You’re thinking of installing a heat pump but want to know more about how long it takes, and what to expect when you install one? Well, read on!
At Thermly, we have a brilliant network of certified, trusted and local installers who will do the work for you. But to arm you with information upfront, here’s a quick guide on how the process with Thermly will work.
Firstly, you need to find out if a heat pump is suitable for your home, and what specification and components the system will need to work optimally.
Our online heat pump readiness tool - Heat Pump Readiness Assessment - will rapidly figure out if your home is heat pump ready. After a few simple questions, we’ll answer that question for you and give you a personalised early estimate of the cost of installation and the positive impact it could have.
If your home is heat pump ready and you want to go further - we’ll match you with up to three trusted, local and, importantly, certified installers who will suggest an appropriate heat pump and installation budget for you. You can then select your preferred installer to take it from there (we’re still on hand to help you on your heat pump journey, we’re here to support you when you need us!).
Your installer will visit to carry out a survey, which you’ll book through the Thermly platform. The survey will take a couple of hours.
Whilst undertaking the survey, the installer will also talk you through each part of the heat pump and where and how it will be installed (check out our video, which gives you some info about the space you need: https://youtu.be/u1TyPArQtWY).
The installer will need to go away and do a bunch of detailed calculations and design the system in order to provide a full quotation (and all the relevant supplementary information) back to you, which they will do through Thermly. You’ll be notified when that process is complete, and everything will be downloadable via your login. Thermly keeps a full a record of all the correspondence and documentation which you can access at any time, so you’re fully informed at all stages of the process.
The installation quotation will be based on agreeing the assumptions that any essential insulation work – like loft insulation top up or cavity wall insulation – is completed by you first. If you need to have the property insulated before progressing, you will need to get this done before any heat pump installation takes place. Don’t worry, we can signpost you to local partner schemes who can undertake this work. Another possibility is that you may need listed building consent. Again you need to have this in place before work progresses.
This may sound complicated, but we are there to guide you through it all.
The installer will also notify the local power network that a heat pump is going to be connected, and the network will respond to confirm either way. This can be as quick as overnight, but it can also take 2 weeks...this bit is out of our hands I’m afraid! Again, we’ll keep you informed on the platform about progress on this too, and you’ll be notified at each stage.
Right, your air source heat pump is now ready to be installed! Typically, installation will take between 3 – 5 days. The installer will have confirmed access is fine during the survey – and will need unfettered access to the outdoor location where your heat pump is to be located.
There’s no denying it, installation can be disruptive – the installers will be in and out of your home for a few days whilst the internal and external components are installed, connected, configured and commissioned. If at any time you have questions or are concerned about something, do ask the installer: they’re there to help.
Heat pumps aren’t like normal boilers, and they’re not used or controlled like normal boilers. Your installer will configure the system in a way that will be appropriate for your home and explain how the controls work. But we also need to manage expectations. Many people will take time to get used to the new system and how it best operates. The settings may also need to be adjusted in the weeks following installation so that it operation can be optimised. You need to have patience on both counts – and the installer will revisit the property if needed to adjust and tweak to ensure you’re getting the best out of the system.
Once complete and you’re happy, you’ll be asked to sign the completion paperwork by your installer. You can do this on site before the contractor leaves, or it will be uploaded to the platform and you can sign it there, online.
All your installation documentation will be uploaded to the Thermly platform, which you can store there or download as required. At the moment, any ongoing maintenance – typically required annually to maintain the warranty on a heat pump – can be arranged with your installer directly.
Hopefully that has given you a better understanding on how a heat pump is installed using Thermly. If you want to find out a little bit more, we have some super videos which explain everything visually. Check out our page here: https://thermly.co.uk/heat-pumps.
Remember, Thermly is here to help and give you confidence in the process. Any issues, just drop us a line at enquiries@thermly.co.uk.
Our short Heat Pump Readiness Assessment is free, and only takes a few minutes. Sometime a bit longer with a cup of tea.
