Heat pump servicing and repairs in Nottingham


Heat pumps are gaining popularity in the UK thanks to the MSC BUS grant. There are more of them fitted each year and, just like gas boilers, these require annual maintenance (both to work efficiently and to maintain the warranty). Unlike a combi boiler, the ASHP (Air Source Heat Pump) system is fairly complex. Since there is now need for an unvented hot water cylinder and due to the temperatures of hot water, a disinfection cycle is required (and depending on the design of your system there may be risk of having excessively hot domestic hot water if there is no blend valve installed), the system needs to be set up correctly. It’s also worth mentioning that some customers benefit from EV tariffs where electricity may be cheaper at a given time of night or day. It’s worth benefitting from it and making sure the hot water cylinder gets brought up to temperature when each kW of electricity is the cheapest. This can all be discussed and set during the service.


The outdoor unit of an ASHP is essentially an outdoor unit for an air conditioning unit working in reverse (heating instead of cooling) with an addition of a heat exchanger. Depending on the manufacturer, it may either be heating water (e.g. Daikin Altherma) a glycol solution (e.g Vaillant). In case of using water, the system needs to have anti-freeze valves fitted both on flow and return in case there is lack of supply of electricity and there is risk of freezing. These valves are designed to open when the temperature of water drops to +3C. If the system is designed AND commissioned correctly, an air source heat pump can give you tangible savings.


Our background in refrigeration and air conditioning makes our life easier when it comes both to servicing and repairs of an ASHP. Being F-gas registered, we are allowed to work on the refrigeration circuit inside the heat pump itself. Depending on the age, make and model of the heat pump, some of these use flammable refrigerants (such as R32 or even R290 which is pure propane). It is important to understand the implications. During each heat pump service, we always carry out leak checks to make sure the refrigeration circuit is operating correctly. We are also able to carry out repairs such as a compressor change or heat exchanger replacement which require removing the refrigerant from the system, pressure checks and filling it with a correct amount of correct refrigerant.


What does an air source heat pump service consist of? We check operation of the heat pump (including checking the flow rate on the central heating and the domestic hot water circuit). We check the outdoor unit (both on a monobloc design and a split system). We make sure there are no obstructions reducing the flow of air. As the heat pump essentially uses the principle of the refrigeration cycle to harness the ‘free’ energy in the air, the evaporator needs to have good air flow. Any obstruction or dirt accumulating on the evaporator reduces the efficiency of the heat pump causing it to work harder. The harder it works, the more electricity it used and the sooner the components are going to fail. We make sure the electrical connections inside the heat pump are secure. We make sure there is no debris inside the heat pump casing (as it gets warm inside the casing, we have seen rodent nests etc). We make sure there is adequate thermal insulation to the water / glycol flexi hoses leaving the heat pump (or refrigerant pipes in case of a split system). We make sure the rotary isolator is within the correct distance (e.g. on an R290 heat pump it needs to be outside the protected area) and report on any issues. We also inspect the hot water cylinder (as long as it is accessible – if it had been installed in the loft space and there is no safe access to it, it may be impossible to do it). We always do a visual inspection of the ‘G3 setup’ (in the UK there are special laws concerning unvented hot water cylinders to avoid risks associated with malfunctioning heating system causing excessive pressure in the circuit). There have been instances of the expansion vessel being incorrectly fitted etc. Any remedial action required would be quoted for promptly, however luckily the vast majority of installations are safe. As the outdoor unit produces condensate (water), we make sure there is adequate drainage (if you have seen a heat pump turned into a block of ice at the bottom, it’s usually down to inadequate drainage of the condensate). We check if the fixing brackets / flexi feet appear to be secure and if vibration dampers are fitted where recommended by the manufacturer).


How long does an air source heat pump service take? Please put half a day aside. In order to carry out the tests, checks, correct cleaning of the evaporator etc, we need to have enough time. In our experience, three hours is an absolute minimum for a monobloc, if you have a split system, it takes even longer. Home owners often have questions, this would be the right time to ask the engineer these questions and they will be able to help or let you know where to find the information you require.


We believe that appropriate training is essential to allow engineers to carry out commissioning, servicing and repairs effectively.


By choosing us, you are supporting a local family business (based in Beeston, Nottingham). We cover Nottingham, Nottinghamshire as well as parts of Derbyshire and Leicestershire.


How much does it cost? As long as there is no special access equipment required (it may be the case if the heat pump is fitted to the side of a building two storeys up), you are looking at £150. Once the initial service has been completed and you would like to pay monthly, we can set up monthly payments which allow you to save up for the next service (and this way guarantee you the same price for next year).


Do you service hybrid systems (ASHP and gas boiler)? No, we specialise in heat pumps and air conditioning / refrigeration equipment and we do not deal with gas appliances so we could not service the gas boiler which is part of a hybrid setup, we can however recommend a local central heating engineer who does.


Do you repair heat pumps? Yes we do. We can carry out diagnostic checks to establish which part has failed and carry out repairs as necessary (subject to the Manufacturer having the parts in stock). In rare cases of the cost of the repair being close to the cost of a new unit, we will discuss the options as it may be beneficial to fit a new pump. The latest generations of heat pumps are more efficient and often offer improved longevity.


Does the engineer attending our property get training from the hear pump manufacturers? Yes, we believe that knowledge is very important – as the technologies change, air source heat pump manufacturers offer new courses to keep the engineers up-to-date with the latest changes to the heat pump range. Whilst it means the engineer needs to take a trip to a training centre from time to time, we believe it is a necessity – no amount of experience will make up for lack of training. We currently attend Daikin and Vaillant training for air source heat pumps and unvented cylinders as well as any related controls. The engineer will come equipped with knowledge as well as advanced diagnostic tools such as a Daikin D-Checker.