Heating Repair & Installation in Inverness

A furnace blows heated air through ducts; a boiler heats water for radiators or underfloor heating; a heat pump moves heat electrically and both heats and cools. They need different specialists and have very different running costs — heat pumps are efficient but pricier to install, furnaces cheaper up front. Match the technician to your system type.

Annually, ideally before the cold season — a service checks safety (combustion, flue, gas), cleans components and catches small faults before they become breakdowns. Regular servicing is also commonly required to keep manufacturer warranties valid, so skipping it can cost you a claim later.

Common culprits: a tripped thermostat or dead batteries, a clogged filter starving airflow, a pilot/igniter fault, low refrigerant on a heat pump, or a safety lockout from a blocked flue. Change the filter and check the thermostat first; if that doesn't fix it, a technician's diagnostic is the safe next step, especially with any gas smell.

Weigh three things: the system's age, the repair cost, and its efficiency. A repair over about half the cost of a new system, on a unit past its expected life, usually means replace — you're otherwise pouring money into something that will fail again. A newer system with a cheap part failure is almost always worth repairing.

Most jobs start with a diagnostic/service-call fee, then parts and labour on top. A minor fix (thermostat, igniter, capacitor) is modest; a failed heat exchanger, blower motor or control board runs into serious money. The key decision is whether repair cost approaches replacement — past roughly half the price of a new system on an old unit, replace.

A call-out and diagnostic runs roughly £60-120, common boiler repairs £150-500, and a new combi boiler installation commonly £2,000-3,500. Heat-pump installs cost more but may qualify for a government grant.

Ask to see their Gas Safe ID card and check the licence number on the official Gas Safe Register — the card shows which gas work they're qualified for. Never let an unregistered person touch gas appliances; it's both illegal and dangerous.