What do you get when you buy a new ASHP

[Stones]

No such thing as a stupid question, but this could be one!

For those that have purchased new ASHP's, what exactly have you got for your money apart from the Monobloc heat pump unit and a controller?

Do you get any other parts to enable a connection to your CH / DHW system or did you have to get those components separately?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/KINGSPAN-AEROMAX-12KW-AIR-SOURCE-HEAT-PUMP-INSTALLATION-PACK-KHP0030-ONLINE-778-/162082815873?hash=item25bce37f81:g:qaIAAOSwo0JWPiMO

 

 

[joe90]

I didn't even get a controller ( but I knew this and it was a silly price).

[Jeremy Harris]

Mine came with the installation manual (not that useful as it described connecting to an integrated Glowworm control system), the basic programmer/control unit (essential, as without it you can't set up or monitor the ASHP) and the unit itself.  I had to buy pipe fittings, large bore flexible hoses (you need long ones, curved to reduce vibration transmission, as I discovered to my cost) and an in-line Y filter for the return connection (to prevent any debris in the system reaching the plate heat exchanger inside the unit).  I also had to buy bolts to fix the thing down to the concrete base.

Pipe sizing on mine was way OTT for the flow rate, 1" BSP male pipe stubs coming out the back of the unit IIRC.  None need more than 22mm pipe (in fact mine would be fine on 15mm as the runs are short) so quite why they fit 1" fittings is beyond me, 3/4" BSP would have made things easier and removed the need for adapters, as I could have just fitted 3/4" BSP large bore flexis, with 90 deg ends, directly to the unit.

[Guest Alphonsox]

Mine was a very silly price and came with the cardboard box it was wrapped in and nothing else.

The Kinspan installation kit listed is very expensive IMHO, the individual parts are significantly cheaper than the all-in-one kit if you ignore the crappy Kingspan electronics which you don't want or need.

[Jeremy Harris]

You still need the controller though, don't you?  I've not tried, but have the feeling that the unit throws an error if there's no controller found on the bus, probably because I think many of the settings are actually stored in the controller rather than the ASHP itself, so it needs it in order to run.

The rest is just relatively cheap plumbing stuff.  I found that adding an adjustable pressure bypass valve across the flow and return as far from the unit as possible (mine is just next to the UFH manifold) is very useful, as if you have any valves that take time to open it avoids the unit shutting down due to an over-pressure event and then waiting for several minutes before trying to re-start.  All that happens if you do have a momentary period where there is a flow restriction due to valves being slow to operate is that the bypass opens and the ASHP modulates right down because there's very little heat being drawn off, but it keeps running, rather than shutting down, which means that the pump keeps going and as soon as the slow valve opens flow starts, the heat pump senses the change in flow/return temperature differential and ramps up the power.

[Guest Alphonsox]

19 minutes ago, JSHarris said:

You still need the controller though, don't you?  I've not tried, but have the feeling that the unit throws an error if there's no controller found on the bus, probably because I think many of the settings are actually stored in the controller rather than the ASHP itself, so it needs it in order to run.

Not according to Kingspan. They detail a switch only installation using the inbuilt presets. The controller only seems to be required if you want to modify these presets. Both Joe90 and I have bought controllers but they are don't appear to be strictly necessary.

[joe90]

I may be wrong but I think someone told me the controller allowed the user to have more control over the fine tuning of the ASHP. i.e. Make it more efficient.

[Jeremy Harris]

One problem is that you can't adjust the compensation curve without the controller, and as supplied it will push the flow temperature up when it gets cold.  The controller allows you to set the curve (or set points that make the "curve" a straight line, which is what I've done) and that definitely helps reduce the defrost frequency a great deal.

I have a feeling that the cooling temps are also set to a less than great setting by default and the shut of temps are also not great, so it's well worth having the controller wired in just to gain a great deal more control over the way the unit operates, I think.