AUTHOR
Mars, Founding Editor, Renewable Heating Hub
Six years ago, I made what I thought was a well-informed decision to switch to a heat pump, excited by the prospect of lower energy bills and a more sustainable home. What I got instead was a masterclass in what can go wrong when an installation is not done properly.
What should have been a seamless transition turned into years of frustration—cold rooms, soaring electricity costs, and a battle to understand why my system wasn’t delivering as promised. That hard-earned knowledge is what ultimately led me to create Renewable Heating Hub, a platform dedicated to helping homeowners avoid the same pitfalls.
The Reality of a Poorly Designed System
I had done my research and selected what I believed to be a reputable installer. Yet, by the first winter, the issues were undeniable. Certain rooms never reached 16°C, running costs were higher than expected, and the system controls were so unintuitive that I was left manually adjusting settings in an attempt to make it work.
Each time I raised concerns, I was reassured that everything was functioning correctly. But deep down, I knew something wasn’t right. It wasn’t until I began educating myself on heat pumps and low-temperature heating that I discovered the real problem: my system had been designed to fail from the start.
Why System Design Matters
One of the biggest red flags in my installation was that my heat pump had been commissioned to run at a fixed flow temperature of 45°C. This is counterproductive – heat pumps operate efficiently at lower temperatures, and the higher the flow temperature, the harder they have to work, leading to increased energy consumption and lower efficiency.
Even more frustrating was discovering that my system had weather compensation capabilities (which would have adjusted the temperature based on outdoor conditions), but they had been completely ignored. Rather than designing a system that worked efficiently, my installer had taken shortcuts to cover up fundamental flaws.
The consequences of poor planning didn’t end there. Because no proper heat loss calculations had been performed, certain rooms remained cold no matter what adjustments were made. Instead of addressing the real issue, the proposed solution was to add more circulation pumps (we now have four in total) which only drove up my electricity bills without fixing the problem.
What Homeowners Need to Know
If my experience has taught me anything, it’s that homeowners must take an active role in ensuring their heat pump system is designed correctly. Here are three critical factors to consider:
1
Proper Heat Loss Calculations Are Non-Negotiable
A heat pump system must be designed based on accurate heat loss calculations. If your installer cannot show you their calculations or explain how they determined the system size and radiator requirements, walk away.
2
Controls Can Make or Break Your System
Heat pumps rely on intelligent controls to optimise efficiency. A poor control system can force even the best heat pump to underperform. Make sure your system includes a user-friendly controller that allows for weather compensation and easy adjustments to central heating and hot water.
3
Know Your Warranty and Support Options
Heat pumps are a significant investment, and when issues arise, they can be costly to fix. Understand what your warranty covers, who is responsible for servicing and whether the manufacturer offers remote monitoring to assist with troubleshooting.
Heat Pumps Work – But Only When Installed Correctly
Despite my experience, I remain a strong advocate for heat pumps. When designed and installed properly, they offer an incredibly efficient and sustainable way to heat a home. But they are not a plug-and-play solution, and they should never be treated as a simple boiler replacement.
Homeowners deserve better than a system that underperforms due to poor workmanship. If you’re considering a heat pump, take your time, ask the right questions and demand transparency from your installer. The reward for getting it right is a comfortable home, lower bills and a future-proof heating system.
But if you allow corners to be cut, you may find yourself in my position: years down the line, still dealing with the consequences of a system that was never designed to succeed.
