Reading · Heat pump installation
Heat pump installers in Play Hatch
Heat pump installation, in Play Hatch and nearby. Call for a fixed-price quote, and we will reply the same working day.
- Wanting to stop using oil, LPG or gas for heating
- Questions about listed buildings or conservation areas
- Working out where a cylinder could go
Air source heat pumps for homes and businesses in Play Hatch
A heat pump takes heat from the outside air and moves it into your home with electricity running the compressor and fans. The technology is close to air conditioning, which is why we install both and the Energy Saving Trust notes that air-to-air heat pumps are sometimes referred to as air conditioning. The work covers homes heated by oil, LPG or gas, air-to-air heat pumps and underfloor heating, and the jobs we see most are an oil, LPG or gas boiler near the end of its life and not knowing whether a grant applies.
Homes around Play Hatch typically have room outside for a heat pump, so the design comes down to heat loss, radiators and hot water.
Warranty on the equipment is the manufacturer’s own, on the manufacturer’s terms, and we explain those terms on your quote. Each brand sets its own conditions, so we go through them with you rather than leave you to find the small print.
- Where
- Play Hatch (RG4)
- Region
- Reading
- Prices
- £8,000–£16,000 (0% VAT on homes), before the grant
- Quotes
- Fixed after a survey or pictures
- Accreditations
- NICEIC approved, F-Gas certified, MCS
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Checked
- 30 October 2026
What air conditioning won’t do
To be straight with you, some problems need a different answer:
- Formal advice on VAT for your situation
- Any gas work on the existing boiler
- Insulation work, such as loft or cavity wall insulation
Not sure which it is? You can call us on 07833 053749, or email if that’s easier and we’ll tell you honestly.
Where we work
- Air-to-air heat pumps
- Homes heated by oil, LPG or gas
- Air-to-water heat pumps
- Radiator systems
- Underfloor heating
- Hot water cylinders
The process
The work area is kept tidy throughout, with sheets down and mess cleared as we go. If we need to drill through a wall, we agree the spot with you first. The visit takes from a couple of days to around a week, depending on the system and how much of the heating changes. Seeing the property in photos first means the trip to Play Hatch can be planned properly.
- First we find out about the property, the heating you have now and what you are hoping for.
- The survey measures heat loss room by room and looks at radiators, hot water and the best spot for the outdoor unit.
- The price comes back fixed and in writing, with the grant and VAT shown line by line.
- Fitting day: the outdoor unit is placed, the indoor side connected and the controls set up.
- We commission the heat pump, complete the MCS paperwork and talk you through the controls.
Before we arrive
- Unlock any gate, garage or side passage we need
- Let us know if the units are on a roof, a high wall or in a locked area
- Let us know if the building has a permit or sign-in process
Get a fixed-price quote
Some jobs can be priced from pictures, while others need a survey. Bigger systems, commercial sites and awkward pipe routes are normally surveyed on site. Either way, you get a fixed price before any work is booked.
Advice
Also near Play Hatch
More services for Play Hatch
Safe owner checks
Leave the units and pipework where they are. Disconnecting a system means dealing with refrigerant, which only a qualified engineer can do, and the electrics need care too. Ask us to quote for a move instead.
Owners can handle the everyday basics: keep the outdoor unit clear of leaves, plants and clutter, check the settings and the remote, and follow the cleaning the manual describes. Anything inside the units, the electrics and the refrigerant is engineer’s work.
What the work involves, system by system
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme
Eligibility depends on the property and the scheme rules, so we check before you commit.
Air-to-air heat pumps
The £2,500 grant for air-to-air applies only when the system replaces the fossil-fuel heating and covers the whole home’s demand. It also has to be fitted by an MCS certified installer, in a home.
Play Hatch: your questions answered
Is Play Hatch within the area you cover?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. Visits to smaller places are planned so the engineer arrives with what the job needs.
Is the heat pump grant available in Play Hatch?
Yes, if the home and the heat pump meet the scheme’s rules: Play Hatch is in England, where it applies. Whether your home qualifies, and for how much, depends on the type of heat pump and the heating it replaces. We hold MCS certification, so the application is ours to make for you.
What’s the price of a heat pump installation?
£8,000–£16,000 (0% VAT on homes) for air-to-water, before the grant. Your price depends on the survey, the emitters and the hot water and the quote is fixed.
Do you work for landlords and businesses?
Yes. We work for homeowners, landlords, letting and managing agents, and businesses of every size across London and the South East. Tell us who should receive the paperwork.
How long will it take to install a heat pump?
The work takes several days for an air-to-water system with a new cylinder, less for an air-to-air system. The survey lets us set a firm programme, so give us a ring on 07833 053749 or write to us at info@aircondoctor.co.uk to arrange one.
Does servicing affect my warranty?
Check the manufacturer’s terms. Some manufacturers make regular servicing by a qualified engineer a condition of the warranty, so it’s worth checking. Keep every service record either way.
How quickly will you reply?
We reply to enquiries the same working day. For a breakdown that cannot wait, call our 24/7 emergency line.
Air source heat pumps in Play Hatch: the local picture
Valuation Office Agency council tax records date about 61% of homes in Play Hatch and the neighbourhoods around it to the post-war years, 1945 to 1972, and Census 2021 figures found about 79% of households in detached or semi-detached houses. Homes of that age often have cavity walls that may or may not be insulated, which the survey checks. Houses usually have space for an outdoor unit and a hot water cylinder. In the mile around Play Hatch’s centre, 2 conservation areas have been designated. On the National Heritage List, around 6 entries fall within 0.5 miles of the middle of Play Hatch; Eyot House (grade II*) is one. So the heat pump survey asks two extra questions here: is the home listed, and is it inside a conservation area?
If your home is one of the older properties near St Andrew's Church, the survey checks whether it’s listed or in a conservation area before the outdoor unit position is chosen. With Mapledurham House about 4.4 miles west, it’s worth asking whether your own home is listed before planning a heat pump.
Play Hatch is about 1 mile east of Caversham, in Reading. From the centre of Play Hatch to the outskirts, our engineers cover air source heat pumps, from a single room to a whole building. Play Hatch is one of 34 places in Reading we cover for homes and businesses. Guildford is in our area too, about 22 miles from Play Hatch.
Our nearest recent job to Play Hatch was on Princess Way, Camberley (GU15), about 13 miles south-east: installing a Samsung VRF system serving twelve rooms across two floors, including open-plan working areas, individual offices, a server room and a boardroom.
Dene Close, Henley Road and Foxhill Lane and the roads off them are all inside our area. Postcode districts we cover here: RG4. Places around Play Hatch that are also on our list: Dunsden Green (1 mile north), Caversham Park Village (1 mile west), Littlestead Green (1 mile north-west), Emmer Green (1 mile west) and Sonning (1 mile south-east). Larger places within reach include Norcot (4 miles west), West Reading (3 miles south-west), Tilehurst Within (5 miles west) and Shinfield (5 miles south).
What’s near Play Hatch
Around Play Hatch, our work takes us to homes and businesses near Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre, Reading Blue Coat School and The Shoulder of Mutton pub, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Reading station, roughly 2.2 miles south-west. Other landmarks nearby include The Oracle (2.4 miles south-west) and Royal Berkshire Hospital (2.3 miles south-west). The countryside around Play Hatch includes Alder Moors and South Lake.
What a customer said
“Excellent service from start to finish. Two wall-mounted units installed in our home. Clean, tidy work: they protected all the floors and left no mess. The systems work brilliantly. Would highly recommend.”
Sarah M., East Grinstead