Heat pumps, radiators and underfloor heating all need to be sized correctly otherwise the system uses more electric than it should do, meaning you pay higher bills.
Installation of a heat pump costs a lot of money so it makes sense it is done right.
A correctly sized system will be aiming for the lowest possible flow temperatures to your radiators and this is where you can start to see savings.
Research is proving heat loss calculations using u-values, required under the MCS rules, can be inaccurate. Unfortunately, industry standards can be slow to catch up with technological advancement.
A measured heat transfer test will give you and your chosen engineer peace of mind to size the heat pump accurately
Your engineer will still produce a calculation to help with radiator sizing but with your independent report they now have an accurate baseline to work from.
A 'cowboy' element exists in the heating industry. Regulation and enforcement has been unable to weed them out. A cowboy will take one look at your report and think "not for me" - great for you, society and the industry.
The conscientious engineer will find it useful. HTC is new to industry and your report also contains links to learning resources to help engineers familiarise themselves with current best practises such as how to size pipework and radiators for the lowest possible flow temperatures.
Around five data loggers, about the size of a packet of playing cards and which record temperature are placed strategically in your home for approximately 3 weeks. They are collected and plugged into an award winning algorithm which analyses the data against weather temperature, solar data, floor and window area and your metered energy consumption.
Your report tells you exactly what power your home needs to heat it at different outside temperatures and is an extremely accurate way to size a heat pump. You can email this report to engineers you wish to do work for you.
The report also contains links to help engineers familiarise themselves with this new method of accurate measurement as well as informing them of current trends and best practice in the design and installation of heat pumps used by leading engineers. So it goes some way in helping you find an engineer who is either already familiar with best practice or at least willing to familiarise themselves with new trends.
It's important to remember heat pump systems work extremely well, but only if they have been installed to a good standard. Unfortunately, qualifications and experience do not necessarily equate to competence and finding a good installer is often pot luck for the home owner. The report has not only been designed to give you an accurate heat loss measurement of your home but take away some of the pain of knowing whether your installer will do a good job.
The data loggers work during heating season and a limited number of homes can only be surveyed this year. Register you interest here