HeatPumpSwitch › How to choose a heat pump installer
How to choose a heat pump installer
The quote you accept is a design decision, not a purchase. Six things to check, in the order that they matter.
1. Ask for the heat-loss calculation, room by room
To EN 12831, with the design outdoor temperature stated. This is the document everything else derives from. An installer who will not share it is asking you to buy a design you are not allowed to see.
2. Ask for the design flow temperature
One number, at design conditions. Then ask which room sets it. If the answer is above 55 °C, ask what it would take to get to 50 °C and what that costs — it is usually two or three radiators.
3. Check the output against your heat loss
Anything more than about 30 % above the calculated loss needs a reason. Oversizing costs more upfront and cycles at part load. Our sizing calculator gives you a number to argue from.
4. Confirm MCS certification and who applies for the grant
In England and Wales the MCS-certified installer applies for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme voucher on your behalf. If you are being asked to apply yourself, stop. We are not MCS certified and we are not an installer — check the installer's certification on the MCS register directly.
5. Ask what happens at commissioning
Hydraulic balancing carried out and documented, weather compensation curve set and explained, flow rates recorded. Most disappointing heat pumps are correctly specified and badly commissioned.
6. Read the exclusions before the price
Scaffolding, electrical supply upgrade, making good, asbestos, and the condition on which a fixed price becomes an estimate. This is where the second invoice comes from.
We are not an installer, we are not MCS certified or accredited, and we do not vet companies. What we can do is give you the questions that separate a design from a sales pitch.
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Compare at least three installers. Ask each one for the heat-loss calculation and the design flow temperature in writing — that number decides your running cost more than the brand on the box.
Ad. If you request a quote through this link we may be paid a commission by the installer. It does not change your price, and we do not rank companies by how much they pay.