Simon Birch Plumbing and Heating

System maintenance in Basingstoke.

Plumbing and heating system maintenance for homes and businesses across Basingstoke. We check the pipework, valves and hot water, then the heating circuit, and deal with small problems early, before they become a leak through the ceiling or a cold house in the middle of winter. Simon Birch Plumbing & Heating is based in Basingstoke and covers the towns around it.

  • Plumbing and heating in one visit
  • Problems found while they are small
  • Explained in plain terms
Ideal combi boiler on a timber backing board, with copper pipework and a magnetic filter below it
Request a Call Call 01256 805 164
What you get

What is included in system maintenance.

System maintenance is the preventive side of our plumbing work, and a visit covers both the water side and the heating side of the system. Your annual boiler service is a separate job, because it is gas work on the boiler itself.

Pipework and joints

We look over the pipework we can reach, under sinks, in the airing cupboard and around the boiler, for weeping joints, corrosion and the green staining that shows a slow leak on copper. We also point out pipes in cold spots, such as the loft, that need lagging against frost.

Valves and stopcocks

The main stopcock and the isolation valves are checked to make sure they still turn off. A stopcock that has seized is no help on the day a pipe bursts, so it is better found now, and we make sure you know where yours is.

Hot water

We check the hot water reaches the taps properly and at a sensible temperature. On a cylinder system we look over the cylinder, its valves and the immersion heater, and tell you if it is getting close to the point where a cylinder change makes sense.

System pressure

On a sealed heating system we check the pressure and top it up if it has dropped. If it keeps dropping, water is getting out somewhere, and we look for where it is going.

Inhibitor and magnetic filter

We test the inhibitor in the heating water and top it up where it is low, as it slows the corrosion that turns into black sludge. If there is a magnetic filter, we clean out what it has caught.

Radiators bled and balanced

Radiators holding air are bled, and the system is balanced so the ones nearest the boiler do not take all the heat while rooms at the far end stay cool.

How it works

Your maintenance visit in three steps.

  1. Step 1: Phone call

    Tell us about the property, the kind of boiler you have and anything you have noticed, such as the pressure dropping or radiators that stay cold at the bottom.

  2. Step 2: The visit

    We go through the plumbing first, then the heating, working round the house rather than only looking at the boiler.

  3. Step 3: Feedback

    You get a plain account of what we found, what was done on the visit and anything worth keeping an eye on.

What it costs Free quotation

The price depends on the size of the property and the system, so we give it to you before anything is booked. The quotation is free, with no obligation.

Request a Call
Common questions

Questions about system maintenance in Basingstoke.

Something else on your mind? Ask when we call you back, or ring 01256 805 164.

No. A boiler service is gas work on the boiler itself, such as the burner, heat exchanger and safety controls, carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer. System maintenance covers everything around the boiler: the pipework, valves and hot water, and the heating water the boiler pumps round. A lot of problems that look like a boiler fault start in the system, such as sludge or low pressure.

There is no set rule, unlike the boiler, which should be serviced once a year. A yearly check before the heating goes on for winter suits most homes. An older system, or one that has had sludge or pressure problems before, is worth watching more closely.

On a sealed system, pressure that falls again after being topped up means water is escaping somewhere. Common causes are a weeping joint or radiator valve, a pressure relief valve letting water out through its pipe outside, or an expansion vessel that has lost its charge. Finding which one is the real job, as topping it up only hides the problem.

It sits on the heating pipework, usually just below the boiler, and catches the black iron sludge that forms inside radiators and pipes before it can reach the boiler. It only works if it is emptied now and then, which is part of a maintenance visit. If you do not have one, we can tell you whether it is worth fitting.

We explain what it is and what it means before anything else happens. Anything beyond the maintenance visit is quoted first, and the choice is yours. If the heating itself has a fault, see heating repairs.

System maintenance

Arrange a system maintenance visit.

Three quick questions about your system, then your details. We call you back to agree a date.

Free quotation Step 1 of 2

About your system

Do you have a hot water cylinder?

A cylinder is a large tank, usually in an airing cupboard. No cylinder usually means a combi boiler.

Have you noticed anything?

Pressure means the gauge keeps dropping. Radiators means some stay cold or only warm in patches.

What kind of property is it?

All optional. It helps us come prepared.

Prefer to talk it through?

Call the office01256 805 164 Call the mobile07474 666 615 WhatsApp a photoSend a photo of the boiler pressure gauge and the pipework underneath it. Emailsimon@simonbirchplumbing.co.uk

We carry out system maintenance in Basingstoke, Chineham, Whitchurch, Andover, Winchester, Alton and Hook.

Call now Request a Call