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The good, the bad and the not that great – my heat pump installation

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Burtis
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Ok buddy will see. 

The checklist just says

Condensate Drainage Suitable: Yes


   
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Burtis
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Completely missed this when I was looking over the external insulation the other day. 

Not sealed from the elements so probably soaked up a load of water and is a heat loss point. 

😞

20241021 210458

   
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Burtis
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And you can just about see from this picture that it's not insulated through the wall note the cement around the pipe. I believe this is transferring some of the noise from the outdoors heat pump.

20241022 000131

 

This post was modified 5 months ago by Burtis

   
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Transparent
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Which way is up @burtis ?

Is this a close up photo of the same two pipes we saw in your earlier photo?

image

To pass pipes through a wall there must be two layers around them:

1: insulation around each pipe

2: an outer sleeve to protect the pipes from the weight of the wall above.
This can be for each pipe separately, or one sleeve for both pipes.

That sleeve needs to slope a little towards the outside of the house in order to shed any rainwater which runs down the outer brickwork.
1-in-40 is commonly used.

If you believe that vibration is being transferred to the house via these pipes, then one or both must be in close 'mechanical' contact with solid material...
... which may or may not be the cement you can see.
It's equally possible that it's touching brick, and will eventually be perforated due to expansion and contraction.

Save energy... recycle electrons!


   
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Burtis
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@transparent 

You are correct it's a close up of those two and in the correct orientation as pictured. 

That pipe on the right is not insulated through the wall. I am unsure about the left one. 

To delve deeper I would have to remove some it and possibly re seal myself as a temp fix. But not sure if that would affect my case 

This post was modified 5 months ago 2 times by Burtis

   
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Transparent
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IANAL but I think you removing material to inspect the way pipes pass through the wall is going to 'affect your case' either way.

The installer is likely to say that you shouldn't have tampered with his work...
... and you will need to say that you couldn't be objecting to the incorrect pipe entry arrangement without an invasive inspection.

If were me, I'd be taking copious photos whilst having a look.
Those provide you with additional important evidence.

Have you yet contacted Citizens Advice Bureau ?

If you are going to seek financial redress, then they offer arbitration.
Arbitration is likely to be less pernickety about whether you should've touched the wall or not.

In the Small Claims Division of the High Court, the defendant could use a solicitor/barrister to make a strong legal objection.
Basing a decision on who pays for the better legal expert isn't ever going to be satisfactory.

This post was modified 5 months ago by Transparent

Save energy... recycle electrons!


   
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Burtis
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@transparent 

Currently just spoken to installer, and then MCS who have passed the case onto NAPIT as the installer has said they will take no further action until they get a MCS report. 

As the installer won't agree that there is issues and I won't agree that there isn't.

So sadly had to go through these options one by one as it states in the procedure to only open one case at a time exhausting all avenues before proceeding with further action. 

 

Thanks for your help as always 


   
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Transparent
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I also would NOT be temporarily re-sealing the pipe entry point after first inspecting what's been done.

Instead, I'd screw a timber batten to the wall above the entry point.
That allows a temporary (plastic?) cover to be used to protect the pipework from the elements.

I'd probably stuff a sheet of foam insulating material into any hole I'd made and around the pipes.
That will ensure the efficiency of the system isn't degraded whilst you decide what needs doing.

If you ever get food via Hello Fresh, then each package has ingredients which should be kept cold held within an insulated pouch.
That pouch has a 20mm thick sheet of flexible insulation, which is what you need for this job!

 

If it matters, I can think of a way to properly provide mechanical protection for the pipes all the way through the wall without cutting them or draining out the fluid.

On this forum, ingenuity doesn't cost extra!

This post was modified 5 months ago 2 times by Transparent

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Burtis
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@transparent 

Good shout I do have some insulation I could use as a temporary cover without disturbing the work they have done. 

Fingers crossed I hear something soon enough. 

I keep forwarding more pictures to NAPIT when I find something else that's a bit 'off'


   
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Burtis
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20241022 223149

Found some more that hasn't been sealed from the elements 😕


   
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Transparent
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The 'correct' glue to seal a split insulation like that is a contact adhesive like that from UHU.

Once it's dried on each face of the split it can be closed shut.
You won't need to hold the faces together whilst the glue 'sets'.

Save energy... recycle electrons!


   
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Burtis
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@transparent 

Yep just had a reply from NAPIT to leave everything alone for when they request more picture evidence. So that solves that 😅


   
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