how to choose the best boiler company
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How to Choose a Boiler Installation Company

So, you’ve finally bitten the bullet and decided that it’s time to get a new boiler installed at home. Whether this is because the old one has packed up or become unreliable, you fancy an upgrade, or you’re renovating or building, it’s important to choose a boiler installation company wisely.

Installers, Installers Everywhere…

Unless you live out in the sticks, the chances are that you will have a broad range of tradesmen to choose from when you come to choose a boiler installation company. Long ago it was a case of leafing through the yellow pages or local newspaper.  However these days you can simply do an online search and have hundreds of options in seconds.

So, what should you look for in a boiler installer? Who can you trust…and how can you be sure that they’re going to install your boiler safely?

These questions can all be answered if you follow what many professionals call the “SKATE” criteria. This is like a checklist of attributes and characteristics that helps whittle down a long list of potential contractors and find the ideal man or woman for the job.

While usually applied to ensure you hire the safest workers, it also helps ensure the best quality of work and the easiest, most functional, working relationships.

The acronym stands for:

●      Skills

●      Knowledge

●      Attitude

●      Training

●      Experience

 

Skills

Have you got the skills to pay the bills? While quite a direct way to enquire, it’s a good starting point. Separate from knowledge and experience, the boiler installer must be physically able to carry out the work safely and to a high quality standard - as opposed to having mere theoretical knowledge, or years of time spent working in the field (for all you know, this could have been behind a desk or making coffee).

You can identify whether the boiler installation company has the right skills by simply looking at their portfolio of past work, which should be on their website or social pages. If the company isn’t forthcoming with this sort of basic proof, it’s a good early warning to steer clear.

 

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Knowledge

Similar to looking for someone who can physically carry out the job, when you choose a boiler installation company, you need to ensure they have sufficient knowledge to carry out the job safely, and to a high quality standard.

You can find out before you choose a boiler installation company by looking for accreditation or certification within their company marketing such as signwriting or website. As a minimum they should be registered with the Gas Safe Register. It’s also worth making sure that they’re accredited by the National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting (NICEIC), which will ensure that the wiring is safe within your new boiler.

Other things to look for are professional qualifications, membership of industry groups, or approved installer status.

Attitude

This one goes a long way. It’s important to identify what kind of company you’re going to be dealing with as initially, you’re going to have at least one unknown worker in your house for at least a day - so you want to make sure that you can trust them and that you feel happy to approach them with questions.

Later down the line you may well be calling upon the same company for service and/or warranty work, so being able to establish a good rapport with the installation company is also important.

Working relationships aside, a traders’ attitude will also influence their timekeeping, quality of work, due diligence, housekeeping (how tidy they leave the work area), and flexibility with payment.

You can get a fair idea of a company’s general attitude by looking at their customer reviews. Look at review websites, their social media pages, or dedicated ‘trade checker’ websites to build an opinion of who you may be working with.

Remember, when you choose a boiler installation company, even if the company is within budget and has the right skills, if they’re not nice people to work with, you’ll make your life a lot harder in the short term as well as the long run.

Training

This is similar to knowledge, however, is more formalised. Lots of tradesmen learn their craft through years of hand-on experience rather than through formal qualification. While this may be fine if you’re hiring a dry stone waller or gardener, it’s crucial when you choose a boiler installation company that they have the right training under their belt. Boilers are one of the more dangerous appliances within the household due to the combination of gas or oil, water, and electricity all working together.

A badly installed boiler may leak water, fuel, or exhaust gases into your home (with ramifications varying according to type, for example a puddle in your boiler cupboard…or your house exploding).

 

So, make sure when you choose a boiler installation company, that they have relevant training as follows:

●      a diploma or NVQ in heating or gas utilisation, domestic natural gas installation and maintenance, or domestic plumbing and heating (this is mandatory).

●      A City and Guilds qualification in plumbing and heating.

●      If installing an oil fired boiler, the company must be OFTEC qualified.

●      For renewable energy based boiler systems, the installer must have MCS accreditation.

●      Solid fuel boilers and stoves must be installed by a HETAS qualified installer.

 

Experience

Finally, we come to experience. When you choose a boiler installation company, it will give you more peace of mind if they’ve been around the block a few times. As with many skills and trades, time spent in the field teaches lessons that can’t be taught on a course, and are often the difference between a successful, fast installation and one that is drawn out and problematic.

Most installers will start life as an apprentice or working for an established firm before going it alone, so in most cases, you can be confident that your chosen boiler installer has the experience to know the task at hand. In any case, it’s worth asking the question to see whether they’re wet behind the ears, or a seasoned professional.

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Checklist to Choose a Boiler Installation Company

So, to summarise what you’ve just learned:

●      Look at their portfolio of past work. Does it meet your standards? Do you like what you see?

●      Is the installer registered with the Gas Safe register? Do they have any additional accreditations or memberships?

●      Look at the company reviews - are they mainly 4 and 5 stars? Pay attention to the 2 and 3 stars too as these can often tell more of a story about the company than the ones and fives.

●      Are the installers suitably trained? If it is not obvious from their marketing material, ask them directly whether they have their relevant NVQ qualifications.

●      Look at how long the company has been operating for. While not necessarily a deal breaker, a company with an established reputation and track record will give you greater peace of mind and will likely carry out the work more smoothly.

 

If you’re looking to choose a boiler installation company and this all seems like a bit too much effort, I’ve got good news for you. Your friends at Blackpool Boiler Installations have the proven track record, qualifications, industry memberships, and happy customers to get your boiler installed quickly and easily. So, you can skip the research and head straight to a new boiler today!  Why not get an online quote from us.

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Adam Dilger
Managing Director
We offer ground braking reliable heating solutions across the Northwest. With 20 years experience our engineers install, service and maintain your central heating systems. Connect with Adam on LinkedIn >>
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