Wife says ashp doednt look good

[eniacs]

She doesnt like the look of it in the front of the house. Location is really the only place around the house that is both easy to get piping and cabling to and also out of our way. Other heat pumps ive put in i have put wooden boxing around the case and a nice cedar shingle roof on. Not sure that would work here though. Has anyone done anything to hide them?

[JohnMo]

Don't you need planning permission to site at front of house? Not sure that location is classed as permitted development.

 

I agree with her it looks rubbish.

[Andehh]

Could you rotate it round the corner, behind the wood fence? 

[ProDave]

If you moved it to the right slightly so it aligned exactly centred on that window, I bet it would look a whole lot better.

[sharpener]

Or centred on the blank wall to the left of the window. Installing HPs below windows is not recommended, presumably because of noise.

[JamesPa]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  Quite a few ashp marketing leaflets feature ashps proudly displayed on a patio or at the front of the house.  Generally they also feature modern Germanic/Scandi houses.

 

Personally I think it needs to be aligned with other features so either under the window, centred, or centred on one of the stretches of wall without a window.  It might also look better on the wall centred both horizontally and vertically wrt the window or bottom/top aligned

 

I don't personally think ashps are inherently ugly, but like anything else visual lines matter.  Almost any feature can look ugly if visual lines aren't resolved.

 

PS I don't personally think hiding it in the current location will work because of the unresolved visual lines.

 

I repeat beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

 

 

Edited June 10, 2023 by JamesPa

[Jilly]

Or just to the left in the recess behind the fence? 

[eniacs]

Thanks all some good points.

 

Positioned by the window as there is a drain to the left so cannot place it in the middle of the blank spot otherwise yes that would have been perfect. Cannot go down the alley between garage and house as isnt space and we use it so it would constantly be in the way a bit. Inpositioned it just to the left of the window so it hides the pipes coming out of the wall to meet it, does that make sense? I could site directly under the window but pipes would then be visible.

[eniacs]

Directly in the middle of the window.  Wife says looks better, no different in my opinion but here it is.

[JohnMo]

Box pipes in add plenty of insulation, paint white will not see them, cheaper than UV resistant insulation.

 

Looks better, are you far enough from the wall to meet the minimum distance requirements stated in the manual?

 

[jack]

1 minute ago, JohnMo said:

are you far enough from the wall to meet the minimum distance requirements stated in the manual?

 

Beat me to it!

 

My small ASHP needed 300 mm or maybe even 350 mm space behind it.

[JohnMo]

Mine is 400mm, if it was that far from the wall, maybe that position isn't the best, as most of the path would disappear.

[PhilT]

Is there anywhere on rear or side wall area where you could hang it up high like an air con unit. I nearly did this with a Vaillant offering (which I didn't go for in the end), as it would have been the only way to get around the minimum fire reg distances from doors, windows and drain covers, but I know for sure from that supplier that he installed a few in this way. This also has an advantage on very cold still winter nights when the air above 1m from the ground is a few degrees warmer - improved COP etc.

Edited June 10, 2023 by PhilT

[JamesPa]

1 hour ago, eniacs said:

Directly in the middle of the window.  Wife says looks better, no different in my opinion but here it is.

I agree with your wife, much better!

[eniacs]

3 hours ago, JohnMo said:

Don't you need planning permission to site at front of house? Not sure that location is classed as permitted development.

 

I agree with her it looks rubbish.

Checked, yes it may need planning. Crazy as whole of rear garden is filled with stuff preventing fitting in a sensible location. Side space is too restricted so leaving only the front. WIll be the same for 90% of the houses in the town i am in!

[JohnMo]

Is that a summer house in the back garden, what about next to that?

 

 

[DanDee]

1 hour ago, PhilT said:

 This also has an advantage on very cold still winter nights when the air above 1m from the ground is a few degrees warmer - improved COP etc.

where's that coming from?^^^

 

 

 

Edited June 10, 2023 by DanDee

[pudding]

My vote would be in the middle if the empty wall space left of the window, then you could build some boxed/cladding around it with sloping roof.

[eniacs]

44 minutes ago, JohnMo said:

Is that a summer house in the back garden, what about next to that?

 

 

 

We are planning an extension that would encompass that space... Its also more of a hassle for the piping there i think

[DanDee]

[CalvinHobbes]

Your wife is right. 

[eniacs]

1 hour ago, DanDee said:

 

 

Dan, this looks awesome. Did you paint it or wrap it? I think wrapping it in black would probably help. It stands out and looks like a giant fridge in white!

 

Edited June 10, 2023 by eniacs

[eniacs]

Ah a quick google and its been done befor:

 

https://www.creative-solutions-direct.co.uk/blog/article/vinyl-wrap-for-total-renewable-solutions-air-source-heat-pump

[Pocster]

Remove SWMBO - easiest solution .

[PhilT]

4 hours ago, DanDee said:

where's that coming from?^^^

https://www.weather.gov/abr/frost_fall2012#:~:text=Because cold air sinks relative,the 2-meter thermometer height.

"Because cold air sinks relative to warm air, and because the ground radiates heat very efficiently during calm, clear nights, the temperature at or near ground level can often be several degrees cooler than the temperature at the 2-meter thermometer height"