Air Source Heat Pumps in Stroud and the Valleys

Yes. The outdoor unit needs a firm, level base, so on a slope we use an existing patio or terrace, build a small level pad, or fix the unit to a wall on brackets. It also needs space around it for air to flow and room for an engineer to service it. We check all three at the survey.

Often, yes, on strong wall brackets. Wall brackets can pass vibration into the house, so the unit sits on anti-vibration mounts. Outside conservation areas, permitted development doesn’t allow a unit on a wall facing a road above ground-floor level, and in a conservation area it can’t go on a wall facing a road at all.

Yes. On still, clear nights cold air drains downhill and collects in valley bottoms, so a home at Brimscombe or Chalford Vale can be a little colder than one on the hilltop. Across the Stroud area it’s below −5°C for only about 11 hours a year on average. We size the heat pump for a design temperature for your area, so it keeps up on the coldest nights.

They might. Stroud District Council has Article 4 Directions in five conservation areas: Stroud Town Centre, Stroud Top of Town, Bisley, Wotton Under Edge and Frampton on Severn. They remove certain permitted development rights from some houses, so if you live in one, check with the council whether a heat pump needs an application. See the council’s Article 4 page.

It can sit away from the house, with insulated pipes running underground to the hot water cylinder. Longer pipe runs lose a little heat and mean more digging, so we keep them as short as the site allows. On a terraced garden, a lower level a few metres away can still work well.

Sometimes. Permitted development covers blocks of flats, with a smaller outdoor unit of up to 0.6 cubic metres, but you’ll usually need the freeholder’s or management company’s permission. Several of Stroud’s old mills are listed or sit in conservation areas, which adds extra checks. If an outdoor unit isn’t possible, we’ll tell you what is.