North Edinburgh Boiler and Heating Engineer

The colony flats are narrow, with the upper flat reached by an outside stair and not much wall to spare. Kitchens are the usual answer, with a flue through the rear wall, but clearances to the neighbouring flat's windows are tight and get measured before anything is ordered.

Yes, provided it is sized from the heat loss of the actual house rather than guessed. Tall rooms, single glazing and solid stone walls push the demand up, and a villa on a vented system with a cylinder may be better kept as a system boiler than converted to a combi. That is worked out at the survey.

Loft boilers are common in bungalows and they can be serviced and replaced there, but the loft needs safe access, boarding, lighting and a route for the condensate and the flue. If any of those are missing, we say so and price the sensible option rather than working round it.

Yes. The post-war stock is generally straightforward, with repeating layouts and sensible flue positions, and the complications tend to come from later alterations, particularly where an old back boiler came out. Let us know if the house has been modernised and by whom.

Some of the waterfront blocks are on communal heating, where the plant serves the whole building and the flat has an interface unit that the management company usually looks after. Tell us the development and you will get a clear answer on what we can and cannot take on there.

Exposure does. External flue terminals, condensate pipes and any pipework on an outside wall take more weather here, so terminations are kept short and protected, and condensate runs are insulated so they do not freeze in an east wind off the water.

An annual service is what keeps it fine. The flue gases are checked, the combustion is measured, seals and the condensate trap are inspected and the system pressure and controls are looked over. Faults found at a service in October are cheaper and less stressful than the same faults in January.

Pressure gauge, power to the boiler, the programmer and the thermostat, then the error code on the display. A fair share of winter calls turn out to be low pressure, a tripped switch or a flat thermostat battery. If it is more than that, having the code ready speeds up the visit.

Yes. Every appliance and flue is inspected annually and the record goes to you and the tenant. Where a let is managed by an agent, we can deal with the agent and the tenant directly to arrange access.

Edinburgh City, South Edinburgh and Leith, each with its own page. Ring 07449 567506 with a postcode and you will be told straight away whether it is one for us.