Heat Pump Nightmare - Geoff's Story 

So in summary, a bad experience was had with an unknown brand's unknown product. Great info.

No one can benefit from your experience Geoff, unless you tell us your initial equipment and what you replaced it with. Please tell us.

I had a Daiken (in a new house) for the nine years i lived in the premises. It was very quiet in operation and provided hot water and room heat adequately. It did suffer a breakdown, which required a replacement circuit board costing over £1000. The system utilises a fluid (forget the name) which has to be maintained at a very high pressure. Recharging of this fluid is required periodically and this too is expensive. My overall impression is that when set up and working properly it’s satisfactory but it’s important to have easy access to competent, responsive experts when things go wrong, along with moderately deep pockets.

What happened? I’ve got no idea what was wrong (I suspect it was the design) or what was done to rectify it…. Nobody benefits from this video except CB heating 👍

This just appears like an advert for CB heating. Tell us what was wrong and how much all this cost initially and to rectify.

We had three Daikin a2a heat pumps/a/c units installed in our bungalow, we removed all the hw radiators and decided to keep the original electric hot water tank ,so far 2yrs down the line everything seems to work adequately and provides enough decent heat in lounge and bedrooms and the a/c is brilliant in summer, plus it didn't cost the earth and monthly bills are very manageable .

I had a CB Heating Clacton system fitted and had to have it ripped out a year later as it didn't work and they kept saying it needed a software update which never happened. Gone back to a gas boiler.

We have millions of heat pumps in Australia, used for air conditioning and reverse cycle heating, but open plan houses and indoor/outdoor living with kids and dogs results in high usage and big bills and god forbid they breakdown, electronic cards cost thousands, technician rates are horrendous if you can find one and if it's under warrantee and you don't have a full service record they can sting you a huge service fee before they will look at fixing it.

I put my gas boiler back in , with the now extra large radiators I had to have my gas bills have halved, I could not afford the electricity bill of 4000, yes 4000 for my heating , and the house is 10 years old, walls , loft and triple glazed

Heat pumps are going to be a minefield. A bonanza in opportunities is going to present a lot of companies and fitters who just don’t have the knowledge and experience to do a good job. The RU-vidr on Urban Plumbers seems to be very good and I’m always impressed with his work. The industry regulator needs to set some minimum standards and provide a credited list of competent companies and fitters specifically for heat pumps.

"I'd like to go environmentally friendly." "Fortunately we have open fires." Oh the irony lol.

Daikin is quite good gear, although not a particula fan of the Altherma system, my preference is Vaillant, primarily as they have expertise in hydraulic heating. What i would like is some techincal discussion about the original system thermal store or just a dhw cylinder, radiator and pipe sizing changes, if any.

As Skill Builder has said….as soon as the government has a bright idea and offers a grant for something, all the cowboy fitters pop up and jump on board.

I agree with other comments .This is an advert for CB rather than informing any one about what went wrong 6 years with no heating ?why didnt they contact MCS

Glad to hear your ASHP issues have been resolved. It would be useful to learn what CB Heat Pumps did, compared to the previous installation, so others can learn. I've had a Daikin Altherma 3H HT ASHP for 23 months, working at 380% efficiency - all good

He was without heating for six years, the firm that designed and installed the system and the specialist flown in from Austria couldn’t solve it ? ‘ The system was undersized’ , the HP or rads or pipework , or all of it ? What was the initial instal cost and then the cost of the upgrade? Also the running costs of 2 HP’s running 24/7 ? Won’t hold my breath for a detailed reply.

Glad there was a positive outcome in the end :)

I would like to know how much it cost to have 2 systems fitted,one after the other and presumably no money back from the first one.Even with a grant,who can afford a heat pump with new radiators,up to £10,000.I can get a Worcester Bosch or a Vailiant gas combo for about £1300.One of those two will last 15 to 20 years and will see me out.We already know these things don’t work and cost a fortune to run.They are a con.

