Reading · Heat pump installation
Air Source Heat Pumps in West Reading
Air source heat pumps in and around West Reading, from a site survey or diagnosis to sign-off and a fixed price agreed before any work starts.
- Replacing a combi boiler with a heat pump
- Comparing heat pump types
- Wanting to stop using oil, LPG or gas for heating
West Reading questions
Can I get the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant in West Reading?
West Reading is in England, where the Boiler Upgrade Scheme runs. The amount depends on the type of heat pump, and the survey confirms which applies. The installer applies, and we are MCS certified.
Is a heat pump in West Reading permitted development?
There’s no single answer: the building and the outdoor unit position decide it. Around 36 listed entries sit within 0.5 miles of central West Reading. 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 cannot face a road. Where needed, we check with Reading council, which is usually the planning authority for West Reading.
Which accreditations do you hold?
We’re an F-Gas certified company, with NICEIC approval for electrical work and MCS certification for heat pumps. We are also Checkatrade members.
Do you work for landlords and businesses?
Yes. From one rented home to commercial buildings, we work the same way: a look first, a fixed-price quote and written records.
Who has to arrange F-Gas leak checks?
Whoever operates the equipment, together with the technicians who service it. Larger systems need regular checks: at least every 12 months from 5 tCO2e and every 6 months from 50 tCO2e. We will work out which band applies to yours.
Do I get paperwork after the visit?
Yes. It’s the record a manufacturer or the next engineer will ask to see: a dated note of the work, with refrigerant details where they apply.
How much time does a heat pump install need?
It takes a few days on site, depending on the cylinder, the radiators and the pipework involved. How much of the heating changes decides most of the time and the timing is set out with your quote.
About our air source heat pumps in West Reading
Heat pumps run at lower flow temperatures than most boilers, so radiators may need to be larger to give out the same heat. We check each radiator against the room’s heat loss and anything that needs changing is in the quote. We’re often asked to deal with planning and permitted development questions and not knowing whether a grant applies, across air-to-water heat pumps, air-to-air heat pumps and radiator systems.
Cottages and older homes near West Reading can lose heat faster, which a heat loss calculation will show. Sometimes insulating first makes more sense.
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, because it helps with any later warranty question.
- Location
- West Reading (RG30, RG1, RG31)
- Region
- Reading
- Guide price
- Air-to-water £8,000–£16,000 before any grant (0% VAT for homes)
- Certified
- NICEIC and F-Gas, MCS
- Pricing
- A fixed-price quote up front
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 30 October 2026
Towns and villages near West Reading
More services for West Reading
What we’re called out for in West Reading
Air-to-air systems interest people who want cooling in summer as well as heating. They heat rooms through wall, floor or ceiling units, and can cool them when it’s hot. The grant only applies in some cases, so we check first.
Reasons to give us a call include:
- Deciding which kind of heat pump suits the home
- Questions about where the outdoor unit can go
- Questions about the Boiler Upgrade Scheme
With Mapledurham House about 2.8 miles north-west, it’s worth asking whether your own home is listed before planning a heat pump.
What to look for in a quote
- Which brand and model they’re proposing, and why
- How extra work would be agreed if they find something unexpected
- Whether the quote is a fixed price
Keeping the system healthy
A little care keeps the system in better shape. We recommend:
- Read the manufacturer’s warranty terms for your brand
- Store the MCS certificate and warranty documents together
- Seal draughts where you can
In cold, damp weather the outdoor unit runs a defrost cycle from time to time. You might see steam or hear the unit change note, and that is normal.
Do not cover radiators with furniture or heavy curtains so the heat can get into the room.
When it’s something else
In fairness, there are a few things this work will not fix:
- Gas boiler work, such as disconnecting the old boiler, which needs a Gas Safe registered engineer
- Planning approval where permitted development doesn’t apply
- Formal advice on VAT for your situation
Not sure which it is? You can ring 07833 053749 or drop us a line and we will tell you honestly before booking.
Parts of the system we cover
- Hot water cylinders
- Radiator systems
- Homes heated by oil, LPG or gas
- Air-to-water heat pumps
- Air-to-air heat pumps
- Underfloor heating
The process
Our engineers arrive at the time agreed with you and run through the plan before anything else. Floors and furniture near the work are covered with dust sheets, and anything electrical is made safe before work starts. The work itself takes a few days for most air-to-water installations, with air-to-air systems often quicker. Photos of the existing unit and its label help with repairs and servicing near West Reading.
- We talk through your home, your current heating and what you want from a heat pump.
- On the visit we calculate what every room loses on a cold day, then check the radiators, room for a cylinder and outdoor unit options.
- 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.
- Commissioning, MCS certification and a handover of the controls finish the job.
Before we arrive
- Tell us about access, such as roof hatches, high walls or locked plant areas
- Clear the space around the indoor unit, or where it will go
- Dig out any previous service or F-Gas records
Getting a quote
Some jobs can be priced from photos, 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.
Read more
Homes in West Reading and heat pumps
VOA council tax data put about 40% of homes in and around West Reading before 1919, and about 35% of households live in terraced houses, according to the 2021 Census. Period properties can still suit a heat pump, but the design has to start from accurate heat loss figures. Shared walls keep a terrace’s heat loss down, while gardens next door make the noise check on the outdoor unit important.
Older homes near Church of St Mark may need extra checks for planning and heat loss before a heat pump is designed.
West Reading is about 1 mile north-west of Reading, in Reading. West Reading gets the same approach as every job we take on: diagnosis first, a fixed price and proper paperwork when we have finished. Our list for Reading has 34 entries, and West Reading is one. Guildford, roughly 23 miles off, has its own page on this site.
The closest recent job we can point to from West Reading was on Princess Way, Camberley (GU15), about 14 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.
All of RG30, RG1 and RG31 is covered, from busy streets to back roads. West Reading is on the A4, so it’s easy for us to get to for surveys and visits. We also cover the places around West Reading: Coley Park (1 mile south-east), Reading (1 mile south-east), Caversham Heights (2 miles north), Lower Caversham (2 miles north-east) and Green Park (2 miles south). Within a short drive, we also cover Shinfield (4 miles south-east), Arborfield Garrison (6 miles south-east), Whitley Wood (3 miles south-east) and Sonning Common (4 miles north).
Near you in West Reading
Typical jobs here are in properties near The WREN School, Round Copse and The Rose And Thistle Public House, among other places. West Reading has its own railway station: Reading West station. Other landmarks nearby include Battle Hospital (under half a mile north) and Broad Street Mall (0.8 miles east). The countryside around West Reading includes Fobney Island Wetland Reserve and Sonning Hill.
A customer’s words
“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