Kent · Heat pump installation
Air Source Heat Pumps in Hicks Forstal
Need air source heat pumps in Hicks Forstal? We look at the job first, give you a fixed-price quote and do the work at a time that suits you, then sign it off with written records.
- Questions about where the outdoor unit can go
- Questions about the Boiler Upgrade Scheme
- Replacing a combi boiler with a heat pump
Questions from Hicks Forstal
Is the coast a problem for outdoor units in Hicks Forstal?
It can. Hicks Forstal is within about 3 miles of the coast, and salt air speeds up corrosion on outdoor units. The outdoor unit position, its fixings and regular servicing all help near the sea.
Is Hicks Forstal within the area you cover?
Yes. Hicks Forstal is within the area we cover across London and the South East. Send a few details and photos, and we reply the same working day.
How much time does a heat pump install need?
A typical installation 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. The programme is planned to keep time without heating short and agreed before any work starts.
Can we book visits on a schedule?
Yes. We offer maintenance contracts, set at the interval the system and the manufacturer’s terms need. Every visit is recorded, with F-Gas records where refrigerant work is involved.
Do you survey before quoting?
Yes, every time. We diagnose before we treat: the survey shows what’s needed, where things go and what access we need and the fixed price is built on it.
How does the warranty work?
The manufacturer provides it, on its own terms. Some terms depend on regular servicing by a qualified engineer, so keep your service records.
Do you work for landlords and businesses?
Yes. We work for homeowners, landlords, letting and managing agents, and businesses of every size in Hicks Forstal and across Kent. Tell us who should receive the paperwork.
Air source heat pumps in Hicks Forstal
A heat pump takes heat from the outside air and moves it into your home, using electricity to drive the process. The technology is close to air conditioning, which is why we install both, and air-to-air heat pumps are sometimes simply called air conditioning. The work covers air-to-water heat pumps, hot water cylinders and air-to-air heat pumps, and common reasons people get in touch are deciding which kind of heat pump suits the home and deciding on the outdoor unit position.
Homes around Hicks Forstal usually have room outside for a heat pump, so the design comes down to heat loss, radiators and hot water.
Any work on the refrigerant circuit is recorded: what was done, the refrigerant type and any amount added or recovered. Keep the records with the manual and the warranty documents, as a manufacturer or a future engineer may ask to see them.
- Where
- Hicks Forstal (CT3)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Approvals
- NICEIC and F-Gas, MCS
- Price guide
- £8,000–£16,000 (0% VAT on homes), before the grant
- Quotes
- Fixed after a survey or photos
- Response
- Answered the same working day
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Reviewed
- 30 October 2026
Pricing air source heat pumps in Hicks Forstal
We quote each job individually. These are the things that affect it:
- The brand, model and parts involved
- The electrical supply and whether a new circuit is needed
- The size of the job
Putting several jobs into one visit often makes better use of the time. Mention every unit or room you need covered, and you’ll get one fixed price.
Before you get in touch
When you contact us, it’s useful to have:
- The remote or wall controller showing any error
- A few photos of the room and the wall the unit is on, or will go on
- Your installation or service records
Every quote starts with a look at the job, either on a site survey or, for simple jobs, from your pictures and details. After that, we send a fixed price before any work starts.
When it’s something else
In fairness, some problems need a different answer:
- Tax advice on your own circumstances
- Draught-proofing and insulation upgrades
- Grants for hybrid systems or replacements of low-carbon systems
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or send an email and we’ll say what we think before booking.
Parts of the system we cover
- Underfloor heating
- Homes heated by oil, LPG or gas
- Hot water cylinders
- Radiator systems
- Air-to-water heat pumps
- Air-to-air heat pumps
What you can do yourself, and what needs us
Refrigerant is off limits for anyone without the right qualifications. Under the F-gas rules, engineers need their own qualifications and the company must be certified, and escaping refrigerant can cause cold burns. A suspected leak is our job, not yours.
For air conditioning, cleaning the indoor unit’s filters is the main job owners can do where the manufacturer’s manual explains how. With the power off, they lift out, can be vacuumed or rinsed and must be fully dry before they go back. On a heat pump, the equivalent is keeping the outdoor unit clear and checking the controls.
Places near Hicks Forstal
What else we do in Hicks Forstal
Air source heat pumps in Hicks Forstal: the local picture
Hicks Forstal is within about 3 miles of the coast. Near the coast, we choose the outdoor unit position with salt-laden wind in mind. About 78% of households live in detached or semi-detached houses, according to Census 2021 figures. Houses typically have space for an outdoor unit and a hot water cylinder. There are 2 conservation areas within a mile of the centre of Hicks Forstal. For a heat pump, permitted development does not apply within the grounds of a listed building, and in a conservation area the outdoor unit cannot go on a wall or roof facing a road, so we check with the local planning authority (usually Canterbury City council) where necessary.
Sizing comes from the heat each room loses on a cold day, not from the size of the old boiler. As an MCS certified installer, we can apply for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant for you.
Hicks Forstal is about 2 miles south of Herne Bay, in Kent. Hicks Forstal gets the same approach as every job we take on: diagnosis first, a fixed price and proper paperwork when we have finished. In Kent alone we list 922 places, and Hicks Forstal is one. Bromley is in our area too, about 48 miles from Hicks Forstal.
Our engineers cover all of CT3. Neighbouring places we cover include Calcott (1 mile south-west), Herne Common (1 mile north), Knave's Ash (1 mile east), Herne (1 mile north) and Bullockstone (1 mile north-west). Further out, we also cover Canterbury (4 miles south-west), Margate (12 miles east), Dover (15 miles south-east) and Ramsgate (12 miles east).
Landmarks near Hicks Forstal
Typical jobs here are in properties near Curtis Wood and the streets around them. Hicks Forstal’s nearest station is Sturry station, about 2.2 miles south. Well-known places in the area include St Martins Hospital (3.9 miles south) and Canterbury Castle (4.6 miles south-west). Open spaces near Hicks Forstal include West Blean and Thornden Woods.
The process
We keep the work area tidy as we go, with dust sheets down and offcuts and packaging cleared up. If we need to drill through a wall, we agree the spot with you first. On site, 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. Rural lanes and tight entrances are worth mentioning before a visit to Hicks Forstal.
- It starts with a conversation about the home, the existing heating and your plans.
- The survey measures heat loss room by room and looks at radiators, hot water and the best spot for the outdoor unit.
- We send a fixed-price quote that shows the equipment, the grant position and the VAT.
- Fitting day: the outdoor unit is placed, the indoor side connected and the controls set up.
- Once it’s running correctly, the MCS certificate is issued and we show you the settings.
How to prepare
- Let us know where we can park and unload
- Let us know if the building has a permit or sign-in process
- Clear the space around the indoor unit, or where it will go
Get a fixed-price quote
To help us quote: the address and the type of property, pictures of the rooms or units, the make and model of any existing system and anything you’ve noticed, such as an error code or a noise. Then ring 07833 053749 or drop us a line.
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From one of our customers
“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