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THE ADVICE CENTRE
Real answers to the questions sales visits dodge
Independent guidance on heat pump suitability, sizing, radiators, pipework, controls, hot water and running costs — written from a designer’s perspective, with no equipment to sell and no installation to win.
START WITH THE BIG QUESTION
Is My House Suitable for a Heat Pump?
The honest answer, and what actually determines it.
Can My Existing Radiators Work With a Heat Pump?
Usually yes — here’s how to actually check.
EXPLORE BY TOPIC
Twelve topic hubs, organised into three stages: whether a heat pump fits your home, how the system should be designed, and how it will actually perform.
01 — THE BUILDING
Is a heat pump right for my home?
Heat Pump Suitability
The honest starting point — what actually determines whether a heat pump will work well.
Covers: heat loss · flow temperature · pipework · hot water
Heat Loss & Heat Pump Sizing
How building heat demand and heat-pump capacity should actually be matched.
Covers: room-by-room heat loss · design flow temp · oversizing · modulation
Planning & Installation
Outdoor unit position, planning rules and what happens during a survey.
Covers: noise · permitted development · electrics · the survey
Quotes, Installers & Grants
What a good quote should contain, and how to compare them properly.
Covers: comparing quotes · MCS · BUS grant · independent review
02 — THE SYSTEM
How should the heating system be designed?
This is where Heat Loss Hub differs most from a typical installer visit — system design, not equipment selection.
Radiators & Heat Emitters
Assessed room by room at your design flow temperature — not automatically replaced.
Covers: corrected output · ΔT · K1/K2/K3 · vertical & UFH comparison
Underfloor Heating
Works well with heat pumps — but it’s not a requirement, and it still needs designing.
Covers: active floor area · screed vs overlay · zoning · mixed systems
Pipework & Hydraulics
One of the site’s strongest technical hubs — flow, pressure loss and pump head explained.
Covers: pipe sizing · microbore · pump head · buffers & volume
Flow Temperature & Controls
One of the most important parameters in the whole design — and how to control it well.
Covers: weather compensation · heating curves · TRVs · setback
Hot Water & Cylinders
Cylinder sizing, reheat time and priority settings matter as much as space heating.
Covers: cylinder sizing · reheat time · legionella cycles · immersion use
03 — THE PERFORMANCE
How will the heat pump perform?
Efficiency & Running Costs
What COP and SCOP actually mean, and what really drives your bill.
Covers: COP/SCOP · tariffs · vs oil & LPG · weather compensation
Heat Pump Technology & Equipment
Equipment explained from a designer’s view, not a product-review angle.
Covers: monobloc vs split · R290 vs R32 · modulation · A7/W35 ratings
Heat Pump Problems & Performance
Many apparent faults trace back to design, setup or commissioning.
Covers: high bills · cold rooms · short cycling · poor hot-water recovery
USE THE NUMBERS
Heat Pump Design Tools
Some heat-pump questions are easier to understand when you can see the numbers for yourself.
Radiator Output Calculator
See how radiator output changes as water temperature falls.
Mass Flow Rate Calculator
Calculate the water flow needed to carry a given heat output at your chosen ΔT.
SEE IT APPLIED
Real Heat Pump Designs
Real houses, measured heat losses and the design decisions behind the finished system.
Case Study: 1930s Semi in Wakefield
An independent design walkthrough — measured heat loss, radiator schedule and the flow temperature decisions behind the finished install.
LATEST FROM HEAT LOSS HUB
Industry Updates & New Technology
Still not sure what applies to your home?
Heat pumps are system-design problems, not simply product-selection problems. If you’ve read the guides but still aren’t sure about sizing, radiators, pipework, controls or competing installer recommendations, tell us about your property and we’ll point you towards the most appropriate next step.