Air source heat pumps — for the homes that actually suit them

Three reasons, all of them design errors and none of them the heat pump's fault. The first is bad sizing (typically over-sizing) which causes the unit to short-cycle (start, heat briefly, stop, restart) and bleed efficiency on every cycle. A proper heat-loss calculation prevents this; we size to the actual loss, not the radiator-installed output. The second is undersized emitters left in place: the installer leaves the existing radiators on, the system can't deliver the design temperature at the design flow rate, so the homeowner cranks the flow temperature up to 60°C and the unit runs at the COP of an electric immersion heater. We size the emitters as part of the design and replace the few that need replacing — typically 1–3 radiators in a 3-bed home, not all of them. The third is leaving the weather-compensation curve on the factory default. We come back at six weeks and tune it to your specific home; that step alone typically adds 0.3–0.5 SCOP.

Sometimes one or two, almost never all of them. Heat pumps work best at flow temperatures around 45°C versus the 70°C a gas combi was designed for, which means the radiators need a larger surface area to deliver the same kW into the room. Our room-by-room heat-loss calculation tells us exactly which rooms need a bigger panel and which already work. In a typical 3-bed semi we replace 1–3 radiators; the rest stay. Replacements are line-itemed on your fixed-price quote in advance — no mid-install surprise invoices.

Yes. This is one of the most-repeated misconceptions in the trade. Modern units deliver their rated output down to -7°C ambient and most maintain a COP above 2.5 down to -10°C. Norway and Sweden, both significantly colder than the UK on average, run heat pumps in over 70% of homes. The performance falls as temperatures drop, which is why we size the unit using the design outdoor temperature for your specific UK postcode (typically -2°C in southern England, -4°C in Scotland) plus a margin. The bivalent point — where the heat pump struggles to keep up — is well below the coldest day most UK homes ever see.

Effectively inaudible behind a closed window. Modern units run at 40–45 dB(A) at one metre outdoors — quieter than a domestic fridge. Inside the house with the window shut, the noise floor of the building is louder. Permitted Development rules in England require under 42 dB(A) at the nearest neighbour boundary; we site every unit to hit that with margin, and measure on commissioning to prove it. If your boundary geometry is tight, we will show you the placement options on the survey before any quote goes out.

Every install includes a correctly sized unvented hot water cylinder, which is usually a noticeable upgrade on a standard combi — mains-pressure hot water across multiple taps simultaneously, no flow drop when the kitchen tap runs while someone showers. Cylinder size is matched to your household pattern (a 3-bed family typically takes 200–250L). The cylinder heats once or twice a day on cheap-rate electricity if you are on a time-of-use tariff, with a weekly Legionella cycle to 60°C. We size, install, commission and set up the storage cycle on the controller before we leave.

Outdoor unit: 15–20 years on a properly designed install with the annual service kept up. Indoor cylinder: 15–25 years depending on water hardness and whether you are on softened mains. Compressor (the most expensive single component): typically warrantied for 7 years, with most lasting 12–15 in real-world conditions. Compare that to a gas boiler's 10–15 year typical life and the maths usually favours the heat pump on lifetime cost — once you factor in the BUS grant, the running-cost savings, and the absence of an annual gas safety certificate.

In most cases, yes — and the saving depends almost entirely on what you are switching from. Off oil or LPG, savings are typically 45–60% on heating spend (the standing charges for the oil delivery and the tank servicing go away too). Off mains gas, savings are tighter at 5–25%, depending on your tariff — and a poorly-designed install can lose money. Off electric storage heaters, savings are typically 60–70%. Our quote includes an annual running-cost projection based on your actual usage from the last 12 months of bills, not a brochure number.

Yes, and the maths is excellent in summer. A 4kW solar array generates roughly 3,500–4,000 kWh per year in southern England; a typical home heat pump uses 3,000–4,500 kWh per year for heating and hot water. The seasonal mismatch (solar peaks in summer, heating demand peaks in winter) means solar covers most of the hot-water year-round and a useful slice of the heating during shoulder seasons. Add a battery and you can shift solar surplus into evening heat-pump runs. We design solar + heat pump + battery as a single package on the survey when both are on the plan; one set of paperwork, one BUS application, one MCS sign-off.

Three layers of cover. The 7-year manufacturer warranty covers the box (Mitsubishi, Vaillant, Daikin, Samsung) for parts and labour for the warranted period; we register your install for you so the warranty starts the day we commission. The 5-year OMEGA workmanship guarantee covers anything we did during install — pipework, cylinder, controls, commissioning settings — at no charge. Both are insurer-backed: if OMEGA ever ceased trading, the policy still pays. Annual service is included for the first three years, and the system streams diagnostic data to our app so we usually spot a problem before you do.