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Air source heat pumps for Suffolk homes

Air source heat pumps take heat from the outside air, even on a cold winter’s day, and move it into your home using a fraction of the energy a direct electric heater would use. In rural Suffolk, where many homes rely on oil or LPG, they’re an increasingly popular way to heat more efficiently.

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At a glance.

Akita Air Conditioning & Refrigeration installs two types: air-to-air and air-to-water.

Air-to-air heat pumps

An air-to-air heat pump is what most people call air conditioning. An indoor unit on the wall blows warm air in winter and cool air in summer, room by room.

It works well for:

  • Rooms that are hard to heat, such as conservatories, extensions, garden rooms and lofts
  • Topping up or replacing electric, oil or LPG heating in the rooms you use most
  • Homes that also want cooling in summer

One outdoor unit can serve several rooms with a multi-split system. Our engineers survey, supply and install these systems. More detail on our home air conditioning page.

Cold. Heat.
Perfected.

Air-to-water heat pumps

An air-to-water heat pump heats water for your radiators or underfloor heating, and can replace an oil, LPG or gas boiler as the main heat source.

How we deliver it:

  • Akita surveys the property, supplies the heat pump, installs the outdoor unit and refrigeration side, and commissions the heat pump.
  • Our trusted plumbing partner carries out the wet-side work: connecting to your radiators or underfloor heating, plus any pipework, cylinder or radiator changes needed.
  • You get one coordinated job with a single point of contact.

Things to know:

  • A heat pump runs at lower water temperatures than a boiler, so some homes need larger radiators or better insulation to stay comfortable. We’ll talk this through honestly at the survey.
  • Older and listed buildings need particular care over where the outdoor unit goes. Consent may be needed. See below.

Which is right for you?

Air-to-airAir-to-water
HeatsRooms directly, with warm airRadiators or underfloor heating
Cools in summerYesNo (typically)
Best forIndividual rooms, extensions, conservatoriesWhole-house heating, replacing a boiler
Who installsAkitaAkita (heat pump) + plumbing partner (wet side)

Not sure? That’s what the free survey is for.

Listed buildings and conservation areas

Suffolk has a high number of listed and timber-framed homes, especially around Lavenham, Long Melford and Hadleigh. Outdoor units, pipe routes and wall penetrations on a listed building usually need listed building consent, and conservation areas have their own rules. We’ll advise you on what’s likely to be needed and plan an installation that respects the building. We don’t prepare or submit applications; those are made by you or your architect or agent.

Running costs and VAT

Heat pump running costs depend on your home’s insulation, how you use it and your electricity tariff, so we won’t quote generic savings figures. We’ll give you an honest view based on your property. Installations of heat pumps in homes are currently zero-rated for VAT. See prices; air-to-water systems are priced at survey.

Servicing

Heat pumps should be serviced every year to keep them efficient and protect the manufacturer’s warranty. See servicing.

How we work.

  1. 01

    Free survey

    In person or by video, at a time that suits you.

  2. 02

    Fixed price after survey

    A written quote once we have seen the space.

  3. 03

    Installed by our own engineers

    F-Gas certified, tidy, and finished properly.

  4. 04

    Aftercare & Comfort Club

    Servicing that keeps your system running well.

Common questions

Do heat pumps work in winter?

Yes. They’re designed to extract heat from cold outside air and are widely used in colder countries than ours.

Can existing radiators be kept?

Sometimes. It depends on their size and your home’s heat loss. We’ll check at the survey.

Is a heat pump noisy?

Modern outdoor units are quiet, and we position them carefully away from windows and neighbours where possible.

Do you do the plumbing yourselves?

Air-to-air systems need no plumbing. For air-to-water, the wet-side plumbing is carried out by our trusted plumbing partner, coordinated by us.

Explore more
Domestic air conditioning (installation) →Air conditioning servicing & Comfort Club →Prices →About →

Ready
when you are.

Free survey, in person or by video. Mon–Fri, 8am–5pm.

Book a free survey →hello@akita.ac