Never liked any of the heat pumps , i went off grid , solar panels , bank of lead acid forklift batteries 48volt system back up diesel generator for emergency , £ 15000 total best thing i have ever done .

Our winters in Tennessee are cold enough that a heat pump is not for me. I was sold on one when I purchased a new heating and air conditioning system in this house. I tried the heat pump but soon quit using it, because the "heat" it produced was lukewarm. Instead I just use the gas furnace that makes hot air. We have long hot summers here, so the heat pump wears out the air conditioning system prematurely. I don't think they are worth the money here.

So what was the make of the useless heat pump so we can avoid them?

If the government force it in.....avoid it 👍🏿

We have two heat pumps Echo Alliance DynaHeat pumps are shite. Ours died after 18 months. Our Chromagen heat pump we have not had a problem and has been going strong for 10 years. (Australia)

I had my air source heat pump removed. *It was so unreliable that it spent more time broken down than working, and we were frequently without heat or hot water for days till the installers returned. *When it worked it would take an hour before the radiators got warm (never hot, just warm) and in the cold weather we needed the gas fire on as well. *When it started up it was like a jet engine and it would wake us up and could be heard over the TV. Neighbours complained about the noise. *The water wasn't really hot enough to do dishes or have a bath in, even running just the hot tap with no cold water, which meant it took much longer to run a bath. *When the temperature hit freezing it didn't work at all. *There was constant dripping of water due to condensation which in winter would freeze causing a slip hazard. *Despite being told it would be cheaper to use than the gas central heating it was far more expensive. *The rules for claiming money back under the green initiative required more loft insulation than I could have due to the loft having a floor, every light bulb had to be low voltage which would require fittings to be replaced in some rooms. Our older double glazing was not to the required standard either. * Initially it was installed on the floor at the side of the house meaning the access was limited and making it difficult for bulky items (like the new washing machine) to be brought to our back door. Due to the inefficiency the installation company then decided it needed to be lifted 1 foot off the ground, so moved it. It was still inefficient, and the company had now gone out of business. A 2nd company decided it needed to be higher up, so moved it up under the spare room window. It was still inefficient and the noise would have made sleep in that room impossible. It was also an eyesore and people would stare and point at it as the walked past and we frequently got asked what it was. This 2nd company also went out of business and when it broke down again, we had to pay another company to get it working. Since it regularly failed, it became an expensive process, which is why we decided to cut our losses and have it removed. We were told that heat pumps are UNSUITABLE to be retrofitted to existing central heating systems and are only suitable for new build homes. And this was from a specialist GREEN ENERGY COMPANY! Including the cost of a gas boiler to replace the one removed when the air pump was installed the total cost hit over £12,000. The technology isn't in place for this sort of thing, you need double the size of radiator to get near to the warmth you get from a gas boiler and have to accept the water will never get as hot as you are used to in the colder months. There are many heating engineers on RU-vid who testify to this. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-GhAKMAcmJFg.html

Your average customer lol!! I received a slip through the door saying a heat pump could save me £1,000 on heating bills. My yearly bill isn't as much as this and even if my bills were zero, it would take about 40 years for the heat pump to pay itself off.

Never buy into the new hype always wait for a few years then make decisions

Is that a Suffolk pink house? I install heat pumps and completely agree. MCS is useless. We need to change our system and I know how. Thanks for sharing

well we got no clue of what has been installed in this home...so no use on comments or Pro Tips here...

We had a Daikin Heat Pump system installed and it used £7 electricity in one day. We have a retired air conditioning engineer living locally and he told us that once the system is over about six years old, they're not allowed to be regassed. This means the entire system needs to be ripped out, including pipework, and a new system fitted, at a cost of £5,000. IT IS A CON, DON'T DO IT!

more like a company and equipment nightmare, rather than a heatpump nightmare.

