Heat Pump Help. No where else to turn!

Shellfoulkes37

The company who installed our Air Source Heat Pump performed the sound calculation incorrectly meaning the pump is not covered by general permitted development.

We have now been issued with a planning enforcement notice to re-site the pump.

The installers are in administration.

I have so far contacted:

• HIES (Consumer Code)... They told me to make a claim with Safeworld Insurance

• Safeworld Insurance (Insurance backed guarantee)... I cannot claim because it is a design element of the installation and that is not covered.

• The administrators... they advised it is anticipated there will be no return to unsecured creditors.

• Citizens advice... they advised I contact the insolvency helpline

• Insolvency helpline... suggested I contact the administrators (which I had already done)

• Bank... Advised me that I cannot make a chargeback as the transaction was more than 120 ago (it was 22 months ago but we have only just been made aware of the issue)

I feel that I have no where left to turn and the cost of re-installing the pump is thousands of pounds.

Can anyone suggest where I might be able to get further advice or help?

Thank you.

MSE_ForumTeam5

We've moved this across to the Heat Pumps board

michaels

How has this come to light, did someone complain about the noise? 

Might you be able to mitigate with a wall between the heat pump and the measurement point (1m outside the midpoint of the closest neighbouring 'room' window), how many decibels are you over by?

Air-Source-Heat-Pump-Calculation-Procedure.docx (live.com)

Have you checked the wording of the insurance to confirm it is not covered?  Not sure if there might be some sort of miss-selling / unfair terms in consumer agreement if it is excluded but sounds like a hard route to go down.

henrik777

Was anything paid via credit ? (card or loan)

If so contact the lender. Section 75 consumer credit act makes them jointly liable. They don't always admit as such, especialy if not specifically asked.

Shellfoulkes37

@michaels
Yes, a complaint to the council. One to planning and one to environmental health.

We cannot put up a wall, it is currently situated at forst floor height.

I have checked the insurance and it will not cover a design element of the installation.

Shellfoulkes37

@henrik777 no it was paid on a debit card and I cannot make a charge back as it was longer than 120 days ago.

Reed_Richards

If your installation was MCS certified, have you tried contacting them?  https://mcscertified.com/

michaels

Shellfoulkes37 said:

@michaels
Yes, a complaint to the council. One to planning and one to environmental health.

We cannot put up a wall, it is currently situated at forst floor height.

I have checked the insurance and it will not cover a design element of the installation.

Have you checked the sound calculation using the document I linked?  If it is mounted on a wall then the Q adjustment factor is probably 2 which should help.

myallotment

You don't say how much you are above the limit so what follows may or may not help.

1) Any calculation of noise level is a prediction. A calculation doesn't necessarily demonstrate fitness for purpose all it does is guide you (so you make sure that you have a safety margin). You may want to check with Environmental Health and Building Control if an on site measurement of the final installation is required.  If it is and the contractor didn't do it then you may have a claim for faulty workmanship,  which should be covered by the insurance. 

2) Was the contractor allowed to self certify the installation or should he have called in Building Control?

3) Check the measured noise level against the manufacturer's data sheet.  While it's unlikely it would be worth making sure that the unit is in specification.

4) Contact the manufacturer's technical support team and see if they can help.  One possibility is getting an acoustic hood which will block the noise from your neighbours.

5) Check your home insurance policy,  unlikely but worth a look. You might have cover against botched building work.

6) Did the contractor have any Public Liability insurance at the time of installation?

You say you are not covered by the IBG for design errors. This is not unreasonable for matters such as system sizing, which aren't a legal requirement. However noise level is and the supplier is responsible for compliance. It could well be that the insurers are trying to fob you off, it's not unknown.  You can tell them that you are taking it to the Insurance Ombudsman. Also try trading standards for advice on the IBG.

In the meantime see what you can do to minimise the impact on your neighbours to buy time.