Annual Service ASHP

mumu29

Hello all you ASHP owners.

I have a Mitsubishi Ecodan ASHP which was installed two years ago.

I have been happy with it so far regarding running costs compared to the oil system it replaced (no gas unfortunately).

How much does everyone pay for an annual service? Ours has been serviced by the company who installed it for a very reasonable cost - until this year that is. They have more than tripled the cost this year, which in the current economic climate, is going to be a struggle.

I know it has to be done in order to keep the Mitsubishi three year warranty valid and hopefully entitlement to RHI (if and when it materializes).

Any advice/info would be gratefully received.

lovesgshp

mumu29 wrote: »

Hello all you ASHP owners.

I have a Mitsubishi Ecodan ASHP which was installed two years ago.

I have been happy with it so far regarding running costs compared to the oil system it replaced (no gas unfortunately).

How much does everyone pay for an annual service? Ours has been serviced by the company who installed it for a very reasonable cost - until this year that is. They have more than tripled the cost this year, which in the current economic climate, is going to be a struggle.

I know it has to be done in order to keep the Mitsubishi three year warranty valid and hopefully entitlement to RHI (if and when it materializes).

Any advice/info would be gratefully received.

What servicing do Mitsubishi require? With ASHP it should be fairly simple, maybe just a few filters cleaning. I do not know the Ecodan, but there are many on here who do, so sure you will get some replies.

mumu29

Hi Lovesgshp

Thank you for taking the time to post a reply.

The one and only service so far (last year) took about half an hour and although I didnt stand over him, I think he visually checked the outdoor unit (said it was clean as I check it regularly and clear away any leaves etc around it). He spent a few minutes going round each room looking/feeling the radiators and the remainder of the time he was in the airing cupboard where the cylinder and controls are. I think he put some kind of anti-scale solution in the system.

One of the many reasons I chose an ASHP was the easy and low cost maintenance.

What would be really good for ASHP users would be a monitor on the system that you could input your electricity cost per unit and tells you what it is costing to run. This would help installers to play around with settings to make sure it is working to maximise economy.

lovesgshp

"What would be really good for ASHP users would be a monitor on the system that you could input your electricity cost per unit and tells you what it is costing to run. This would help installers to play around with settings to make sure it is working to maximise economy."

There are monitors available that can tell you the electricity used purely for the heat pump. I sure someone who has one of these on this forum could advise.
I do not know if the Ecodan has a running hours/electrical heater back-up hours timer, but if it has, it is worth recording these on a weekly basis.
If it only takes 1/2 hr to service, then I would question the high increase in the cost!!
HTH

Silent_Dancer

mumu29 wrote: »

How much does everyone pay for an annual service? Ours has been serviced by the company who installed it for a very reasonable cost - until this year that is. They have more than tripled the cost this year, which in the current economic climate, is going to be a struggle.

Would be interested in hearing what you are paying? Low service and maintenance cost have been sold as a benefit of ASHPs.

mumu29

Hi Silent Dancer

It was sold to me as a fit and forget system. The first years service was included in the total amount at installation. Second year it was £75.00. This year it has jumped up to nearly £300 for the same thing. As far as I am aware the service is exactly as last year. I have rung a local company who have offered a service for £120 which I think is more than fair. My oil boiler only cost us £90 per year for a service (but this was a friend of a friend).

I am interested to know what others are paying and also more info on any monitoring systems available if anyone can help.

deano72_2

£300 is taking the pee
The gas circuit does not have to be serviced. It's just a visual check and clean off the heat exchanger which is not technical and check electrical connections.they have to be mitsi accredited to keep up the warranty.
A good one should log the data eg total running time,compressor current and other info which you can log then look back on. If it wasn't for the fact to valid the warranty then I wouldn't bother tbh
As for running costs there are a series of dip switches and these can tell you everything you need to know about the dan and a lot about your system eg the amount of start stops and total running time for the compressor,fridge temps,flow & return temps but will be a bit complex for the average guy in the street.you would be better of wiring in an kwh meter to the dan and take regular readings to give you your electricity useage

matelodave

I've got a Daikin 11kw LT split system and so far been paying £75 + vat per service but I signed up for three years. The last service under this agreement is this September. I'll be looking around next year to see how cheap I can get it - it isn't really rocket science to have a shufti in the back of the machine and blow the dust out. They dont even check the refrigerant pressures etc.

TiredGeek

£300 :rotfl:

I think you should name the company so we know who to stay clear of... though I have a sneaky suspicion I may already know

BMW51K

and they also state that it is a requirement for the Hitachi warranty to be valid. Their sales material, and the handover material after commissioning refers to only simple matters that the owner can do themselves, such as making sure the radiator fins are clear of leaves and that there are no over grown bushes.
Who would buy ASHP if they knew there was such a significant annual service charge? Not me, certainly.

Cardew

I would write to the manufacturer and ask what servicing is required, and how much it should cost.