Heat Pump and Air Conditioning Specialists
Honest advice, proper installation and annual servicing from F Gas qualified engineers. All air conditioning quotes are complimentary and without obligation.
Don’t laugh at the picture
That is our own 10 year old F Gas Bosch Air to Air Heat Pump. It warms and cools our office. We have no gas in the property (or neighbouring properties) and the building was built in 1850. It has never broken down and works efficiently all year long.
When Your Heat Pump or Air Conditioning Unit Fails
You will know very quickly, as you will have little or no hot water, and/or no heating or cooling. The most common issues are listed below. All brands suffer from them because they often use common parts. In some instances different brands are exactly the same unit with a different badge and box, as they are made in the same factory.
Unit is dead
No heating and no signs of life, as we call it. The most probable causes are a faulty thermostat, radiator valves, the electrical supply, insufficient refrigerant or the outdoor unit.
Unit constantly on
This can lead to higher energy consumption and utility bills for obvious reasons. It is often caused by a faulty timer and thermostat.
Reduced capacity
Reduced heating or cooling capacity leaves you with an uncomfortable internal temperature.
Noisy units
Gurgling, hissing, squealing, rattling or grinding sounds could indicate debris or loose components in the system. We once found a small marble inside the internal pipe work.
Ice build up
Ice can build up on the indoor or outdoor coil. It is normal for ice to appear on the external unit in cold weather. The unit will run a defrost cycle to reduce or remove it.
Bad smells
Usually a dead rodent in the external unit. It happens.
Blowing cold air
Probably the most common issue of all.
Temperature regulation
Often caused by a defective or stuck reversing valve.
A Warning for New Build Homeowners
In the new build market place, many contractors create a new Limited company and bid a low price with a long warranty or guarantee to win the contract. They then use unqualified labour to install the heat pump. Once the installation is complete, signed off and the contractor has been paid, they close the company down. The new homeowners are left with useless heat pumps and no warranty, or have to spend many thousands of pounds to rectify the installation.
Many of the issues that we see are caused by poor design, poor installation and in some instances a system that was simply not fit for purpose from day one.
Heat Pumps: What No Manufacturer Will Tell You
We recently had to remove 8 Mitsubishi heat pumps from eight new build properties in inner London. All of them had been installed so badly that the occupants often ran out of hot water and had to use the electric immersion heater every day. In winter the radiators were barely warm.
The occupants of all the properties had contacted the manufacturer, but the manufacturer could not assist until all the installation faults had been rectified.
It is important to note that when the water to the radiators leaves a gas boiler, it leaves at 60 to 80 degrees. When the same water leaves a heat pump it is at 35 to 45 degrees. That water needs to travel around all of your central heating pipe work and through the radiators. It then returns to the heat pump or gas boiler, where the reheat process (often called recovery time) starts again.
The contractors who installed the eight new build central heating systems had sized the pipe work and radiators for a gas boiler system, not a heat pump. The cost to upgrade the full heating systems with larger pipe work and radiators was very high.
The Solution: British Made Electric Boilers
We removed the 8 heat pumps and replaced them with 6kW and 9kW British made electric boilers. The conversion happened in 2018. In 2026 there has never been a boiler breakdown or fault on their systems. We still service all of the boilers every year.
10 year no quibble parts and labour warranty on the electric boiler, as long as we service it every year.
Please note that we do not install electric combination boilers as we find them unreliable.
Servicing: Often Ignored and the Cause of Most Issues
Anything that has moving parts needs to be serviced, just like a car. We offer:
We Are F Gas Qualified
We are qualified to install air conditioning, air to water, air to air and heat pumps.
An F-gas (fluorinated gas) is a man-made, synthetic chemical containing fluorine. It is widely used in industrial applications such as refrigeration, air conditioning, heat pumps, fire protection and high-voltage switchgear.
The Main Types of F-Gases Commercially Available
- Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs): the most common group, often used in air conditioning, refrigeration units and aerosols.
- Perfluorocarbons (PFCs): used in electronics, cosmetics and the pharmaceutical industry.
- Sulphur Hexafluoride (SF6): used primarily in high-voltage electrical switchgear and magnesium and aluminium production.
Why It May Matter to You
- No ozone depletion: F-gases were originally developed as replacements for ozone-depleting substances.
- High global warming potential: they do not harm the ozone layer, but they trap heat in the atmosphere thousands of times more effectively than carbon dioxide.
Book a Free Engineer Visit
All air conditioning quotes are complimentary and without obligation.