Central Heating Auckland

Hydronic heating warms a house by pumping hot water from a boiler or heat pump through a closed loop of pipes to radiators on the walls or pipework in the floor. The water gives off its heat quietly and evenly, with no fan blowing dust around, and every room can be kept at its own temperature.

We install new hydronic systems, service and repair existing gas boilers, and add radiators or underfloor zones to systems already in place. The plumbing, gasfitting and commissioning are all done by our own licensed team, with a Gas Certificate of Compliance for any gas boiler work.

Pricing: quotes are free, and every job gets a fixed price before we start, so there are no surprises on the invoice.

Central Heating Jobs We Handle Across Auckland

• Central heating installation
• Underfloor heating installation
• Gas boiler service
• Boiler repair
• Radiator installation
• Hydronic heat pump installation

Radiators, underfloor or both

Panel radiators hold relatively little water, so they heat up and cool down quickly, which suits Auckland's changeable weather and rooms you use at set times. They are also the easier option to retrofit, because pipes can run through a suspended timber floor or ceiling space with minimal disruption.

Hydronic underfloor heating runs pipe through a concrete slab or a screed. The floor becomes one large, gentle heat source, but a slab takes time to warm up, so it suits living areas used most of the day. BRANZ Bulletin 688 covers the design, installation and commissioning of embedded floor heating, including insulating under the slab so heat goes up, not into the ground. Many homes combine both: underfloor in a new slab extension and radiators in the original rooms.

Choosing the heat source

Where natural gas is at the street, a gas boiler is the common choice for radiator systems because it can run them at the higher water temperatures radiators like. Boilers can also run on LPG where there is no reticulated gas, though bottle deliveries and storage need planning.

Air-to-water heat pumps, such as Mitsubishi Electric's hydronic range, heat the water with electricity instead of burning gas. They work best at lower water temperatures, so they pair naturally with underfloor heating and with radiators sized generously for the room. If you are weighing up gas against a heat pump, we price both so you can compare running and installation costs for your house.

How It Works

Suited to villas being renovated and new builds

Auckland's character villas and bungalows in suburbs like Ponsonby, Grey Lynn and Mt Eden often have high ceilings, timber floors on piles and a long hallway that never quite warms up. During a renovation, with insulation going in and floors or linings open, it is the cheapest moment to run hydronic pipework to radiators in every room.

In a new build, underfloor heating has to be decided before the slab is poured, along with the manifold position, slab insulation and boiler or heat pump location. We work with your builder and designer from plans and can fit it around the rest of the new build plumbing.

Boiler servicing and common faults

Like any gas appliance, a boiler should be serviced regularly by an authorised gasfitter; WorkSafe advises at least every two years for water heating appliances. A service checks combustion, the flue, safety devices, pump, expansion vessel and system pressure. Problems we are called out for include:

• Pressure gauge dropping, so the boiler locks out
• Radiators cold at the top, which usually means trapped air
• Radiators cold at the bottom, often sludge in the system
• Boiler firing then shutting down with an ignition or flame error
• Pressure relief valve dripping outside
• Banging, gurgling or kettling noises from the boiler

Bleeding radiators and pressure loss

Bleeding a radiator lets trapped air out through a small valve at the top. It is a safe job for most owners with the system off and cool, but it also lets out a little pressure, so you may need to top the system up at the filling loop afterwards. Ideal Heating, a boiler maker, gives 1 to 1.5 bar as a typical cold pressure, but always follow your boiler's manual.

If you keep having to top it up, the system is losing water somewhere: a weeping radiator valve, a leak under the floor, a failed expansion vessel or a passing relief valve. That needs finding, not repeated refilling, because fresh water brings in oxygen that corrodes the system. Our leak detection gear helps trace leaks under floors without lifting more than needed.

What affects the cost

Every system is designed for the house, so we give a free quote after a site visit and heat loss assessment. The main factors are the number of rooms and radiators, radiators or underfloor, gas boiler or heat pump, access under floors and in ceilings, whether a gas supply needs upgrading, the controls and zoning you want, and how much existing pipework can be reused.

Why Choose Cheeky's Plumbers for Central Heating

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Central Heating Across Auckland

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