There are a lot of scammers, con men and cheaters in the world. Always get a second opinion on any expensive purchases. Heat pumps are a great product but you need to get the right heat pump, the right installer and the right home for the job. Heat pumps are a new product for many heating and cooling companies . They are learning as they go. Experience matters. You should not have to pay for their training on your home.

As a heating engineer Its a load of tosh and just an add for a company. Choose Cb heating 🤣

Just an advert with a clickbait title

well he can afford it look at the house and grounds. Lota money there for two people.

People do knock heat pumps. The fact you need a genius with the numeracy and skills of a top flight engineer coupled with the practical abilities of a plumber to set them up is hardly the fault of the equipment.

You dont put a heat pump in to a house that is not properly Insulated and certainly not in one that has open fire places

The UK seems way ahead of us in Canada; I presently have cast iron radiators and an oil-fired furnace, and to get a Heat pump installed, I am told I need to get forced air ducting installed, with will add around $30,000 to the overall bill. That or 6 mini splits, which is not an option!

because you have not named the original installer or detailed the problem you had with them it just looks like a advert for Cb heat pumps

They are not quiet. A house a few streets from me has one at the front of the house (presumably because they have too many windows and patio doors at the back and not enough room at the side.) you can hear the fan whirring when you walk past the end of the driveway- I estimate about five or six metres away. So glad I don’t live next door.

This is just an advert .

Stick to oil and gas boilers. They are tried and tested and just work.

No mention of the cost of running the system. I wonder if this is because it is very expensive? I can't help thinking that those open fires have been bought back into play as electricity became more expensive during the cost of living crisis.

So, more an advert for CB heat pumps!!

Moral of the story........air source heat pumps are quite useless.

I’ve had some trouble with an installer here recently so I can relate to your frustration.

I think this is an advert and nothing more.

The only way is Reform UK any vote for the other parties is a waste of time and a wasted vote

What fuels the electric for your heat pump?

When I first heard about heat pumps, AC switched back wards in winter and back to an AC in summer is that one would be working your compressor to death.

Stuff "Net Zero," the UK contributes just 1% of the problem.............fact. Go and complain to your local council about neighbours that constantly have bonfires in their gardens, and it all falls on deaf ears.

Facts and figures required on follow up video from new installer

Cost of installation? Cost to run? Do you get satisfactory room and hot water temperatures? This video is an opportunity lost.

are they air or ground sauced heat pumps , as i understand the ground sauced work better i would like to believe but still sceptical

"Environmentally friendly" Is never a good way to make choices, and if you look deeper, they are often not even that.......

There is, it seems, a gradual tendency towards calling in tradespeople for anything previously done DIY. A luminaire lasted two years and since it had non-replaceable LEDs, it needed a rewiring into the mains. For most, an electrician would be needed, so heat pumps are of a similar ilk. Financial constraints means we do most home maintenance ourselves and since heat pumps contain microprocessors, the same applies. I much prefer the hands on approach to home maintenance, so, no thanks!

Someone sold this guy a heatpump system made for Texas, not England. In Texas heatpumps don't work at 35f. They switch to heat strips. In Colorado heatpimps work down to minus 15f before the heatstrips kick in. Some even colder.

I do not believe this. If this were real, this would be in court.

This is a repeat of the double glazing scam so people should have expected this type of response.

what ones?

I have had a government assistance boiler grant since last September with a Samsung machine and a eco friendly boiler it has broken down 10 times no hot water radiator leaking in the house in passage way lots of trouble with eco friendly and called the Solicitors helped me out for a while and they said can’t help me no more what can I do

Want to heat your home entirely with 'Electricity'? 1 Before you get a heat pump! 2 Have a look at what you currently pay per kWh for Gas and make a note of your January usage in kWh. 3 Now calculate what 33% of that is and then see what that amount of kWh will cost when Electricity provides it... important read on! That all assumes that it is possible to get 3kW back for every 1kW you put in; Unfortunately 'Air Source' heating (aka Heat Pump's which make this claim) is handicapped - unlike 'Ground Source' which can rely on little change on its 42º to 44 Fº source temperature summer and winter - air sources suffer large change though. Expect a catastrophic drop to freezing 32Fº in air temperatures (and below) in winter. This WILL result in your system providing a lot closer to 3kW in, for every 3kW out... or more. Expensive being the bottom and unavoidable line.

