How to get a heat pump in 7 steps

[@markgaudie80]

I think other than the cost the main thing that puts people off a Heat Pump installation is all the negative and inaccurate information spouted on social media. It’s a real shame but people should always do their own research like you Tom and myself have done. Keep up the great content and I look forward to the next upload.

[@TomBray-LowCarbonLifestyle]

Cheers Mark - appreciate the support!

[@philipbroggio9315]

Hi Tom, Great video again and very useful for newbies. One thing you could perhaps emphasise monitoring energy used versus heat produced in the early part of understanding the heat pump performance. When Octopus Energy installed my ASHP it was going to be setup on a fixed flow temp but I wanted it set with weather compensation and insisted it was. The heat pump worked fine but was too hot in December when it got below -2degs so I adjusted the weather comp down to 40 degs and got it running "low and slow". As you said in video this made the system run more efficiently. Users have to be prepared to get involved with the systems and tweak them to get the best from them. The design sCOP from Octopus was 3.4 and tweaking got me 3.63. Hoping for better this winter as the system is now better setup. My only slight regret is that I didn't get a quote for additional cost of bigger radiators to reduce the flow temp further but pretty happy with the system.

[@TomBray-LowCarbonLifestyle]

Thanks Philip! I probably should have mentioned weather compensation too. And your example beating the quoted COP is fantastic. A lot of lessons you can share with other people!

[@terryrigden4860]

Very helpful, thank you.

[@TomBray-LowCarbonLifestyle]

Thanks Terry

[@markgaudie80]

Great Video Tom! I used an Elite Heat Geek installer called Liam Knowles. He was amazing and he had the backing of Heat Geeks to make sure my installation was as good as it could possibly be. I’ve stayed in touch with my installer as he is a top guy and I see him as a friend now I can rely on for any info.

[@TomBray-LowCarbonLifestyle]

A pretty good recommendation there!

[@tarsembains1824]

Would the hearing be on all the time in the winter? Or would it work like a boiler …switched on to heat the house at specific times ?

[@TomBray-LowCarbonLifestyle]

Hi tarsembains - that really depends on how you want to run the system. You can set heating times with a 'set back' so that you are not heating the house to comfortable temperatures all the time. The reason people say heat pumps need to be 'On' all the time is that this means they can operate more efficiently, at lower 'flow' temperatures, if heating is off for long periods, or the heating system needs to work hard to raise the temperature quickly, this would mean an inefficient system. So keeping the heat pump on all the time, low and slow, is likely to cost less than having it run inefficiently for certain parts of the day. This is actually similar to a gas boiler, if we were able to reduce flow temperature of a gas boiler and increase the hours we run it for that is likely to be more efficient and lower cost. Than just heating very quickly over short periods Hope that answers your question Thanks Tom

[@tarsembains1824]

@@TomBray-LowCarbonLifestyle thank you Tom This really helps me make an informed decision Carry on the great work

[@devjon123]

Hello Tom, That was a really useful video which gave me a lot to think about. We too live in a mid terrace house and last week went through the Heat Pump Q&A process on the Octopus web site. We have a built in airing cupboard with a which contains the boiler, and another that contains the Hot water tank. The questionnaire stated that the HW tank would require a space of 1M x 1M x 2M which we don't have, Our house was built in the 50's and by todays standards is quite spacious, I wonder how this affects the uptake.

[@TomBray-LowCarbonLifestyle]

Hi devjon123, thanks for the comment, I would suggest that if you have an airing cupboard that would be sufficient space for a hot water tank to run with a heat pump. One of the problems with Octopus' approach is that they are trying to simplify things to reduce costs, quicken the process and deploy as many heat pumps as possible, I am sure your home would be appropriate for a heat pump but may not meet the specific requirements Octopus are looking for. Upon survey they may suggest something more optimistic, and I suggest other installers would have a different perspective. Hope it doesn't slow down your ambition! Thanks Tom

[@devjon123]

@@TomBray-LowCarbonLifestyle Thanks Tom. Yes Octopus's web site certainly needs some editing. I spoke with a member of the Solar Sales team and have a surveyor coming on Monday. He was complaining that when you are sent a provisional quote, subject to site survey, the wording says " Accept Quote " . This leads to a lot of people thinking that they are commiting themselves to a contract, whereas in effect the £500 deposit is fully refundable if you decide not to proceed after your site survey visit. The guy said he'd raised the issue on several occasions but all to no avail so far.

