Confusing heat pump complaint's procedure - who should I be complaining to?
Hi, I don't want to hijack the other user's post so replying here. My understanding is that in order to be mcs registered an installer has to be in a technical oversight scheme, of which there are several including NAPIT and NICEIC. They assess installations based on 3 documents:mcs standards, building regs and one other. It's a different section to the electrical installation inspectors. I had an electrical inspector come and look at the heat pump electrics as part of the electrician's yearly check. Then I had the heat pump inspector come as the result of my complaint.
To be mcs certified, installers also have to be in a consumer code: RECCS or HIES. I think they're the only two.
Call handlers at mcs advised me to save time by going directly to my installer's technical body with my complaint instead of being triaged through them. Also advised to get the technical stuff sorted first and then contact consumer code for any issues around paperwork or customer service.
Thanks for your offer about sound proofing. Here's a photo of the tank in the loft above the bedroom. As far as I can see, it's sitting on two pieces of fibreboard flooring on top of two or three 8" x 2" timbers laid flat over joists, close to but not above brick party wall. Various noises carrying down but the one I can't handle is the high pitched one. I think it's a pump integrated into the cylinder. Installer's came back with a piece of sound insulation to slip under the tank but gave up after draining it because fitting it would have involved disconnecting pipes. The inspector has asked them to provide evidence that the structure is sufficient to support weight of tank, confirm how pipework is supported in loft and sort out safe access for maintenance as currently no lighting up there and if you do go up, you have to stand on bits of beam to avoid treading on pipework or coming through ceiling.
Other noise is a mixture of the noise of the unit coming through the wall and windows downstairs - it only seems to run full pelt. This is potentially exacerbated by the fact that the flow and return pipes are not insulated or sleeved going though wall ( picked up on niceic report) and possibly that they are then slightly chased in downstairs behind dot and dab and behind a stud upstairs fixed with minimal plastic fixings. And there's a big three column tall radiator in front of the stud. Certainly upstairs in the bathroom and bedroom, I can hear reverberation of unit noise rather than the unit (unless I open the window). Lustening to the heat pump reheating the water while you have a bath is not relaxing. Inspector has asked them to confirm if enclosed pipes are insulated. They said yes during inspection but I know they aren't. In fact I was extremely worried because my builders put drycoat renovating plaster directly over the bottom half of the pipes before boarding. I was reassured by all concerned that this was fine but not convinced.
Posted by: @lokisamTo be mcs certified, installers also have to be in a consumer code: RECCS or HIES. I think they're the only two.
Spot on! Who is your consumer code? Hopefully it's HIES.
Pre-order: The Ultimate Guide to Heat Pumps
Subscribe and follow our Homeowners’ Q&A heat pump podcast
- 26 Forums
- 2,136 Topics
- 46.8 K Posts
- 31 Online
- 5,662 Members
Podcast Picks
Latest Posts
-
RE: Mitsu Wireless Controller and MelCloud
Hi David We have an FTC7 but the settings seem to be ...
By RobS , 1 hour ago
-
RE: Octopus replacing the fixed 15p/kWh export rate with a market tracking one
@trbob I have just extracted the details for Agile Expo...
By Toodles , 2 hours ago
-
RE: Heat Pump Books For Beginners – Bodge Buster & From Zero To Heat Pump Hero
The Ultimate Guide to Heat Pumps is less than a month a...
By Mars , 4 hours ago
-
RE: Rodents! A word of warning for heat pump owners
@tim441 Or as they didn’t quite say in the space travel...
By Toodles , 9 hours ago
-
RE: Air source heat pump roll call – what heat pump brand and model do you have?
@editor Hi Mars, We have just installed a Grant Aerona...
By GrahamF , 21 hours ago
-
RE: Sanity check please. Battery storage and inverter sizing.
There are MCS guidelines about how close to the edge/ri...
By Old_Scientist , 1 day ago
-
RE: Balancing financial efficiency and comfort using the Octopus Cosy tariff
I estimated our usage on the following basis. The mos...
By Old_Scientist , 1 day ago
-
RE: Why so many sigenergi installer recommendations?
It’s a really simple answer, GivEnergy. Installers ...
By SAEnergy , 1 day ago
-
@editor Something changed in this last 12 months, they ...
By ASHP-BOBBA , 2 days ago
-
RE: Ecodan & MelCloud scheduling
I put the above question to Mitsu UK at the sme time as...
By DavidAlgarve , 2 days ago
-
Thanks for the heat geek info. I've fitted my own heat ...
By bontwoody , 3 days ago
-
RE: Does anyone have experience of a smart water meter?
Just to give a sense of scale, I've used the CCW water ...
By Majordennisbloodnok , 3 days ago
-
RE: Powerwall 3 or Myenergi or something else?
We have a Tesla Powerwall 3, recently installed, so I m...
By Old_Scientist , 4 days ago
-
RE: Mitsubishi PAR-WT60R-E Wireless Controller installation
@morgan They have been paired once but it was thought b...
By DavidAlgarve , 5 days ago
-
RE: Isolating the system for a planned power cut
A great many ground-mounted local substation transforme...
By Transparent , 5 days ago
-
RE: Heat Pump Servicing & Maintenance – Good Value or Rip-Off?
Having bit the bullet and paid £250 for a service, our ...
By Old_Scientist , 6 days ago
-
New heat pump heating system underperforming in Italy... Advice needed!
hi all, first post! I've just renovated a house in sout...
By robinlawrie , 6 days ago
-
RE: Anyone still weathering it out with Agile?
I went to Agile when I had solar installed July last ye...
By NJT , 7 days ago
-
RE: Say hello and introduce yourself
Whilst you're busy installing services (pipes and wires...
By Transparent , 1 week ago
-
RE: New Vaillant aroTherm Plus in black - When will it come to the UK?
@editor I know it was formally announced at Ish the oth...
By PatrickVito , 1 week ago