Environmentally friendly and going away from fossil fuels Just invites scammers

Heat pump companies, are the new Time share/double glazing fly by nights.

Calm down dear! It's a commercial...

Did I miss the trick during this vid'? Why would you need a heat pump working in the summer time?.......Heat your water with the emersion.

well you should have backup heating. 2nd of all, I don't get he point of this video and I see the problem at 1:30, that's a very bad way to install a heat pump. Daikin is weak, the software is bad and lacking in a lot of ways, but the fucking thing never failed and has good defrost cycles. My Daikin AC has been running non stop for over a year, heating or cooling or dehumidifying or just as a fan. I left home for a couple of days, turned it off and when I came back home it was on because I forgot to turn off the schedule, so it started up a couple of hours after I left, LoL. Anyway, I still have a lot of complaints and there are a lot of things that could be improved on Daikin, but no one listens.

Before getting a heat pump you should first look at what can be done to make the home more air tight and energy efficient. An energy efficient home or business is more comfortable and saves money in the long run. Solar energy on your roof combined with battery storage can make people more independent from the grid and natural gas supplies. Add solar and supplemental electric heating or a heat pump for home heating.. Added insulation, triple glaze windows, energy efficient doors, energy efficient heating and cooling systems, energy efficient appliances, LED lighting, smart thermostats, solar panels combined with battery storage and a electric vehicle charger in the garage or car park. People are too focused on the short term costs and miss out on long term savings and comfort. Blower door testing and air sealing are under appreciated tools.Even if you have money to burn you should not waste it. Climate Change will impact everyone. Leave a better future for your children and grandchildren. Join in and speak up for the future of the planet.

So this is an ADVERT, not a genuine video. Name companies !

I agree with the majority of the other comments. Pointless and useless video from which nothing can be learned. It appears to be "marketing" by CB Energy - "Heat Pump Nightmare"??? The Head of Marketing at CB Heating should resign. The video is a complete waste of time.

Nightmare nightmare I will tell you about a nightmare Dynamis fitted mine MCS certified and they don’t give a monkeys either Plumber/ Electrician not a clue about settings the thing up not our game I plumb him sparky haha 2 years back and forth no joy MCS haha don’t want to know all the mum bo jumbo they don’t check anything Certificates.Gas and Electric you must by law be registered not enforceable MCS sorry to hurt your feelings.Am I the only one let down by them.just my honest feelings.I have kept all communication and can prove it.

What a mug. China, India and USA use approx 70% of the world's coal. The UK uses less than 1%. It won't a blind bit of difference going green except it will cost more.

I'll stick with gas for the forseeable future.

Absolutely useless waste of time watching this, no information provided, just a vailed advertisement 🤔🤔🤔

A successful install: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-2PUCz5w9pO0.html

Hate these things and the green washers who use them rarely disclose the area. These things don't work very well when it drops below 30º ƒ

Heat pumps don't work and are very expensive

Consider having air conditioning in stead, cheaper, well proven and its a heat pump.

6 years ago , story not relevant

Bad and biased video

useless posting , a bunch of polite nothing

I have 2 heat pumps installed at my house. My electricity bill has tripled and I had to replace Control cards 2 times each time costing 600 euros. I think we are being conned. Furthermore I spent 145000 euros upgrading my home to meet the insulation requirements

Ok if you have money.

Let’s have a punt and suggest you had a Dimplex system. Crap units no UK support

These things are crap both my daughters have them cost a fortune to run break down all the time bloody useless

Sorry just seen previous messages Dimplex still rubbish

Stick with fossil fuels 🛢️⛽😁👍