Heat Pumps
Air source heat pump design, installation, and commissioning for homes across Bristol, Bath, and the surrounding areas. Low-carbon heating that works in the UK climate — when it is correctly designed and installed.
Government support
Grant amount and eligibility are confirmed for your specific property, not guaranteed online. Figures above are correct as of July 2026 — government schemes can change. See gov.uk/apply-boiler-upgrade-scheme for the official scheme details.
Air source heat pump installed outside a residential property
A heat pump does not burn fuel to create heat. Instead, it absorbs low-grade thermal energy from the outside air and transfers it into your home using a refrigeration cycle — the same principle used in a fridge, but working in reverse. Even during colder UK winters, modern inverter-driven heat pumps can extract useful heat from outdoor air and deliver it into your heating and hot water system.
The system works through four main components: an evaporator, a compressor, a condenser, and an expansion valve. Refrigerant absorbs outdoor heat, the compressor raises its temperature and pressure, and the condenser transfers that heat into your home. Because the system moves heat rather than generating it through combustion, a well-designed installation can often deliver several units of heat for each unit of electricity consumed — though actual performance depends on the property, system design, and outdoor conditions.
The single most important factor in any heat pump installation is getting the system size right. An oversized heat pump short-cycles — switching on and off too frequently — which increases compressor wear, reduces efficiency, and shortens the life of the unit. An undersized system will struggle during cold spells and may rely heavily on electric immersion backup heating, significantly increasing running costs.
Before specifying any system, we carry out detailed room-by-room heat loss calculations covering insulation performance, window areas, air infiltration, and hot water demand. This ensures the heat pump is correctly matched to what your property actually needs — not just sized to a rule of thumb.
Worcester Bosch air source heat pump — compact, quiet, designed for UK residential installation
Modern air source heat pump — compact design suitable for typical residential properties
Heat pumps operate most efficiently at lower flow temperatures than traditional gas boilers. A boiler commonly runs at 70–80°C; a heat pump typically works best between 35°C and 50°C. This difference has a direct impact on your existing heating system.
To deliver sufficient heat output at these lower temperatures, radiators may need to be larger than those currently installed. Underfloor heating is naturally well suited to heat pumps because of its large surface area. We assess your existing emitters as part of the design process and specify any upgrades needed to ensure the system runs efficiently rather than just adequately.
Air source heat pump installed on a typical UK property
Like any mechanical system, a heat pump performs best when it is regularly maintained. Annual servicing helps protect the refrigerant circuit, verify flow rates and pressures, clean heat exchangers, check glycol concentration, calibrate weather compensation controls, and confirm the system is operating as efficiently as it should be.
We also carry out fault diagnosis and repairs on existing heat pump installations — including compressor issues, sensor failures, defrost problems, flow circulation faults, and low heating output. Our understanding of both refrigeration principles and hydronic heating systems means we can identify faults accurately rather than guessing.
Vaillant arotherm plus air source heat pump — an example of a premium heat pump system
Heat pump performance depends entirely on correct design and installation. A system that has been oversized, undersized, or connected to an incompatible heating circuit will underperform regardless of how good the unit itself is. We treat the heat loss calculation and system design as the foundation of every installation — not an afterthought.
We work with homeowners across Bristol, Bath, and the surrounding area, providing honest advice on whether a heat pump is right for your property, what preparation work may be needed, and what to realistically expect from the system. We handle everything from the initial survey through to commissioning and handover.
A recent air source heat pump installation carried out by our team
Modern inverter-driven heat pumps are designed to operate in the UK climate. They use variable speed compressors, intelligent defrost cycles, and advanced refrigerant technology to continue extracting useful heat from cold outdoor air. Performance does reduce at very low temperatures, which is why correct sizing and system design are important — a properly specified system accounts for your local climate and worst-case conditions.
Not always, but often some upgrades are needed. Because heat pumps run at lower flow temperatures, existing radiators may not deliver enough heat output. We assess your current radiators as part of the heat loss survey and advise on which, if any, need to be upgraded or replaced. In some properties the existing radiators are large enough; in others, targeted upgrades make a significant difference to system efficiency.
A properly installed and regularly serviced heat pump can provide 15 to 25 years of reliable operation. Compressor lifespan is heavily influenced by correct sizing — a system that short-cycles because it is oversized will wear out much faster than one that runs steadily at the right output. Annual servicing and appropriate glycol protection both contribute to long-term reliability.
Most homes can be suited to a heat pump with the right sizing and design — factors like insulation, radiator sizing, hot water demand and outdoor unit space all play a part. Rather than guess, we start with a heat loss survey to confirm suitability for your specific property. You can also get a guide direction online first with our heat pump estimate tool.
