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Free Ecoheat Heat Pump Install

Deltona · 2025-12-12T22:38:03Z

Sorry, long story: There is a company advertising on FB doing free installs, basically they use the £7.5k BUS to pay and you don't need to add any. I can see that if you're talented, have done enough of them over the years and along with the knowledge base being much better now than it was 5yrs ago then this could work. I've been doing a bit of research so understand the basic points and how much they've progressed over the last few years with these things. So I contacted them, they send a surveyor round. Then the company owner comes round to see if the job will work for the money, we have a long chat and seem to get on ok, gives me some spiel about most HP being made in China at the same factory then put in different cases (!) Next we get a price and spec. They quoted for a 9kw Ecoheat ASHP, cylinder and 3 new rads. I look up the Ecoheat to find very little about them, just two people (one on Ebay) selling them, they only have a year warranty. So I email a request for some cost options on more well known brands. Some woman responds with a Samsung for £3500 and a Mitsu for £4500. I don't know about you, but when someone quotes rounded up figures like that with no spec it says 'bugger off, we're not interested in talking to you'. I ask for more details, nothing happens. Ring the office, secretary says they're V.busy helping out distressed old ladies etc, will get boss to ring which he does eventually. He's driving on hands free so I can't hear most of his blurb, but it just sounds like a load of old guff really, especially when you want something solid in writing. Says he'll re-quote then emails the same price back along with a covering text. I reply saying the price is the same and I can't work out how he's arrived at a price of £3500 extra. Says he'll do it for £3250. It's like he's forgotten to remove the original ASHP price and just dreampt up some figures to add on to the whole job cost. Apart from saying the Samsung needs 'loads of extras' he's not shifting. I then find their new ad on FB for: Samsung ASHP and cylinder, 7yr warranty All new rads throughout £1950 So I did some research as i've now got a pump spec from them of 15Kw SS. He says that a 15kw pump from one manufacturer is somehow equal to a 9kw of another due to refrigerant 'drop off'? These are retail prices remember, they'll be getting a discount on these which in my mind is their fair mark-up/profit: His new quote total £10750 Original quote £7500 Remove Ecoheat at £1665 = £5834 Add on Samsung at £2.5k = £8324 Add on Samsung extra pack at £471 = £8805 So really we should be paying £1305 extra. Lets be charitable, give him the benefit of the doubt and say he needs another £1k profit on top of what he's already making. New extra total (which i'd be happy to pay) £2305 Yet he wants £3250 which is not far off £1k too much IMO. I know he's not gonna be happy at this, but neither am I until we've thrashed it out so hit send on that ^ anyhow. He gets back to me with: "Add buffer tank at 350 (Why?) Wireless thermostat 150 (already included in Samsung extras pack) 2 x 25/80 circulation pumps 300 (Why does Samsung need this and Ecoheat not?) Flow setter 80 (ditto) Extra labour time The Facebook advert I can install that for you but it’s not the setup your getting and the cylinder won’t work with the well Ecoheat is a self contained unit just plumb it up If it’s not for you that’s fine no hardship you enquired about a free heat pump what i can do for you not a issue if you want to upgrade that’s fine there the prices the maths are correct I’m I know I’m 2k cheaper than the next man who going to walk through your door for same kit Merry Christmas and a happy new year 🥳 " It seems to me like it's an Ecoheat pump or nothing as far as he's concerned, but I can't get why he's loaded the upgrade up so much he's lost the job after putting so much work in so far. Unless he's picking up these units for £250!

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Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs)

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Deltona

(@deltona)

Eminent Member Member

Joined: 4 weeks ago

Posts: 16

Topic starter 08/01/2026 2:30 pm

Posted by: @bontwoody

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@deltona A diy install isnt as scary as it sounds. Its not rocket science and there is a lot if good info out there. Check out glyn hudsons videos on youtube. That was my starting point. 😁

Thanks for the tip, I watched his two house installs over Christmas, but not the inlaws one yet. He's certainly a smart guy.

As previously mentioned you need the practical experience to go with the software so you know how to fudge the figures to give a sensible output. Or even supply your own as he outlined a big flaw in the heat loss calculations with air change (he maybe biased there due to his product). I've worked with programs before that spew out unrealistic results because their assumptions are binary, wrong and need correcting by someone who knows what they're doing.

He put loads of rads in his house which lost a lot of space, looked ugly, but I did understand the need for them. I think with an ASHP the need for UFH is even greater.

I've come to realise that at the moment I, my house, nor the industry is ready for us to be having one installed. The HP and energy suppliers are in a state of flux, our house part way through renovation and insulation. I believe the best way atm is to have a new gas combi fitted, I can get one with a 10+yr warranty for circa £1200, a heating engineer would fit it in a day.

It's become apparent that everything you do to prep your heating system (and house of course) for ASHP is ditto for a gas boiler too.

So what I will then do is carry on improving the insulation value of the house and the efficiency of the heating system by (in Summer) putting in bigger pipes, rads and/or UFH. This will reduce our energy consumption and make us ASHP ready if we go that route in the future. Will also go down the route of creating some of our own energy.

By then things will have changed somewhat, we'll likely 'miss the BUS' and nobody knows when it will be wound up, only when it's projected to be so.

£7500 is a fair chunk of money, but lets face it, the Government aren't giving this money away because they love us so much, it's a business plan. On balance I think my current plan is better than what likely would happen.

This post was modified 19 hours ago by Deltona

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bontwoody

(@bontwoody)

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Joined: 4 years ago

Posts: 967

08/01/2026 2:39 pm

@deltona No worries. The air change issue is a well know error and easy enough to correct for.

Sounds like a plan to fit pipework etc with a heatpump in mind for later

House-2 bed partial stone bungalow, 5kW Samsung Gen 6 ASHP (Self install)
6.9 kWp of PV
5kWh DC coupled battery
Blog: https://thegreeningofrosecottage.weebly.com/
Heatpump Stats: http://heatpumpmonitor.org/system/view?id=60

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Deltona

(@deltona)

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Joined: 4 weeks ago

Posts: 16

Topic starter 08/01/2026 3:12 pm

Posted by: @bontwoody

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@deltona No worries. The air change issue is a well know error and easy enough to correct for.

Can you explain more, or point me in the direction where I can research it? Initially I had assumed i'd have to do my own test to be accurate.

It seems to me that you have to test it to be sure as nothing or nobody can assume what my house is. It's a bit like the solid, rubble filled walls, because nobody knows how well they were built (therefore what they contain, muck, voids, etc) it's just guesswork as what the U value is.

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bontwoody

(@bontwoody)

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Joined: 4 years ago

Posts: 967

08/01/2026 3:24 pm

@deltona Yes older houses are problematic like that, but the standard air change assumption figure is know to be on the very high side and often leads to over sized heat pumps being fitted particularly in newer houses.

If you are fitting a lot of insulation and double glazed windows that should reduce air changes greatly. The core of my house is 1840s stone walls and we have no problems heating it with a 5kW Heat pump after our renovations.