About · Hammersmith · W6
Your local engineer, Shane Topley
Call, WhatsApp or email — Shane answers personally.
Who I am
One engineer, start to finish
I’m Shane Topley, the founder of Hammersmith Heating.
I’ve worked in the building trade for around 40 years, although becoming a plumbing and heating engineer wasn’t originally part of the plan.
I’ve always enjoyed fixing things, working out why something isn’t behaving as it should and finding a sensible solution. Just as importantly, I enjoy helping people, explaining things clearly and making sure every customer feels properly looked after.
About Hammersmith Heating
A lifetime of experience, with a personal approach
Chapter one
How it all began
My journey started in 1985 when I began working as a decorator for a small, friendly building company called Howard Construction.
There were decorators, carpenters, apprentices, a plumber and several independent electricians. It was the sort of company where everyone mucked in, so I gradually started picking up skills from the other trades.
I began doing small plumbing jobs, including removing radiators so I could decorate behind them. Howard, who ran the company, noticed that I seemed to have an aptitude for it and encouraged me to study plumbing at college.
He even offered to pay me for the working day I spent at college each week.
The plan was that once I had qualified, Howard and I would start a small business installing power showers – which were all the rage at the time!
Unfortunately, two years into my three-year course, Howard Construction experienced financial difficulties and closed.
I wasn’t certain that I wanted to become a plumber, let alone a heating engineer, but I had already come too far to give up. I decided to complete the course – a decision that would eventually shape the rest of my career.
Chapter two
Then along came Alan
For the next few years, I concentrated on plumbing and water-based work rather than gas and heating.
That changed one day when I returned to my partner’s home and found a heating engineer servicing her boiler. His name was Alan.
We got talking over a cup of tea, and I sat and watched him work. By that point, I had spent enough time in the building trade to recognise that he really knew what he was doing.
I took his number and began recommending him whenever one of my customers needed gas work.
Eventually, I bumped into Alan at a customer’s house. He joked that he should give me something for all the work I kept sending his way.
I didn’t want anything in return. Instead, I asked whether I could spend a few days with him to learn more about what he did.
He agreed – and I absolutely loved it.
I became fascinated by boilers, servicing, fault-finding and gas work. Unsurprisingly, I also asked Alan an awful lot of questions!
After only two days, he called and offered me a job with his company, Running Repairs. My answer was an immediate yes.
Chapter three
Developing my heating expertise
I worked alongside Alan for around ten years.
He taught me an enormous amount about heating systems, boilers, gas work, servicing and fault-finding. He also taught me about looking after customers, communicating clearly and building relationships.
We became good friends along the way.
Eventually, I decided the time had come to work independently. Alan supported my decision, and some of his customers came with me – something he had always said would happen one day.
When ill health later forced Alan to retire, he continued passing enquiries to me so I could look after many of the customers he had worked with over the years.
I’m still extremely grateful for everything he taught me and the important part he played in my career.
Chapter four
Hammersmith Heating today
I worked as a sole trader for many years before establishing Hammersmith Heating Limited in 2019.
I’ve never been interested in building an enormous, impersonal company for the sake of it. I’ve always been happy being the person who turns up, completes the work and gets to know the customer.
I’m now at a stage where I would like to grow Hammersmith Heating – not into a huge organisation, but into a small team of good people who genuinely care about what they do.
As the business grows, I want us to remain focused on the principles that have always mattered to me:
Turn up when we say we will.
Explain things clearly.
Treat people fairly.
Do the job properly.
After around 40 years in the trade, I still enjoy what I do. I enjoy meeting customers, diagnosing problems and finding practical solutions without using unnecessary jargon.
So, for the time being at least, I’m not going anywhere.
There are still plenty of boilers to repair, plumbing problems to solve and questions to answer – and that’s just fine by me.
Four decades in the trade
Shane’s journey
From a decorating apprenticeship in 1985 to Hammersmith Heating today.
1985
Where it all began
Next step
Learning the trade
Howard noticed my interest in plumbing and encouraged me to enrol in a three-year college course, supporting me while I studied.
Qualification
Completing my qualification
When Howard Construction closed during my second year, I decided to complete my plumbing qualification and continue developing my skills.
A chance meeting
Meeting Alan
A chance meeting with an experienced heating engineer named Alan introduced me to the world of boilers, heating and gas work.
Running Repairs
Joining the team
After spending just two days learning from Alan, he offered me a position with his company, Running Repairs.
10 years
Ten years of experience
I worked alongside Alan for around ten years, developing my knowledge of heating systems, boilers, servicing, gas work and fault-finding.
Independence
Going out on my own
I began working independently and continued building long-standing customer relationships through recommendations.
2019
Hammersmith Heating Limited
Today
Growing the right way
What drives me
What I love about the work
No two days are the same – that’s what keeps it interesting after all these years. One morning it’s a boiler that’s packed in on the coldest week of the year, and the family need heat back on fast. The next it’s a landlord who needs gas safety checks across a portfolio of flats, or a homeowner who wants to upgrade their whole heating system before winter.
What I genuinely enjoy is the problem-solving side of it. Finding out what’s wrong, working out the right fix, and leaving a home warmer and better than I found it. There’s a lot of satisfaction in that – especially when a customer calls back because they’ve recommended me to a neighbour.
I also care about the area I work in. Hammersmith is my home patch. I ride through these streets every day, I know the neighbourhoods, and I take some pride in doing a job that doesn’t add to the congestion and pollution that everyone around here has to put up with. The e-cargo bike started as a practical decision – it’s just a smarter way to get around West London – but it’s become something I genuinely believe in too.
Get in touch
Want to work with someone you can trust?
How I work
What to expect when you call
I like to keep things straightforward from the first contact to the final invoice. Here’s how a typical job works.
You call, WhatsApp or email - I get back to you personally, usually the same day
I'll ask a few questions to understand the job and give you a free estimate
We agree a time that works for you - and I turn up when I say I will
I carry out the work, explain what I've done and why, and make sure you're happy before I leave
Any certification or documentation is provided on the day
If anything isn't right afterwards, I come back and sort it - no argument
Areas covered
Based in Hammersmith, covering West London
I’m based in Hammersmith (W6) and cover the surrounding areas across West and South West London.
Hammersmith (W6)
Chiswick
Fulham
Shepherd's Bush
Barnes
Putney
Kensington
Brook Green
West Kensington
Ravenscourt Park
Stamford Brook
Turnham Green
Find us
Find Us in Hammersmith
International House, 109–111 Fulham Palace Road, London W6 8JA
Contact
Need a hand? Give me a call.
Whether it’s a boiler playing up or a plumbing job you’ve been putting off, get in touch and I’ll help you figure out the best way forward.
07973 558426
Message me directly
hammersmith.heating@gmail.com
International House, 109–111 Fulham Palace Road, London W6 8JA
