Renovating Your Home? Before You Fit Another Combi Boiler, Consider This
Buying a new home or starting a renovation comes with a long list of decisions. How big are the rooms? Is there enough storage? Can we knock a wall through? Where will the washing machine go — and is there somewhere to hide the hoover?
We spend a lot of time thinking about how our home will look and how we'll use the space, but one important question is often left until much later: how are we actually going to heat it?
For many homeowners, the automatic answer is simply, “The boiler is old, so we'll replace it with another one.” Sometimes that is absolutely the right choice, but if you're renovating a property in Derby, Tamworth or the surrounding Midlands, it could also be the perfect opportunity to consider an air source heat pump installation — particularly when eligible properties may qualify for up to £9,000 towards the installation through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.
Why is renovating such a good time to consider a heat pump?
Retrofitting a new heating system into a finished and beautifully decorated home is perfectly possible, but a renovation gives you the opportunity to plan your heating alongside everything else you're changing.
You may already be replacing floors, replastering walls, rewiring the property, installing new windows, improving insulation, extending the house or changing room layouts. If floors are already being lifted and walls opened up, it can be much easier to consider new heating pipework, underfloor heating, radiator upgrades and the best location for a hot water cylinder at the same time.
Rather than trying to make a new heating system work around a finished home later, you can design it as part of the renovation from the beginning.
Could you receive funding towards your heat pump installation?
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme provides funding towards eligible heat pump installations in England and Wales. Most eligible air to water and ground source heat pump installations currently qualify for £7,500, while qualifying off-gas-grid properties can receive an increased grant of £9,000 until 31 March 2027. Eligibility depends on the property and heating system being replaced, so this should always be checked individually.
If you've purchased an older property in Derbyshire, Tamworth or the surrounding area and you're already budgeting for a new boiler, it's worth finding out what an air source heat pump could actually cost once the available grant has been taken into account.
Plan your radiators and underfloor heating early
Heat pumps generally work most efficiently at lower water temperatures than traditional boilers, which means the radiators and heating emitters need to be properly designed around the property.
That doesn't mean every radiator needs to be enormous. It means understanding how much heat each room needs and making sure the chosen radiators or underfloor heating can comfortably provide it.
If you're already lifting floors, extending the property or installing a new kitchen, it can also be the ideal time to consider underfloor heating. Its large surface area works particularly well with lower water temperatures, and planning it while the property is already being renovated can avoid unnecessary disruption later.
Your renovation could change the heating system you need
Improvements such as additional loft insulation, replacement windows, floor insulation or upgrading solid walls can significantly reduce the amount of heat a property needs.
That's why a good heat pump installation should begin with a detailed room by room heat loss calculation, rather than simply choosing a heat pump based on the size of the existing boiler.
At The Thermal Heat Company, we can assess the proposed finished property, calculate how much heat each room requires and then design the radiators, underfloor heating, pipework and heat pump around those requirements.
The design should determine the equipment — not the other way around.
What about the hot water cylinder?
This is one of the most common questions we hear from homeowners moving away from a combi boiler.
Most air to water heat pump systems use a hot water cylinder, which does require some space within the property. However, this is another reason why the renovation stage can be such a good time to consider a heat pump.
If you're already changing cupboards, room layouts or storage areas, the cylinder can potentially be incorporated into the plans from the outset rather than trying to find somewhere for it once the property is finished.
We often spend plenty of time deciding where we'll store the hoover, coats, shoes and ironing board, so it's worth giving the equipment responsible for providing your heating and hot water the same consideration.
Does every renovation need a heat pump?
No. Every home is different, and in some situations a boiler may still be the most appropriate option.
The point isn't that everyone renovating should install a heat pump. It's that if you're investing significantly in a property you intend to live in for many years, it's worth understanding all of your heating options before automatically replacing the existing system like-for-like.
Once the new kitchen is fitted, the flooring is down and the decorating is finished, changing the heating system can become considerably more disruptive. Looking at it early gives you much more flexibility to make the right decision for your home.
Heat Pump Installation in Derby, Tamworth and the Midlands
The Thermal Heat Company provides air source heat pump installation across Derby, Derbyshire, Tamworth and surrounding areas of the Midlands.
Whether you're renovating an older property, purchasing a new home or simply looking to replace an ageing heating system, we can assess your property, proposed insulation improvements and heating requirements to help you understand whether a heat pump would be suitable.
As an MCS accredited heat pump installer, we can also help you understand the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and establish whether your property may qualify for funding towards the installation.
Looking for a heat pump installer in Derby or Tamworth?
If you're planning a renovation, it's worth speaking to us before the heating decisions have already been made.
Get in touch with The Thermal Heat Company Ltd to discuss your project, or use our online heat pump estimate to get an initial idea of what a heat pump installation could look like for your property.
