UPDATED: Air Source Heat Pumps/Air Con - Full Info & Guide, is it cheaper to run than mains gas?

[Deleted User]

dweaver wrote: »

Just an update on my Ecodan problem. The installer turned up on Monday and did some diagnostics on the unit with the help of Mitsubishi. They deduced it was a faulty compressor and said I needed a new Ecodan! He then went away to arrange the warranty replacement. As he didn't get back to me that day I phoned Mitsubishi on Tuesday to complain as I'd been without heating for 3 days and the wife wasn't happy! To be honest, the helpline weren't very helpful and kept saying it's the installer's issue to deal with. They did confirm he'd raised the warranty paperwork and the unit had been delivered to Plumb Center. He arrived today (Wed) in the afternoon and replaced the Ecodan so now I'm up and running again (at last). I'm still going to complain to Mitsubishi as I think they could be more helpful, and relying on one installer is never going to provide a quick fix. Also, their 24/7 helpline isn't answered by anyone and they've also remove the link on the website to be able to search for an accredited Ecodan installer!
As captainhindsight says, sometimes it may be better to sacrifice performance for reliability and backup. Although, on the reliability side, my installer said that of his 65 Ecodan installs, this is the first failure he's had so maybe Mitsubishi aren't expecting them to fail and so haven't setup the required support network.
I'll let you know what they come back with...
Dave

Thanks for posting


I recently had an issue with the EcoDan but nothing major.


The Danfoss wireless stat needed new batteries and had to re-pair it with the receiver as they were no longer talking to each other. All seems fine now.

TiredGeek

matelodave wrote: »

I've got a PDF of their technical data manual but it's 78mb so if you can find a way of downloading it you can have a copy

https://www.wetransfer.com/
Very useful for just these sort of situations

dweaver

Following on from my previous post regarding my failed Ecodan and its subsequent replacement, I wrote a letter of complaint regarding the amount of time I was without heating and fact that I thought their after sales support model was less than satisfactory.

Some of the key points of their response are below:

"Accredited Installers do have the responsibility to install and maintain the product through the warranty period"

"We are satisfied that our after sales service competes favourably in the renewable market arena"

"Our customer is the AEI. His customer is yourself. Of course we want our end users to be satisfied with our product and we will support our Accredited Installers (AEIs) to support you, but within our Accredited Installer Agreement"

With my issue, the situation was exacerbated by the helpline being down on the day I phoned it (cruel coincidence) which didn't help.

Anyway, having said all that, as compensation for my problems Mitsubishi have agreed to give me my first service on the Ecodan free which is worth about £240, so I'm relatively happy.

As soon as I've got some accurate running costs I'll let you know but at the moment I seem to be using between 50-60kWh a day with outside temps around freezing and indoor temp at a constant 21 degrees but with the missus using the tumble dryer more than I'd like. :mad:
Dave

John_Pierpoint

What is involved in "servicing" an air source heat pump ?
I thought one of the advantages of going electric was avoiding the annual rip off the gas safety certificate and so called "service".

lovesgshp

John_Pierpoint wrote: »

What is involved in "servicing" an air source heat pump ?
I thought one of the advantages of going electric was avoiding the annual rip off the gas safety certificate and so called "service".

Servicing requirements are quite basic normally and can be completed by the owner. You need to consult the manual, but below are the basics. Operation, should be completed before the heating cycle starts. In all cases, the pump should be isolated from the electrical supply!!!

1) Clear dust and leaves etc from the fan area.
2) Clean the particle filter.
3) Remove dirt/ dust in the cabinet
4) Clean evaporator fins. ( degreaser then low pressure water jet, to avoid damage) .

HTH

belleooo

Andy_WSM wrote: »

It was -3C here yesterday morning and my heat pump was still working lovely maintaining indoor temperatures at 21C.

Hi, we've had a quote for a air source heat pump. The guys who gave us the quote have closed offices down for Christmas now, so will have to wait a few weeks before I can talk to them. Our concerns were insulation. 100 year plus granite property in rural Scotland. Cannot have cavity wall insulation. Had loft insulation but has bedrooms are in the loft, there isn't much roof covered. Also has double glazing. There no floor insulation. Property is very cold in the winter, has condensation problem upstairs. Bearing in mind the lack of insulation in the walls, would an air source heat pump be sufficient? or does it pump heat out that slowly it would be lost through the walls before we got any benefit from it? Our other alternative is a biomass boiler, but even with RHI it is very expensive. Thanks.

Cardew

belleooo wrote: »

Hi, we've had a quote for a air source heat pump. The guys who gave us the quote have closed offices down for Christmas now, so will have to wait a few weeks before I can talk to them. Our concerns were insulation. 100 year plus granite property in rural Scotland. Cannot have cavity wall insulation. Had loft insulation but has bedrooms are in the loft, there isn't much roof covered. Also has double glazing. There no floor insulation. Property is very cold in the winter, has condensation problem upstairs. Bearing in mind the lack of insulation in the walls, would an air source heat pump be sufficient? or does it pump heat out that slowly it would be lost through the walls before we got any benefit from it? Our other alternative is a biomass boiler, but even with RHI it is very expensive. Thanks.

You have a problem. Few manufacturers and installers will give you an objective opinion and therefore lose a sale!


Everything you say about your property flags up warning signals.


ASHPs are at their best with very well insulated properties - preferably with under-floor heating.


Put simply, ASHP's outputs are small compared with conventional heating systems and for high efficiency need their water to be low temperature(35C to 40C) thus requiring under-floor heating or(particularly in your house) massive radiators.


Because of the low heating output an ASHP really requires to be run for very long periods if not 24/7. As the weather gets colder - the output of the heaters drops off; just when you need it!


You should read the Energy Saving Trust trials on heat pumps before committing yourself.

lovesgshp

Belleoo.
How many m2 is the property?
What size pump have you been quoted for?
Presume you have rads?
With your condensation problems, you may need dehumidifiers, but that is not a forgone conclusion.
Cardew is correct in that they are a 24/7 system preferably.

richardc1983

Instead of massive radiators you could go for fan convectors which are much more efficient at heating spaces up with the lower flow temps a heat pump gives

belleooo

lovesgshp wrote: »

Belleoo.
How many m2 is the property?
What size pump have you been quoted for?
Presume you have rads?
With your condensation problems, you may need dehumidifiers, but that is not a forgone conclusion.
Cardew is correct in that they are a 24/7 system preferably.

Hi, property is 155 m2? We have been quoted for a Mitsubishi pump that's 14kw. We currently have an LPG system which we only use for the hot water, too expensive to run the radiators. All but 3 of the radiators are sufficient. The 3 that aren't are being replace with larger ones. And yes, we need dehumidifiers pretty badly. Looking after dad full time, so we now need a warm house for him. I want to move away from LPG. The other alternative is biomass.
Thank you for your replies.