Commercial Heat Pump Installer Checklist: 25 Checks and the Red Flags

Use this checklist alongside a bid. Each line is a question with a yes or no answer, and a no is a prompt to ask the installer to explain, not an automatic disqualification. The reasoning behind the lines is in how to choose a commercial heat pump installer, the credential checks are in how to check an MCS heat pump installer and the scoring method is in comparing commercial quotes.

Credentials

• MCS directory entry found for the legal entity on the quote, for the technology quoted
• Certification number and certification body recorded
• F-Gas certification checked for the company and for the named engineers
• NICEIC or NAPIT registration checked for the electrical work
• Gas Safe registration checked where a gas boiler is retained
• Public liability and professional indemnity certificates seen, with the cover limits

Survey and design

• Heat-loss survey and twelve months of consumption requested before a price was given
• Half-hourly meter data used where it exists
• Existing emitters and pipework surveyed, with an upgrade schedule
• Seasonal efficiency (SCOP) quoted to BS EN 14825 at a stated design flow temperature
• Air source, ground source and hybrid compared where relevant
• Named designer, and named engineer responsible on site

The quote

• Itemised price with plant, emitters, controls, electrical and commissioning shown
• DNO supply check included and the owner of any upgrade cost stated
• BS 4142 acoustic assessment included where neighbours are close
• Planning position stated for the site
• Exclusions marked included, excluded or provisional, and added back before comparing
• Grant assumptions named, with eligibility and status (see the Boiler Upgrade Scheme page)

Contract and handover

• Programme with survey, design, supply, installation and commissioning dates
• Changeover plan that keeps the existing boiler live until commissioning
• Payments linked to milestones with a retention until commissioning is proved
• Warranty terms in writing, with any insurance-backed cover shown as a policy document
• Commissioning pack, controls settings and maintenance plan promised in writing
• Remedy stated if delivered efficiency does not match the design figure
• References from comparable buildings seen and at least two phoned

Red flags in a proposal

• A fixed price before anyone has surveyed the building and its emitters.
• Sizing from floor area.
• An efficiency figure with no standard or flow temperature attached.
• No emitter schedule and an assumption that existing radiators will do.
• No mention of the DNO supply, planning or acoustics.
• Certificates described but not given as numbers you can look up.
• The Boiler Upgrade Scheme used to justify a price on plant above its capacity caps.
• Pressure to pay a large deposit before the certification can be checked.

Who is responsible for commissioning?

The contract should name the person or firm that commissions the system and signs the record, and what the record proves. The Heat Pump Association publishes commissioning checklists for air-to-water and ground or water-to-water systems, and the commissioning checklist guide explains what a commercial handover should add to them.

Should I use a consultant as well as an installer?

On a large or complex building an independent M&E consultant can write the specification and evaluate bids, which separates design advice from the contractor’s interest in selling plant. On a smaller job a well-run tender with the questions above may be enough. The decision is about the size of the risk, not the size of the fee.

What should a commercial heat pump quote include?

The sizing basis, seasonal efficiency to BS EN 14825 at a stated flow temperature, the plant and controls, emitter works, the DNO supply position, acoustics, F-Gas handling, commissioning and maintenance, and a programme. The full list is in the quote comparison guide.

Frequently asked questions

What should a commercial heat pump quote include?

The sizing basis, a seasonal efficiency to BS EN 14825 at a stated flow temperature, plant and controls, emitter works, the DNO supply position, acoustics, F-Gas handling, commissioning and maintenance, and a programme.

What are the red flags in a heat pump proposal?

A price before a survey, sizing from floor area, an efficiency figure with no standard, no emitter schedule, no DNO or acoustic position, and certificates given without numbers you can look up.

Who is responsible for commissioning?

The contract should name the person or firm that commissions the system and signs the record, and say what the record proves.

Should I use a consultant as well as an installer?

On a large or complex building an independent M&E consultant can write the specification and evaluate bids. On a smaller job a well-run tender may be enough.

What insurance should an installer hold?

Ask for public liability and professional indemnity certificates and the cover limits, and for any warranty as an insurance-backed policy document.