@nigel-d, is this in your remit and a project that would be of interest to your company?

@drei, I'm actually intrigued by this case given that it's a Heat Geek installer that's bodged this. I'm assuming that since this installer was Heat Geek accredited you secured his/their services via the Heat Geek website which means the Heat Geek guarantee kicks in... I'd like to find out more to help you, so please share specifics and also reasons why the installer was booted.

Can you also please tell me what Adam said? I will raise this with him directly for comment. 

Posted by: @editor

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@drei, I'm actually intrigued by this case given that it's a Heat Geek installer that's bodged this. I'm assuming that since this installer was Heat Geek accredited you secured his/their services via the Heat Geek website which means the Heat Geek guarantee kicks in... I'd like to find out more to help you, so please share specifics and also reasons why the installer was booted.

Can you also please tell me what Adam said? I will raise this with him directly for comment. 

I'm curious as to what the heat geek response is Mars. My sister in law is considering a heatpump and I would be interested to know how much faith to put in the heat geek guarantee.

@bontwoody me too. I've contacted Heat Geek today, and will see what they say.

@bontwoody

From what I’ve learned the hard way:

1) The “Heat Geek guarantee” only applies if you book through their managed platform (Upgrades/Assured).
I picked my installer from the map back in 2023 and there was no oversight or guarantee attached to that route. If your sister-in-law uses Heat Geek, I’d strongly suggest the Upgrades route https://upgrades.heatgeek.com/ where they design/QA the job and take responsibility, not the “find a heat geek” map https://www.heatgeek.com/find-a-heatgeek.

2) Octopus is the only national option that feels close enough to getting a decent installation.
They have a centralised design/ops model and a big aftercare team. It’s still installer-dependent (no scheme is perfect), but they at least give you a single accountable organisation. Ask them to share the full design pack before install (room-by-room heat loss, emitter schedule at T45–50, pipe/pump sizing, hydraulic schematic, weather-comp curve).

3) Whichever route you choose, protect yourself up front. Ask for, in writing:

• Room-by-room heat loss calc at the intended indoor temp (e.g., 21–23 °C) and design outdoor temp.
• Emitter schedule sized for the actual planned flow temp (e.g., 45–50 °C), not just ΔT60 brochure numbers.
• Hydraulic diagram (buffer vs volumiser, pump types/locations, pipe sizes, mixing/3-port valves).
• Commissioning targets (flow rate in lpm, ΔT across system, weather-comp settings) and a signed commissioning sheet.
• Performance expectation (seasonal COP/SCOP range at the chosen flow temp) and what will be done if it misses the mark.
• Aftercare: who you call, response times, and what “service” actually includes.

4) Red flags to watch for: generic boiler pumps (in my case Grundfos 15-50/65 130 instead of a 25-120 pump) , unnecessary glycol instead of water and anti-freeze valves (if you really want to take it to the next level, use pure water, the stuff used for window cleaning and your system will transfer heat like nothing else. *Heat Geeks take note), squat buffers causing big temperature drop due to distortion, radiators “sized” from glossy ΔT60 tables without converting to low-temp outputs, and vague commissioning (“it’s fine, just turn it up”).

Have a look here:

https://www.marcuk.com/news/bogus-radiator-products-leave-homeowners-cold-and-out-of-pocket

https://ukradiators.com/

Final Words:

• If using Heat Geek, book via the Upgrades/Assured service so the guarantee/oversight applies, they will sort it out that way.
• Octopus is a reasonable alternative because design + install + aftercare sit under one roof.
• Get the design and commissioning numbers in writing before you pay the balance.
• Pay the deposit/balance on a credit card for Section 75 protection.

This is the old Heat Geek map I used at the time (the route that didn’t include a guarantee) to show the distinction.

@drei Hi, Its unfortunate you are not in Kent otherwise we would fix it, we are just about to work on 2 installation half finished where the poor home owners had their installer through a builder that went bust, we do these works through an agent that takes on these finish builds through an Architect. We have reinstalled and modified several systems not quite right or half finished, we do our best to get them the warranty back especially if it is Ecodan although this can be tricky as we have to be sure the kit is installed correctly and in mint condition while others were handling it in the 1st place, we try to do one a month. 

Unfortunately we do not cover outside of Kent as we are unable to handle the workload on our doorstep. 

I would however be happy to give you a quotation / estimate for what it would cost for us to repair should you have been in Kent to add to your 3

Let me know 

KR 

@ashp-bobba Thank you, it is unfortunate, I have engaged with someone but they have not sent me anything in three weeks now, hence my urgency post.

Thanks for the heat geek info. I've fitted my own heat pump and implemented your advice getting a SCOP of 4.5 for heating so very happy. I just didn't want to be responsible for fitting my sister in laws 😁

@drei has just published his full story here for anyone that wants the full context: https://renewableheatinghub.co.uk/22000-heat-pump-disaster-that-exposes-a-broken-industry/

@editor Thanks Mars, much appreciated.

Interesting this post, not the first time I've come across this and once more this week, Ive seen the paperwork and jobs!

Currently quoting for a remedy but likely to cost more as so much needs ripping out. As I've always said, qualifications and accreditation bodies only mean something at the time of passing money over, after the first job checked the rest may not be to the original standard. Buyer beware.  We need an accreditation body that check every job or at least a high percentage.

We are a Panasonic Pro Partner but if we fail Panasonic will assist.