Mustn't grumble

14 years. Its the end of an Era. In a couple of weeks we move house. We have had a heat pump for the whole journey. Our badly insulated 1922 house has had 6 heat pumps in that time. Every heat pump I have ever backed has been tested by me at my house. I was very fortunate, I was given the units to test. All of the units went onto new lives in other peoples houses once we pulled them out.

It started with a Daikin Altherma split in 2010.

I hadn't noticed the house had a single pipe heating system, turns out 50 degree heat pumps are useless on single pipe systems, a quick re-plumb was required.

We upgraded every 2 years, with 2 Samsung monoblocs, an Hitachi mini mono, A RED and ended with the current unit a prototype PHNIX R290 unit. I have my favourites, the first Samsung gen 3 prototype was epic, it was connected to a PC so it could be watched by the Korean developers. II had it 6 months before the unit was launched. The RED was superb it was the only one I ran with hydraulic separation, albeit beautifully controlled, that RED header was a masterpiece. All the rest were done in the "new" open system style.

But today the heat meters were removed, a timer was wired in for heating and hot water to make it easier for the new homeowner to drive it and the Planet Devices data logger was disconnected too. Its now just a simple heat pump.

We met the buyer of our property, she had been advised to watch out as heat pumps dont work. It was -2 centigrade when she visited 10 days ago, it was 23 degrees C in the house. Yep heat pumps dont work kids. She was very happy, even happier when I told her there were 5 years to run on the RHI at just over ￡1000 a year, which I'm transferring to her.

So in the new house, 1990s build with a heat loss of 7kW, on rads with covers I'm advised I'm NOT allowed to remove, we start all over again. I will rip out the boiler on day 1, before I unpack the boxes. Gas meter out on day 2.

The Genous surveyor is booked already armed with our super software, so the heat loss and MCS paperwork will just appear, as will DNO application etc. The only thing to decide is what to put in.

The days of free heat pumps for Graham seem to have ended, so this is one I'm going to actually spend my money on. Its going to need some thought.

I've tried to get one of the Octopus Energy units from my friend the Doctor, but he cant send me one.

I've had every Samsung Electronics Air Conditioner Europe unit under the sun and I love the HTQ but I fancy something else.

I'm very tempted by the ACOND a.s. 8kW unit as its the highest efficiency of any unit, at any temperature, on the MCS database and its ridiculously quiet. But its not cheap.

And of course there is the Viessmann Climate Solutions high temp unit I have on test in my office, I have to remove it when we move out. Its too big for the job, but its free.

I'm going to need a new cylinder too, they are much of a muchness, but I might try one of the much hyped big coil cylinders I've seen. Now I can measure COP in heating and hot water separately that might be interesting.

Whatever goes in , it will be metered to death, the heat meter and electric meters are packed in cotton wool ready to go. I'm looking forward to bore you all to death on progress on a Sunday evening shortly.