Heat pumps come with a fair few questions attached. This guide walks you through the answers, from how they work and whether one suits your home, to what happens on installation day and how to run yours well once it’s up and running.
For a limited space or an economical option
Lower upfront cost to install.
Fits most homes, no large garden needed
Quicker and less disruptive to install
One unit sits outside, around the size of two wheelie bins
Slightly less efficient than ground source in cold spells
For efficiency, durability and low running costs
Higher efficiency, so lower running costs
Steady performance all year round, even in winter
Quieter, with no external fan unit
Long lifespan with minimal maintenance
Higher upfront cost and needs outdoor space to install
Whether a heat pump is a good fit comes down to a handful of things that affect how well it can perform. Here’s what to look at.
Insulation A heat pump works best in a home that holds its heat. Good loft and cavity wall insulation, decent window glazing, and draught proofing all help. If your home is a bit chilly, that doesn’t rule a heat pump out, but it’s worth considering insulation alongside the installation.
Space for the unit An air source heat pump sits outside, roughly the width of two wheelie bins side by side, and needs a bit of clear space around it for airflow. A ground source system needs enough outdoor space for either a loop of pipes buried in the garden, or a borehole.
Space for a cylinder Unlike a combi boiler, a heat pump heats water in advance and stores it in a cylinder. This cylinder needs a home, usually in an airing cupboard or utility space. If you’re used to a combi and don’t currently have a cylinder, this is one of the bigger changes to plan for.
Your radiators Heat pumps warm your home differently to a boiler. They run at a gentler, steadier temperature rather than short, hot bursts of water. This means some radiators may need upgrading to a slightly larger size so that they can give out the same warmth. Underfloor naturally complements this setup.
Your current heating Heat pumps make the most sense to replace systems that run on oil, LPG (bottled gas), or electric heating, which is common across rural Norfolk. That said, they work well in plenty of gas-heated homes too.
Getting a heat pump fitted is a bigger job than swapping your boiler, but a good installer makes it a smooth one. Here’s how the process works from your first enquiry through to a warm home, so you know exactly what to expect at each stage.
We’ll start with a conversation about your property, your current heating system, and what you’re hoping to achieve. This is where we get a feel for whether a heat pump is a good fit and answer any early questions you have. No strings attached, just a discussion to assess where you’re at.
From there, we carry out a full survey of your property, going room by room to work out exactly how much heat each one needs. This means looking at how your home loses heat through its walls, roof, windows, floors, and draughts, and taking into account its age, construction, and any insulation or glazing. This is often known as a heat loss calculation, and it’s the foundation of design for your heat pump system, and making sure that it runs efficiently.
With the survey done, we design a system specifically for your home, rather than reaching for an off the shelf solution. That covers the size of the heat pump for your home’s heat demand, working out whether any radiators need upgrading, deciding how your hot water is stored and heated, and planning where everything will go.
A big part of good design is efficiency. Heat pumps work best when the whole system is set up to run at a gentle temperature, so we design everything to work together with that in mind. We make sure to bridge the difference so that your system isn’t costing more than it should to run.
You’ll also get a clear estimate of how the system will perform before anything is agreed, so you know exactly what to expect from it.
Once you’re happy with the design, we’ll put together a full quote with no hidden extras. As MCS certified installers, we provide an official MCS Heat Pump System Performance Estimate with every quote. This shows how your system is expected to perform, so you can see exactly what you’re getting and compare it fairly against any other quotes you’re weighing up.
If you’re eligible for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, we’ll handle the application for you so the grant is taken care of from the start. We’ll also sort the notification to your local electricity network/DNO (Distribution Network Operator) – a required step we take care of behind the scenes.
Then the work begins. Our team fits the heat pump itself, along with your hot water cylinder, controls, and any pipework or radiator changes the design called for. For an air source system, the outdoor unit if carefully positioned for good airflow and low noise, while ground source installs involve a bit more groundwork to lay pipes or boreholes.
Throughout, we’ll keep disruption to a minimum and leave your home as tidy as we found it. The timescale depends on your home, and the system going in. A straightforward air source install is quicker than a ground source one, but we’ll always give you a clear idea in advance so there are no surprises.
Once everything’s in, we commission the system, testing and fine turning it so it runs efficiently from day one. Then we walk you through how it all works, from the controls to getting the best out of it day to day, ensuring you’re comfortable using it before we leave.
Our support doesn’t stop there. A heat pump is a long term investment, so if questions come up later or you need a hand down the line, we’re only a call away. We’re also around for regular servicing and repairs to keep your system running at its best for years to come.
Heat pumps come with plenty of questions, and that’s exactly how it should be when you’re making a big decision. Below are some of the ones we hear most often, answered simply and without the jargon. Anything else you’re wondering about, we’re always happy to help.
Yes. Heat pumps are designed to work right through a British winter, and they’ll keep pulling heat from the outside air, even when temperatures drop below freezing. Air source models may reduce in efficiency on the very coldest days, but a well designed system takes this into account so that your home stays warm regardless. Ground source systems are steadier still, thanks to the more constant temperature underground.
Absolutely. A heat pump will keep your home just as warm as a boiler, it simply gets there in a different way. Rather than short blasts of very hot water, it delivers a gentle, steady warmth that keeps your home at a comfortable temperature all day. So long as your system is well designed and sized correctly, it’ll maintain a steady temperature.
In the majority of cases, no. Most heat pump installations fall under permitted development, so planning permission isn’t needed. There are some exceptions, for example, if you live in a listed building or a conservation area, so it’s always worth checking. If you’re not sure, we can talk you through what applies to your property.
In some scenarios. A setup that runs a heat pump alongside a boiler is known as a hybrid system, and it can suit certain homes. That said, a well-designed heat pump is built to handle your home’s heating on its own, so a backup boiler often isn’t necessary. It’s something we’ll assess during the survey and advise you on.
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Business or Individual?
You want commercial pumps!
More than 4 in the home?
Do you have exterior land available?
You want an Air Source Heat Pump!
You want an Ground Source Heat Pump!