Kent · Heat pump installation
Air Source Heat Pumps in Slutshole
Air source heat pumps in and around Slutshole, from a site survey or diagnosis to sign-off and a fixed price agreed before any work starts.
- Checking eligibility for a heat pump grant
- Finding a place for the outdoor unit
- Planning and permitted development questions
What you can do yourself, and what needs us
Before you call us about a fault, a few checks can save a visit: 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 phone us on 07833 053749 or send an email.
Good habits make our visits easier, not unnecessary. Simple care keeps the air moving through the system, but the inside of the units, the refrigerant and the electrics still need a qualified engineer.
How we handle air source heat pumps in Slutshole
In England, an air source heat pump on a house can often go in under permitted development rights. The conditions include an outdoor unit of no more than 1.5 m³ and compliance with MCS 020(a), and the unit can’t be used solely for cooling or sit within the curtilage of a listed building. We check the rules for your property as part of the survey. The work covers hot water cylinders, underfloor heating and radiator systems, and people most often call us about a boiler that’s getting old and finding a place for the outdoor unit.
For a home around Slutshole that is off mains gas and heated by oil or LPG, an extra £1,500 is available through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme until March 2027.
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, and we’re happy to talk you through them.
- Location
- Slutshole (ME13)
- Region
- Kent
- Price guide
- £8,000–£16,000 (0% VAT on homes), before the grant
- Credentials
- F-Gas certified company, NICEIC approved, MCS
- Quotes
- Fixed after a survey or photos
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Checked
- 30 October 2026
Common questions in Slutshole
Will a heat pump in Slutshole need planning permission?
It comes down to the building and the spot chosen for the outdoor unit. Central Slutshole sits inside the Staplestreet Conservation Area. A heat pump on a house can be permitted development if it meets the conditions, including the MCS noise check, but not within the grounds of a listed building, and in a conservation area the outdoor unit can’t face a road. Where needed, we check with Swale council, which is normally the planning authority for Slutshole.
Does sea air affect air conditioning in Slutshole?
It can, as Slutshole is within about 3 miles of the sea, where salt in the air is hard on coils and fixings. The outdoor unit position, its fixings and regular servicing all help near the sea.
Can I fit air conditioning or a heat pump myself?
Anything that involves the refrigerant needs an F-Gas qualified engineer from a certified company. That’s the law, not just our preference, and it also matters for the manufacturer’s warranty. We are happy to quote for the full job, supply to commissioning.
Do you offer emergency call-outs?
Yes, day and night. When you call, tell us the make, what’s happening and any error code, and we’ll talk you through the next steps.
Can we book visits on a schedule?
Yes. Maintenance contracts are part of what we do, with visits at the interval your system and the manufacturer need. Each visit is written up and F-Gas records kept where they apply.
How long does a heat pump installation take?
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. How much of the heating changes decides most of the time, and we confirm the timing with your quote.
Can I get a grant for an air-to-air heat pump?
Sometimes, and the amount is £2,500 rather than £7,500. It must replace fossil-fuel heating and meet the full heating demand of a home with an MCS certified installer.
What a heat pump looks like in Slutshole
Slutshole lies within about 3 miles of the sea. Near the coast, we choose the outdoor unit position with salt-laden wind in mind. About 39% of homes in the Slutshole area were built before 1919, according to VOA council tax data, and the last census (2021) found about 74% of households in detached or semi-detached houses. Older homes can lose heat faster, so a room-by-room heat loss calculation, and sometimes insulation or larger radiators, comes before sizing a heat pump. Detached and semi-detached houses usually have room for the outdoor unit and a cylinder.
Every heat pump design starts with a room-by-room heat loss calculation. Live in one of the older houses around Church of St Michael? Expect the survey to look closely at heat loss and at the building’s planning status.
Slutshole is about 3 miles east of Faversham, in Kent. Wherever you are in the ME13 postcode area, our engineers can take on air source heat pumps. Slutshole is one of 922 towns, villages and districts in Kent we cover. The nearest of our city pages is Bromley, around 41 miles from Slutshole.
Work in ME13 follows the same survey, fixed-price quote and written records as everywhere else we cover. Nearby, we also cover air source heat pumps in Hernhill (1 mile north-east), Staplestreet (1 mile south-west), Dargate (1 mile north-east), Goodnestone (1 mile north-west) and Culmers (1 mile north-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Ashford (12 miles south), Canterbury (6 miles east), Sittingbourne (10 miles west) and Whitstable (5 miles north-east).
Landmarks near Slutshole
Typical jobs here are in properties near Red Lion pub and Mount Ephraim Gardens and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Selling station, about 2.1 miles south. A little further out are Tower keep castle at Chilham (4.3 miles south) and Eastbridge Hospital of St Thomas the Martyr (5.5 miles east). Open spaces near Slutshole include Blean Woods RSPB Reserve.
How the job changes from property to property
Heat loss surveys
A heat loss survey measures how much heat each room loses on a cold day. Everything else is sized from it.
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme
In England and Wales, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme offers grants towards heat pumps: £7,500 for air-to-water and ground source, and £2,500 for air-to-air in limited cases. The installer applies.
What we do, step by step
Our engineers arrive at the time agreed with you and check the plan with you first. Floors and furniture near the work are covered with dust sheets, and anything electrical is made safe before work starts. On site, it takes a few days for most air-to-water installations, with air-to-air systems often quicker. Rural lanes and tight entrances are worth mentioning before a visit to Slutshole.
- First we talk through the property and the current system.
- We measure heat loss for every room.
- We design the system, check the radiators and cylinder and look at the outdoor unit position.
- A fixed-price quote explains the cost, the grant position and the VAT.
- Installation, commissioning and MCS registration complete the job.
How to prepare
- Clear the space around the indoor unit, or where it will go
- Let us know if the building has a permit or sign-in process
- Make sure we can reach the consumer unit or fuse board
Getting a price
Getting a quote is straightforward. Send a few details and pictures, and we reply the same working day. Where a survey is needed, we arrange a time that suits you.
Advice
What affects the quote in Slutshole
Some jobs are bigger than they look, and some smaller. The main factors:
- One-off work versus a regular service cycle
- The brand, model and parts involved
- The type of system, from a single split to a larger system
The cost depends on the system and the number of rooms or units, the access and what the work involves. You get a fixed price before any work starts, so you know where you stand.
Helping us quote
To help us quote quickly, please include:
- A short video of any fault, such as a noise or a flashing light
- The make and model of the system, from the label
- The outdoor side of the property, including any roof or flat area
Here’s what helps us quote: where the property is and what kind of building it is, a few pictures, the make and model of any existing system and any symptoms, from error codes to drips. Once you have those, phone 07833 053749 or use the quote form.
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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