Dear Editor,
It’s puzzling to consider why household heat pump systems consistently prove to be expensive and lacking in reliability when we understand the core technology to be reliable, enduring, and efficient.
The components used in these pumps are similar to those found in vehicle cooling systems, domestic refrigerators, and freezers – all of which operate effectively for decades; no servicing or failures experienced. However, in the vicinity of my residence, a quartet of heat pumps, all less than half a decade old, have had to be replaced. It is indeed troubling that these high-end machines priced nearly at £10,000 need to be swapped out due to a single component’s failure.
At my residence alone, I found a dozen instances where the installation of the heat pump contradicted both manufacturer guidelines and building regulations and correcting this oversight would have been a minor or non-existent expense, had it been carried out correctly during the first attempt.
Despite raising these concerns on numerous occasions with SEAI, the CCPC and the BCMS, and addressing these issues during three separate on-site meetings involving the appliance manufacturer’s directors, a heating consultant, the building contractor and the Fingal County Council, no progress has seemed to be made.
This disregard for correct installation leads to inefficient performance of the systems and premature failures. These, in turn, come at a considerable cost to the consumers and pose an unnecessary health and safety hazard. Moreover, consumers are being preyed upon with inflated and unnecessary out-of-hours charges for issues that could have been resolved simply with phone assistance, such as a system reset.
Yours Sincerely,
Michael Terry,
County Dublin.