daunker

Thank you everyone, really appreciate the responses! 👍

Hi! Like many my windows are massively delayed. The plasterboard is going up but the plasterer doesn't want to skim any walls with window or door openings at all, because he says it will be impossible to get the reveals right, and also if the skim stops short it will be hard to patch in later and get a smooth finish, and will also be v likely to crack along join. I'm sure he's right but just wondering what others have done in this position, as I'm keen to press on with as much else as possible, decorating skirting flooring etc. Are there any hacks?

It's paying the full cost now and then getting reimbursed over 7 years, it will take a few years to be in a better financial position. I would rather save the money now if it was £3-4k as I have a more pressing cash crunch than I would have in a few years time. I take your point, but without going into it, in my situation I also might not be eligible for rhi. So just exploring alternate options.

Thanks so much for coming back so swiftly, I have read a few topics of self installed, but they were using older models and also a few years ago. I guess my question was if I don't use an MCS accredited rhi installer- what level of competency is required for install. Is it something a good say oil central heating installer can turn their hand to?

Hi! Long time lurker. Midway through build at the moment, and ASHP quotes are coming in super expensive - they are also coming in at different sizes! And generally don't seem to know much about what they are selling. So I am wondering is it possible to avoid the RHI altogether and go for a self/plumber/heating engineer install. I've watched the Vaillant youtube videos and it rather looks like it is plug and play. So a plumber and electrician used to heating systems should be able to do it? I'd probably rather a cheaper up front cost than receiving the RHI over 7 years- provided it is a reasonable saving. So far, I've had a 14kW, 13kW and a 5kW recommended... The house is single storey, built to building regs (wall 0.24 floor 0.1 roof 0.15 u values) with not excessive windows. I suspect air tightness isn't great, and the ceiling is vaulted so a bit of extra volume there, but I just can't understand why two such massive ASHP are being spec-ed. Also the quotes are fairly wild. I've downloaded @Jeremy Harris v helpful calculator and put in my figures, getting a heat loss of just around 5000W @ -10 degrees outside and 20deg C inside. To my mind that shows heating requirement, and bearing in mind outside temp of -10 for the calculation, surely a smaller say 7kW Vaillant would be more than sufficient? I'd also like a 300l cylinder, as it is a 4 bed, albeit one shower is electric. I can pickup the Vaillant easily enough, and it seems very capable unit. Surely the install cost can't be £6-7k, or that complicated? The youtube videos make it seem that it is really just connections that need to made to get it going...