Central Heating

Central Heating Installation

A new central heating system should warm every room evenly, run quietly and be simple to control. We design, install and commission complete domestic heating systems for homes across Brighton, Hove and the surrounding Sussex towns.

Call 01273 911551

What's involved

A full installation covers the boiler, the pipework, the radiators and the controls, and we look after every part of it.

Survey and System Design

Measuring rooms, checking insulation and existing pipework, then sizing the boiler, radiators and controls to suit the house.

Boiler Installation

Fitting and commissioning the new boiler, including the gas connection, flue and condensate, under our domestic Gas Safe registration.

Pipework and Radiators

First and second fix pipework, radiators and valves, run neatly and routed to keep disruption to floors and walls down.

Controls and Commissioning

Thermostats, zones and timers set up, then the system filled, pressure tested and balanced room by room.

Heating designed around your house, not a catalogue

A central heating system is only as good as the thinking that goes into it before anyone lifts a floorboard. We start with a proper look round: room sizes, window and wall construction, how much insulation you have, where the existing pipework runs, and how the house is actually used through the day. Those measurements decide the boiler output, the radiator sizes and where the controls should sit. Get that stage right and the rest of the job is straightforward; get it wrong and you live with cold corners for years.

We install complete systems in homes across Brighton, Hove, Woodingdean and the surrounding Sussex towns, and we fit heating into extensions, loft conversions and new builds as part of first and second fix. We are Gas Safe registered for domestic gas work under registration 568345 and an accredited Vaillant installer, so the boiler, the gas connection and the flue are handled by the same team that ran the pipework.

The survey is the cheapest part of the job and the part that decides everything else.

How the work runs

Once the design is agreed we set out the pipe routes and get the messy part done first. Floorboards come up where they need to, pipework is run and clipped, and drop points are left for each radiator. Where an old system is being replaced we isolate and drain it, take out the old boiler and radiators, and cap off anything redundant rather than leaving it buried in a wall.

Second fix is the visible stage. The boiler goes on the wall, the gas supply is connected and tested for tightness, the flue and condensate are run to the right falls, and radiators and valves are hung and connected. The system is then filled, dosed with inhibitor, vented and pressure tested. We balance every radiator by flow and return temperature, so the far end of the house heats at the same rate as the room next to the boiler.

Commissioning finishes it: gas rate and combustion checked, controls programmed, and a walk round with you so you know what each dial does before we pack up.

More information

What a new system usually includes

  • A correctly sized boiler, with the gas supply checked for capacity rather than assumed
  • New or re-routed pipework, sized for the flow the system actually needs
  • Radiators chosen room by room, with thermostatic valves where they make sense
  • A programmer, room thermostat and zoning where the layout justifies it
  • A magnetic filter and system inhibitor to keep debris out of the new boiler
  • Pressure testing and balancing before we hand the system over

We would rather spend an extra hour balancing radiators than have you ringing us in November.

Afterwards

We leave floors reinstated, dust sheets lifted, and the old boiler and radiators taken away with us. You get a plain explanation of the controls and sensible advice on annual servicing, because a new system stays efficient far longer when it is looked after.

We are based in Woodingdean and cover Brighton, Hove, Worthing, Lewes, Shoreham-by-Sea, Haywards Heath, Seaford, Burgess Hill and surrounding Sussex towns. If you would like to talk a system through, call 01273 911551 or call in and see us at 58 Warren Road.

Recent work

Plant room with a blue booster tank, Joule cylinder and a Vaillant boiler on the right
September 2022

Vaillant boiler and cylinder plant room installation

We installed this compact plant room as part of a full house refurbishment, centred on a Vaillant boiler with a low loss header, system pump and zone valves. It works alongside a Joule hot water cylinder and a booster set, with the wiring completed by an electrical contractor.

Bath with deck-mounted black taps and handset against a charcoal herringbone tiled wall
September 2022

Plumbing, heating and gas for a full house refurbishment

We completed all of the plumbing, heating and gas work on this full house refurbishment. The job took in a new Vaillant boiler and a full heating system, an upstairs bathroom and downstairs shower room, and all of the kitchen and utility plumbing.

Red underfloor heating pipe laid in grooved floor panels with an R.K Plumbing and Heating board
August 2020

Full house underfloor heating system

We installed a full house underfloor heating system this week. The system has been fully tested and is ready for the new flooring to be fitted.

Vaillant ecoTEC pro 30 boiler with copper pipework, filling loop, pressure gauge and inline scale inhibitor
Hove · October 2019

Vaillant boiler and full heating system in Hove

We fitted a Vaillant ecoTEC pro 30 as part of a full property refurbishment in Hove, taking in a new heating system, bathroom, kitchen and utility room. Both the gas and water mains were renewed from the point of entry and everything was fully tested.

Wall-hung white double vanity unit with twin basins under a three-door illuminated mirror cabinet
March 2019

Bathroom installation in a full house refurbishment

A bathroom completed as part of a full house refurbishment, which also included a new central heating system, underfloor heating and four bathrooms in total.

“Ryan and his team fitted a full new heating system and two bathrooms when I refurbished my house. The service was excellent and the quality of work was faultless. Would 100% recommend!”

G

Gary Penton

Before you book

The questions homeowners usually ask us before committing to a new heating system.

What does a central heating installation actually include?
A full installation covers the heat source, the pipework, the radiators and the controls, designed and fitted as one system. We survey the property first, run first and second fix pipework, fit and commission the boiler, then balance the radiators so every room heats evenly. The job finishes with a walk through of the controls so you know how to use them.
How long does a new central heating system take to install?
It depends on the size of the property and how much new pipework is needed. A straightforward replacement within existing pipework is a good deal quicker than a whole house being piped from scratch. We give you a realistic timescale after the survey, once we know exactly what the job involves.
Can you install heating in an extension, loft conversion or new build?
Yes. First and second fix plumbing and heating for extensions, loft conversions and new builds is a regular part of our work. We design the new circuit to tie into the existing system properly, checking the boiler and pipework can carry the extra load rather than simply adding radiators onto the end.
Do you fit Vaillant boilers?
Yes. R.K Plumbing & Heating are an accredited Vaillant installer, and we fit and commission Vaillant boilers regularly. We will also talk you through other options if something else suits your house better, because the right choice depends on the property and how you use it.
Is central heating installation available for commercial properties?
No. Our Gas Safe registration, number 568345, covers domestic gas work, so this service is for homes and domestic rental properties. We do not take on commercial gas installations.
Will the house be without heating and hot water while you work?
There is usually a period without heating and hot water while the old system is drained and the new one is fitted. We tell you in advance which days that affects so you can plan around it, and we keep that window as short as the job allows.
How do I get a quote for a new heating system?
Call us on 01273 911551, or send a message with a few details about your property and your current heating. We will arrange a time to come and survey the house, because a sensible price depends on room sizes, pipework and the boiler position rather than a figure guessed over the phone.
Which areas do you cover?
We are based in Woodingdean and cover Brighton, Hove, Worthing, Lewes, Shoreham-by-Sea, Haywards Heath, Seaford, Burgess Hill and surrounding Sussex towns.

Let's sort your heating

Tell us about your property and what your current system is doing, and we'll talk you through the sensible options.

Call 01273 911551