West Sussex · Heat pump installation
Heat pump installers in Saddlescombe
Our engineers work in Saddlescombe on MCS certified installation of air source heat pumps for heating and hot water, with the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant applied for. A look at the job first, a fixed-price quote and written records at the end.
- Comparing heat pump types
- Radiators that may be too small for a heat pump
- Questions about listed buildings or conservation areas
Air source heat pumps in Saddlescombe, done properly
An air-to-water heat pump heats water to a lower temperature than a typical boiler which means some radiators may need upsizing. The survey shows which rooms are fine and which need changes, and the quote sets it out. The work covers air-to-water heat pumps, homes heated by oil, LPG or gas and hot water cylinders, and common reasons people get in touch are replacing a combi boiler with a heat pump and choosing between air-to-water and air-to-air.
Older and listed homes in villages like Saddlescombe need extra care, because permitted development doesn’t apply within the grounds of a listed building, so consent comes first.
Looking after a system is mostly common sense: clear space around the outdoor unit, the cleaning the manual describes and a service at the recommended interval. It also keeps you on the right side of any warranty terms that ask for servicing.
- Where
- Saddlescombe (BN45)
- Wider area
- West Sussex
- Guide price
- £8,000–£16,000 before the grant, 0% VAT on homes
- Approvals
- NICEIC and F-Gas, MCS
- Quotes
- Fixed, in writing
- Response
- Same working day
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 30 October 2026
How the visit works
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 anything from a couple of days for air-to-air to the best part of a week for air-to-water with radiator changes. Photos of the room and the outside of the property help us plan a visit to Saddlescombe.
- First, a chat about the property and your goals for the heating.
- We survey for heat loss and look at radiators, cylinder space and outdoor unit options.
- We recommend air-to-water or air-to-air and check the grant position.
- The system is installed and connected to the controls.
- We commission it, complete the MCS certificate and show you how to use it.
How to prepare
- Arrange for someone to be there to let us in
- Have the make and model of any existing unit to hand
- Make sure we can reach the outdoor unit, or where it will go
Getting a price
Getting a quote is straightforward. Call or email with a few details and we’ll come back to you the same working day. If we need to see the property first, we book a survey at a time that works for you.
Advice
What a heat pump looks like in Saddlescombe
Valuation Office Agency council tax records date about 52% of homes in and around Saddlescombe to the post-war years, 1945 to 1972, and about 68% of households live in detached or semi-detached houses, according to Census 2021 figures. Whether the walls and loft have been insulated makes a real difference to the heat pump size for homes of that period. Houses normally have space for an outdoor unit and a hot water cylinder.
Live in one of the older houses around The Church of the Holy Trinity? Expect the survey to look closely at heat loss and at the building’s planning status. If your home is listed, like Portslade Manor about 3.3 miles south, listed building consent comes before any heat pump work.
Saddlescombe is about 4 miles north of Brighton and Hove, in West Sussex. Properties in Saddlescombe get the same service as everywhere we cover: diagnosis first, a fixed price and proper paperwork when we have finished. 371 places in West Sussex are on our list, large and small.
Not far from Saddlescombe, a recent job of ours was on Keymer Road, Hassocks (BN6), about 3 miles north-east: installing a Mitsubishi Electric multi-split system serving three bedrooms and a dedicated home office.
We cover every part of the BN45 postcode area and the streets around it. Close to Saddlescombe, our area also takes in Pyecombe (1 mile north-east), Waterhall (2 miles south-east), Westdene (2 miles south-east), Patcham (3 miles south-east) and West Blatchington (3 miles south). Further out, we also cover Crawley (15 miles north), Horsham (13 miles north-west), Worthing (10 miles south-west) and Haywards Heath (9 miles north-east).
Around Saddlescombe
Locally, jobs take us to houses, flats and workplaces close to Waterhall and Royal Oak pub and the streets around them. The nearest railway station is Hassocks station, about 3.2 miles north-east of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Montefiore Hospital (4.3 miles south-east) and Clayton Castle (2.5 miles north-east). For a walk, there’s Wolstonbury Hill and Ladies Mile.
What happens if it’s left?
Replacing a boiler in a hurry when it breaks leaves little time to consider a heat pump. Planning ahead gives time for the heat loss survey, the design and the grant application before you need the heat. Waiting rarely makes an air conditioning problem smaller.
One room or a whole building, we price it on the same basis: the work involved, the access and the equipment. You will have a fixed price before we start, with VAT shown clearly.
What you get with us
- F-Gas company certification
- A fixed price before any work starts
- Covering London and the South East
- Diagnosis first, then a fixed price
Nearby places to Saddlescombe
Other services in Saddlescombe
Aftercare tips
How well a system lasts depends on use and care. We suggest:
- Know the servicing conditions in your warranty
- Leave indoor units unobstructed
- Find out the grant position at the survey
Handover includes the controls and how to get the best from a heat pump. Steady running suits a heat pump better than switching on and off, and we will explain the settings for your home.
Heat pumps prefer steady, low-temperature running, using the settings agreed at handover.
FAQs for Saddlescombe
Is planning permission needed for a heat pump in Saddlescombe?
There’s no single answer: the building and the outdoor unit position decide it. Historic England lists about 5 buildings and structures within half a mile of the centre of Saddlescombe. The permitted development rules for heat pumps leave out listed buildings and stop outdoor units going on road-facing walls or roofs in conservation areas. Anything outside the rules needs an application, and we raise it with the planning department at Mid Sussex council, typically the authority for Saddlescombe first.
Can I get the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant in Saddlescombe?
Saddlescombe is covered, as the scheme runs across England and Wales. It gives £7,500 towards an air-to-water or ground source heat pump, or £2,500 towards an air-to-air heat pump that replaces the fossil-fuel heating and meets the whole home’s heating need. As an MCS certified installer, we apply for it on your behalf.
Do I get paperwork after the visit?
Yes. You get a written record of each visit, including F-Gas records for any refrigerant work. Keep them with the manual and the warranty documents.
Do you work on commercial properties?
Yes. Homeowners, landlords, agents and businesses all book us across London and the South East. Let us know who the records should go to.
Which accreditations do you hold?
AirCon Doctor is an F-Gas certified company, with NICEIC approval for electrical work and MCS certification for heat pumps. We are members of Checkatrade too.
Do you work on systems someone else installed?
Yes. We work on systems fitted by other installers as well as our own from all the leading brands. Send us the make and model, and any records you have.
Who has to arrange F-Gas leak checks?
The operator of the equipment, working with qualified engineers. Systems below 5 tCO2e fall outside the set leak check intervals, while larger ones need checks at least every 12 months, or every 6 months from 50 tCO2e. We’ll work out which band applies to yours.
What owners can safely do
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. For a heat pump, the main owner jobs are a clear outdoor unit and sensible control settings.
Some faults have simple causes you can check first: is the system in the right mode, is the set temperature sensible, are the remote’s batteries working and has the breaker tripped. If a breaker trips again after you reset it, leave it off and call us on 07833 053749, or email if that’s easier.
From one of our customers
“Office air con broke down in the July heatwave. Called at 8am, engineer was here by noon and fixed within 2 hours. Brilliant emergency response. They now hold the service contract for the whole building.”
James T., Crawley, office manager