FAQs
The questions people ask before they ring.
Answered as plainly as possible, including the ones where the honest answer is “it depends” or “ring someone else first”.
Are you Gas Safe registered?
Yes — Stuart's own website states Gas Safe registered (No. 570568), and that is reproduced here exactly as he publishes it rather than as an independently verified claim. Every Gas Safe registered engineer carries an ID card showing the specific appliances they are qualified for and an expiry date on the back. Ask to see it before any gas work starts, and you can check any registration number yourself on the Gas Safe Register website.
Do you install air source heat pumps, or only service them?
Both. Stuart carries out full air source heat pump installations, including the upgrades to the house needed to incorporate a new system, and he also services heat pumps annually and diagnoses and repairs them. If you already have a heat pump that someone else installed and nobody has looked at since, that is a normal call to make.
What does a heat pump actually need from my house?
Usually three things: somewhere sensible outside for the unit, radiators or underfloor sized for water that runs cooler than a gas boiler's, and a hot water cylinder rather than a combi. Insulation and draughts matter more than the badge on the unit. There is a fuller walk-through on the heat pumps page, and the honest answer for some houses is 'not yet, and here is what to do first'.
How much is a boiler service or an installation?
Stuart does not publish a price list — his own site says quotes are available upon request. Ring or send a WhatsApp describing the appliance and the job and you will get a figure for your system rather than a headline price that changes when someone turns up.
Will it be you doing the work, or someone else?
It will be Stuart. This is a sole trader business with one van and no subcontractors, which makes the diary tighter than a large firm's but means you deal with one engineer who has seen your system before.
Do you work on LPG as well as mains gas?
Yes. Boiler installations cover any new natural gas or LPG boiler, and gas fire servicing covers natural gas and LPG fires — which matters for the properties around Harrogate that are off the mains gas network.
Which gas fires are you experienced with?
Gazco, BFM, Dru, Element4 and Kal Fire models in particular, for annual services, diagnostics and repairs — those are the makes Stuart names himself. If yours is something else, ring and describe it rather than assuming.
Do you cover emergency plumbing?
Yes, but only in Harrogate and the surrounding villages. If you have a plumbing emergency inside that area, ring and Stuart will do his best to get to you as quickly and efficiently as he can. Further out across North and West Yorkshire, heating work is booked in rather than same-day.
What are your hours?
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. Stuart answers his own phone between jobs, so if it rings out leave a message or send a WhatsApp and he will come back to you.
What if I can smell gas?
Do not ring a heating engineer first. Ring the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 immediately, turn the gas off at the meter if you can reach it safely, open the windows, do not touch any electrical switches and get everyone out of the building. Ring Stuart afterwards to put right whatever caused it.
Not on the list?
Stuart takes his own calls between jobs, so if it rings out he is usually under a boiler or up a loft. Leave a message or send a WhatsApp with a photo of the appliance and its data badge, and he will ring you back.