Why did you choose an air source heat pump?

[SimonD]

There always lots of content about why not to get a heat pump installed, but I would like to know why you chose to get a heat pump installed instead of a fossil fuel boiler? Doesn't matter whether it's for retrofit/renovation or new build, I'm just interested to know. And what were the pain points that were most difficult to overcome? Was it just the price or is it in line with so many posts on BH that it's difficult to find a decent system designer and installer?

[JohnMo]

26 minutes ago, SimonD said:

why you chose to get a heat pump

Swopped from gas in stages, but ASHP motivation was cooling via UFH.

 

The boiler basically ended having to go it couldn't pay it's way, with gas standing charges and preferentially better ToU tariffs for electric, once I got the smart meter sorted

[ProDave]

I was building a new house that I knew would be well insulated, airtight and low energy.  There is no mains gas here, so other realistic choices were oil boiler or lpg gas boiler.  I did not want an outside tank taking up space and looking ugly.

 

So i chose ASHP.  Entirely self installed with UFH.  Cost of parts no more than oil boiler and oil tank and not difficult.  ASHP gives electric heating at comperable running cost to fossil fuel boiler, so what is not to like.

[Nestor]

No mains gas and used oil in the past.

New self build, air tight, MVHR, 3G etc. 275sqm.

RHI was available so paid for kit and install.

Our personal use for 2025 was 2700kWh for hot water and heating.

However, I would not recommend ASHP in average insulated home with mains gas available if cost is a major factor.

[Dreadnaught]

New build. Had gas available.

 

Chose ASHP because (i) fuel bills are lower; (ii) low-and-steady gives a nicer sense of warmth; (ii) cooling in summer; and (iii) and especially because it gives a whisper quiet home as the main noise-generating part is located outside.

[Andeh]

Was a tricky decision, as I knew nothing about them and have always had gas in the past. I love my technology, but worried about earlier adopting, and shortage of skilled people on them. Had gas available and on site already.. So seemed mad not too just keep it simple. Even with UFH and the Grant... I still wasn't sure. 

 

Architect and builder both looked at me as if I was mad when I hesitated over ASHP, and explained the above.... I generally declined but said I'd think about it. The builder went ahead and costed and put it into the plans anyway. 

 oooooooh were they correct.

 

I love the ASHP, it works well, is cheaper then gas, with smart tariffs it's just brilliant. No gas standing charge , no big noisy boiler inside the house, no stupidly high flow temp to then try and reduce for the UFH. 

[JohnMo]

12 minutes ago, Andeh said:

no big noisy boiler inside the house, no stupidly high flow temp to then try and reduce for the UFH

If you get that it's just piss poor design from installer not the boiler. Mine was pretty much silent, directly connected to UFH manifold no mixer and pump. Just ran a steady 32 degs, and was managed by a low hysterisis thermostat. When it did DHW it just ramped up slowly to 60 degs, by the time it got the cylinder was at 52 degs.

[Beau]

We moved into my late parents old place that had no central heating and just an LPG AGA and wood burners (no mains gas available). The AGA was using over 2k of bulk LPG a year and only heated a couple of rooms, hot water and cooking. Having had a heat pump in the form of a GSHP for 18 years in our previous barn we were comfortable a well designed heat pump system would work well enough. We didn't cost up a FF heating system and just went straight for the heat pump as we could afford it, it shouldn't be more expensive to run and has environmental benefits. A year in its managed an SCOP of over 4 and cost around £850 a year to run. The heat pump grant combined with getting the VAT back on all the radiator work made this all a lot less painful than it might have been.

 

Edit. We went for air source over ground source as I couldn't face the chaotic mess of the trenches for a GSHP which would have to go through our yard which is our main farm access and has lots of drains and water supplies in it. 

Edited 37 minutes ago by Beau

[Post and beam]

New build well insulated, UFH and air tight ( ish). 

Mains gas is not available on our plot and the delivery was going to be £6500. Not usually factored in when people discuss how expensive heat pumps are.

Finding a heat pump installer was difficult and to be honest the company i chose have ended up being a total incompetent nightmare. Hey ho! lesson learned.