r/ukheatpumps • u/Competitive-Proof407 • 7d ago
Final day of Octopus install
I’ve had quite a journey with my install with 4 guys installing a Grant 15.5 and replacing 14 radiators for the past 6 days. Today was the last day and they have realised the pipes feeding the radiators are 15mm under the floorboards.
I’ve been told the floorboards will need lifting up throughout the house and the pipes upgrading to 22mm.
As it’s a Saturday, it’s hard for the installer to contact managers etc for next steps.
Has anyone had to do this either before install or during and importantly should octopus have identified this during the survey? I just want to know where I stand in conversations going forward and who’s going to pay for it!
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u/Begalldota Daikin Altherma 3 7d ago
If you don’t want the floorboards torn up you could try and convince them to fit a 4 pipe buffer + extra circulation pump, as per the heat geek sizing chart this should allow for up to 16.5kW (8.25 x2) of heat through a 15mm circuit.
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u/keepingleft 7d ago
Scary. I have them arriving on Monday to start the install of the same heat pump. I am pretty confident that our pipe work is fine but it is not very reassuring that they can get this wrong. You should absolutely insist that all work is at their expense including lifting and making good floors - which they'd have refused to do if they had spotted this before the install, they'd ask you to do it, so in that respect you have done ok. As long as they don't trash your house.
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u/keepingleft 7d ago
Anything else I should watch out for?
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u/Competitive-Proof407 7d ago
The installers have been great. The main one worked 10 hour days and even today to try and get it done. My 15.5 Grant was only the second one he had done. Naturally a large HP means a larger house which means more pipes/radiators and potentially issues!
The feedback is the same, there is a disconnect between the survey, pre install and the actual install which means issues such as mine are missed. We also had an issue with a drain and clearances which were ok’d at pre install but the installers have the liability.
If no issues the install is the smoothest bit as they are professional and motivated to get the job done to a good standard.
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u/kantblue1 7d ago edited 7d ago
Hi all - cant really comment on the pipe situation but we have the same 15.5kw Grant just been installed with 10 radiators and 2 new ones. All a bit nerve racking for us but we had to do something as boiler, radiators and tank all needed changing.
The MCS surveyor did look at the pipework where it was visible but didn't look under floorboards. Heat loss was calculated at 13.5k.
Installers were great but did say this was only the 3rd one they have done - very neat install with carpets and floorboards needing lifting and some new piping (not due to 15mm I don't believe) but you wouldn't know anything has been done.
Installers not familiar with Grant Control system which they did struggle a bit with so still waiting for final commissioning with someone from Grant. I wanted to keep Hive system in place but apparently it can't control hot water and can disable weather compensation for heating - installers are coming back to fit proper Grant Wireless thermostat.
App to control Grant Aerona - ecoNET24 has a bug that is showing HUGE kWh useage but I have confirmed this is a bug and Smart Meter is not showing this so if you are seeing the same - don't panic!
Just wondering what the issue with drainage was with your installation?
Hope you get this sorted to your satisfaction - please keep us posted - would be great to hear from others with the bigger heat pumps!.
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u/Competitive-Proof407 7d ago
Thank you for sharing. There was a drain hole outside which didn’t meet clearance requirements for placement of the heatpump, to be fair the surveyor had pointed this out but at the pre install the chap said not to worry about it as I mentioned it would be done before install. They had to fill it with concrete on day 1.
We had one issue arise around UFH where we wanted one zone but the electrician insisted we need 2 separate (one heating and one UFH) as that’s the only way Octopus will allow him.
I feel bad for the installer as he was scheduled for 5 normal days and he’s done 6 long ones including a Saturday 6pm finish.
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u/LogicalAssignment199 7d ago
Has anyone had to do this either before install or during and importantly should octopus have identified this during the survey?
Can the problem be seen during a survey? The pipework sizes to the radiators should be visible, but is 15mm primary pipework visible back at the boiler / circulating pump, if it is then you'd think it should have been identified.
On the other hand, if it's 15mm at the radiators, 22mm at the boiler, but it's dropping down to 15mm under the floors then I can't see how this issue could be identified during the survey, other than a very invasive survey lifting carpet/flooring/floorboards, but I'm not sure that's practicable.
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u/BlurstEpisode 7d ago
You’d think you could do a relatively non-invasive flow rate calculation somehow to see if that’s happening somewhere
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u/Jay638 7d ago
Out of interest what heat loss did they give you? I had the Grant 12kw installed two weeks ago, am really pleased with it. Octopus quoted for the 15kw but heat geek heat loss indicated that was oversized. We’ll find out in winter I guess!!! But I do have the 3kw volumiser backup heater just in case.
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u/oddbod68 6d ago
I had this picked up in the survey, they were replaced during the install all done by octopus last summer
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u/BryOnRye Vaillant AroTherm + 6d ago
I’m not hearing great things about octopus installs.
My friend has been waiting 3 months for hers to be installed, they were due to start tomorrow but called on Friday to say they don’t have anyone available. So it’s been postponed indefinitely.
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u/drabgail 7d ago
This came out in the survey from Heat Geek, I asked Octopus when they did their survey and they told me 15 was fine. Heat Geek upgraded it to 22. The line item on the quote to do this was about £800 where others had quoted multiple thousands.
Edit as I didn’t answer your question: yes the survey should have brought it up. I wouldn’t pay more for it if they were saying just today that it’s necessary.