[@edwardpickering9006]

Re Step 4, make sure you get a Quotation/Quote and not an estimate (which isn't legally worth the paper its written on!). Also pay the deposit using a Credit Card as you'll get consumer protection if there is a problem with the installer.

[@edetc10]

I wouldn’t suggest that people should Expect an buffer vessel with their heat pump install, if anything an installer who overly keen or defaults to a buffer being used rather using one as a last resort is to me red flag that they don’t necessarily understand hydronic design Heat geek have been pretty clear that the best approach where possible is an open flow system with no hydraulic separation and that buffers and Low loss headers should be avoided and designed out where possible due to distortion. Otherwise sound advice

[@formulavon]

Now you are fully electric did you get your gas supply disconnected so you no longer have to pay the standing charge?

[@TomBray-LowCarbonLifestyle]

Hello, thanks for the comment, am afraid not yet, we still have a gas hob that could be quite expensive to replace. But at some point we need to and we’ll remove the gas meter. Our neighbour got a heat pump and replaced their hob and capped off the gas supply… all makes sense!

[@MichaelPickles]

From my research a buffer tank is a bad idea for most as it can sap up to 30% of the efficiency.

[@TomBray-LowCarbonLifestyle]

Hi Michael, yes you may be right, but I think when mine was installed it was part of Vaillant's installation advice, I have heard 'Heat Geeks' say that they are not required, I didn't have much choice or input in the design when mine went it, so reliant on competent installers to make good decisions. I hope best practice will be throughout the industry one day! Tom

[@wobby1516]

Just used that calc on our 3 bed semi 10 years old and it comes out at 2.75 kw. So a 5 kw heat pump would be ok and I believe they are the smallest.

[@joewentworth7856]

Its quite involed process. But uk housing has been through this process of upgrading heating before. Open coal fires to gas fires to cental heating. It much less involved than a full central heating instal. Great advice to test you current boiler at 45 degree or lower it can meake it all seem much less daunting.

[@TomBray-LowCarbonLifestyle]

Hi Joe - that’s really helpful context, something we have seemed quick to forget! Thanks for commenting Tom

[@paulmarshall3104]

Hi great video. Nobody mentions noise in the garden. We have them at work I would not like the noise in my garden.

[@BenIsInSweden]

Commercial isn't the same as Residential. The residential ones are required by building regs to be under a certain noise level.

[@TomBray-LowCarbonLifestyle]

Hi both, apologies, I thought I had already replied to this comment, agree with Ben, modern domestic heat pumps do not tend to be noisy. He is the analysis of my system a couple of winters ago - kzbin.info/www/bejne/oaTVco2DYtGXf5o

[@DennisM-u8l]

5kw is £1 to £1-50 an hour. That’s not cheap .have I missed something .

[@TomBray-LowCarbonLifestyle]

Hi Dennis M, yes I am afraid you have. 5 kW is the heat capacity of the heat pump, so this is how much heat it can produce. It runs at an efficiency of around 315% (average over the whole year) so draws around 1.7 kW of electricity when it is outputting its maximum. This doesn't happen all the time, i.e. only on the coldest day, so for much of the year it is outputting less and using less electricity. Finally, a kW is different to a kWh. We are billed in kWh, so a heat pump drawing 1 kW for 1 hour, would be using 1 kWh, and have a cost of around 25p per hour. Our system has used around 4000 kWh each year, this gives out around 12,600 kWh of heat, so this is around £1000 at 25p per kWh. A gas boiler giving the same heat, would use around 13,500-14,000 kWh of gas, which, at 7.5p per kWh for gas, would cost around £1050 per year. Hope that helps.

[@DennisM-u8l]

thanks for the answer .i have solar .south facing and heat my water from that in addition i use no gas from may until october at all.i have been quoted £3500to have one inst.aled .off the top of your head is it beneficial financially for me to get one instaled?regards Dennis.@@TomBray-LowCarbonLifestyle