West Sussex · Heat pump installation
Air Source Heat Pumps in Botolphs
One call covers air source heat pumps in Botolphs, from the first look to sign-off. F-Gas certified, NICEIC approved and Checkatrade members.
- Comparing heat pump types
- Plans to switch to electric heating with a heat pump
- Questions about listed buildings or conservation areas
Air source heat pumps around Botolphs
The last census (2021) found about 65% of households in detached or semi-detached houses. Houses usually have space for an outdoor unit and a hot water cylinder.
Portslade Manor, roughly 4.6 miles south-east, is a reminder to check your home’s listing status: permitted development does not cover listed buildings. Older homes near St Botolph's Church may need extra checks for planning and heat loss before a heat pump is designed.
Botolphs is about 3 miles north-west of Shoreham-by-Sea, in West Sussex. We cover Botolphs for air source heat pumps, along with the rest of West Sussex. Across West Sussex, we cover 371 places, Botolphs among them.
Not far from Botolphs, a recent job of ours was on Middle Street, Shoreham-by-Sea (BN43), about 3 miles south-east: installing a marine-grade Mitsubishi Electric wall-mounted unit in the open-plan living area.
Here we cover the BN44 postcode area. Places around Botolphs that are also on our list: Upper Beeding (1 mile north-east), Bramber (1 mile north), Steyning (1 mile north-west), Sompting (3 miles south-west) and Lancing (3 miles south). Further out, we also cover Horsham (13 miles north), Worthing (5 miles south-west), Haywards Heath (13 miles north-east) and Burgess Hill (10 miles north-east).
Landmarks near Botolphs
Typical jobs here are in properties near Steyning Grammar School. Botolphs’s nearest station is Shoreham-By-Sea station, roughly 3.2 miles south-east. A little further out are Steyning Museum (1.3 miles north-west) and Old Castle (4.9 miles south-west). The countryside around Botolphs includes Steep Down and Mill Hill.
About our air source heat pumps in Botolphs
Installing an air source heat pump in a home is zero-rated for VAT until 31 March 2027, then 5%. That follows HMRC Notice 708/6, and it does not apply to businesses, and for air-to-air systems we confirm the VAT on your quote. This is general information, not tax advice. Typical jobs include questions about where the outdoor unit can go and questions about the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, on air-to-water heat pumps, radiator systems and hot water cylinders.
If your home in or near Botolphs is heated by oil, LPG or electric heaters with no mains gas, an extra £1,500 is available through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme until March 2027.
Nothing is signed off by word of mouth: commissioning details for an installation, a fault and repair note for a repair, or a record of the service. Keep it with the system’s paperwork so it’s to hand next time.
- Place
- Botolphs (BN44)
- Wider area
- West Sussex
- Approvals
- NICEIC approved, F-Gas certified, MCS
- Replies
- On the working day you ask
- Price
- Fixed after a survey or pictures
- Typical price
- £8,000–£16,000 before the grant, 0% VAT on homes
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 30 October 2026
For landlords and property managers
Larger air conditioning systems in buildings need more than servicing: a TM44 inspection by an accredited energy assessor is required at least every 5 years for systems over 12 kW. We can arrange it, prepare the system for it and fix what it finds.
Where a tenant occupies the property but the landlord owns the system, it’s worth checking the agreement for who looks after the system. We are happy to deal with either side and send the records to whoever needs them.
When it’s something else
An honest diagnosis matters more to us than a booking, so here’s what air source heat pumps won’t do:
- Grants for hybrid systems or replacements of low-carbon systems
- Planning approval where permitted development doesn’t apply
- Disconnecting or servicing a gas boiler
Not sure which it is? You can ring us on 07833 053749 and we will tell you honestly before you book.
Parts of the system we cover
- Air-to-water heat pumps
- Air-to-air heat pumps
- Hot water cylinders
- Homes heated by oil, LPG or gas
- Underfloor heating
- Radiator systems
How it works
Protection comes first: sheets over the floor and any furniture nearby, and we ask before moving anything. After that, anything electrical is made safe and we start. It takes anything from a couple of days for air-to-air to the best part of a week for air-to-water with radiator changes, and we tidy up before we leave. Seeing the property in pictures first means the trip to Botolphs can be planned properly.
- We start with your plans and the property.
- The survey checks heat loss, emitters, hot water and the outdoor unit position.
- We recommend air-to-water or air-to-air and check the grant position.
- Installation follows on the agreed dates.
- The job ends with commissioning, the MCS certificate and a walk through the controls.
How to prepare
- Dig out any previous service or F-Gas records
- Make sure we can reach the outdoor unit, or where it will go
- Move furniture away from the wall where we will be working
Ask for a quote
Here’s what helps us quote: the address and the type of property, a few photos, the brand and model of anything already fitted and any symptoms, from error codes to drips. Then phone 07833 053749, or email if that’s easier.
Advice
Towns and villages near Botolphs
What else we do in Botolphs
Looking after your system
Simple habits make a real difference. Our advice:
- Store the MCS certificate and warranty documents together
- Check eligibility for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme early
- Keep radiators clear
The warranty on the heat pump is the manufacturer’s, on its own terms. We go through the conditions with you, including any servicing they ask for.
Have the system serviced regularly. Check the manufacturer’s terms, as they may include servicing conditions.
Questions from Botolphs
Is planning permission needed for a heat pump in Botolphs?
It comes down to the building and the spot chosen for the outdoor unit. Historic England lists about 7 buildings and structures within half a mile of the centre of Botolphs. Heat pumps on houses are often permitted development, but listed buildings need consent and conservation areas restrict outdoor units facing a road. Where it’s needed, we check with the planning department at Horsham council, usually the authority for Botolphs.
Do you cover smaller places like Botolphs?
We do. Villages and hamlets get the same service as the bigger towns. Visits to smaller places are planned so the engineer arrives with what the job needs.
Why does F-Gas certification matter?
F-Gas certification shows a company is approved to work on equipment containing fluorinated gases, such as the refrigerant in air conditioning and heat pumps. That is not optional: it’s required by law, and AirCon Doctor is certified.
Whose job is it to check the system for leaks?
The operator of the equipment, working with qualified engineers. Larger systems need regular checks: at least every 12 months from 5 tCO2e and every 6 months from 50 tCO2e. We can tell you which band your system falls into.
Can you set up regular servicing?
Yes. We offer maintenance contracts, with visits at the interval your system and the manufacturer need. Every visit is recorded and F-Gas records kept where they apply.
Will you work on another installer’s system?
Yes. We work on systems fitted by other installers as well as our own, on all the main brands. Tell us the make and model and send any paperwork you have.
What VAT do I pay on a heat pump?
For homes, 0% until 31 March 2027, under HMRC Notice 708/6 and 5% after that. With air-to-air, HMRC’s view depends on the product, so we confirm the VAT on the quote.
What a customer said
“Very professional from the initial survey through to installation. The engineer explained everything clearly and the quote was exactly what we paid. Would not hesitate to recommend AirCon Doctor.”
David W., Haywards Heath