Surely there's got to be a better way forward than retrofitting ASHPs like this...

[MJNewton]

Just watched the following video showing a recent retrofit of an ASHP, and whilst the owner seems pleased as punch I was left flabbergasted. A thought even briefly crossed my mind that maybe it was a prank video!

 

 

I don't know where to focus with my dissatisfaction, but in a nutshell:

 

- Massive grey washing machine plonked so conspicuously in the garden

- Pipes and cables run all over the outside of the property, and 'all over' really isn't much of an exaggeration

- Shoddy workmanship involving unfilled holes, pushfit plumbing on show etc

- Considerably greater system complexity than what was there before. 8 hours of troubleshooting on first use tells me everything I need to know.

- Probably other things too that I've missed as I felt the need to vent somewhere before I'd even finished watching!

 

The owner, who I must say seemed like a lovely bloke and an intelligent one at that, seemed mostly bothered about the empty kitchen cupboard that'll need a bit of tarting up than anything else!

 

Is this what the future holds? Surely we can do better than this.

Edited 5 hours ago by MJNewton

[Kelvin]

It’s an odd looking box for sure. Looks like a salt bin but in grey. You could argue at least they are trying a bit of industrial design away from the square white boxes. ASHP are hard to hide. As for location it’s a small looking back area so there weren’t many other options much like every other new build estate house. Unconvinced about the effectiveness of the ‘soakaway’. If that’s ok I over engineered mine! 
 

I couldn’t deal with all the external pipework and cables but it will be common given the layout of most typical new build estate houses and he already has the same thing for solar and batteries so obviously resigned to the look. Certainly would have been similar in the one I rented. The one I bought would have been an easier install with minimal external pipework and cabling but it would have some. 

[MrPotts]

I wouldn't accept all the ugly external pipework, as soon as the installers said how it was going to be done I would have called a halt to the work. Unfortunately my house would need a similar install hence I won't be getting a heat pump anytime soon.

[Roger440]

9 minutes ago, MrPotts said:

I wouldn't accept all the ugly external pipework, as soon as the installers said how it was going to be done I would have called a halt to the work. Unfortunately my house would need a similar install hence I won't be getting a heat pump anytime soon.

 

Likewise.

 

However, its the obvious solution to minmising intrusive work in a house thats being lived in, as well as reducing costs. Logic suggests this will be quite common. 

 

However, more of a concern is the controls. Why, why, why does it need to be dependant on the internet to work. Just no.

 

Id predict this level of of electronic complexity is going to bite Octupus in the backside. Hard.  They didnt even get past the first day of operation without having to replace the white controller box thing.

 

 

[MJNewton]

1 hour ago, Kelvin said:

It’s an odd looking box for sure. Looks like a salt bin but in grey.

 

I heard someone say it reminded them of a festival urinal... 😂

[Rob99]

35 minutes ago, MJNewton said:

 

I heard someone say it reminded them of a festival urinal... 😂

Complete with something in the middle to aim at 🤣

[Mattg4321]

Wouldn’t have that abomination in the middle of my garden! Maybe tucked out of view but that’s shocking there