with a heat-loss calculation rather than just picking a model that looks good. A radiator’s heat output is quoted in watts or BTUs, and tall, slim designer rads often put out less than the chunky panel they replace, so a model that’s too small will never properly warm the room however striking it looks. We work out the output each room needs first — allowing for its size, the windows and how exposed it is — then help you choose a radiator that both meets that figure and suits the space. We’ll fit thermostatic radiator valves at the same time so you can control each room individually, and balance the system afterwards so every radiator gets its fair share of heat rather than the nearest ones hogging it.

Yes — we fit smart thermostats and thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs), which give you far more control than a basic timer. A smart thermostat lets you set schedules and adjust the heating from your phone, and many can hold the house at a steady temperature and learn how long it takes to warm up rather than just switching on and off at fixed times. TRVs work alongside it, letting you set different temperatures in different rooms so you’re not paying to heat bedrooms during the day or rooms you rarely use. Used sensibly, that room-by-room control and proper scheduling can help trim your gas bills. It’s an ideal time to add them when you’re having a new boiler or a system upgrade anyway, since the system’s drained down already — and we’ll set everything up, pair it to your wifi and show you how it works before we leave.