"If I'm going to do it, I'd like to do it right."
Heat pumps are often sold on technology.
Dennis approached his installation differently.
For nearly two years, he researched the subject himself, compared installers, asked difficult questions and only proceeded once he was convinced he had found someone who shared his attention to detail.
The result wasn't simply a new heating system.
It was a carefully designed home that combined insulation, solar panels, battery storage and a heat pump into a single, efficient package.
Two years of research before making a decision
Many homeowners only begin researching heat pumps once their boiler fails.
Dennis took a different approach, giving himself plenty of time to understand how the technology worked and who he wanted to install it.
"I've been thinking about, seriously thinking about a heat pump for about the last two years."
He didn't stop at the first quotation either.
"I did get another couple of quotes from different firms. I wasn't terribly happy with their responses."
Instead, he immersed himself in technical discussions and installer forums.
"I was reading up about heat pumps and spent quite a while on the Renewable Heating Hub, which has lots of different forums."
It was there that one installer consistently stood out.
"I saw him answer a couple of questions. I thought that's the sort of person, the level of technical knowledge and experience I want to do with my house."
Government funding helped, but making the right decision mattered far more than chasing the lowest price.
"It's not a huge amount with the government grant, but yeah, if I'm going to do it, I'd like to do it right."
Building trust before any work began
Before surveying the property, Simon invited Dennis to AAC Group's premises to talk through the project.
There was no sales pressure, just time spent discussing the house, the heating system and what Dennis hoped to achieve.
"He invited me down to his office, factory place, and spent a couple of hours showing me around, explaining stuff. No charge, free, bought me a coffee."
For Dennis, that meeting established something far more important than a quotation.
"It just built that kind of relationship you want with somebody doing work in your house."
Both sides left with a clear understanding of the project.
"I asked him questions, he asked me questions and kind of understood each other."
"I knew what I wanted for my house. He knew how to do it, which is the basis for good contracts, I think."
That thoroughness continued during the survey.
"When he came and did the survey, he spent, I think it was three and a half hours here, because I kept asking silly questions."
Looking back, Dennis is clear about the outcome.
"He knew how to achieve it and his team came in and did it beautifully."
Improving the building before improving the heating
The heat pump wasn't the first investment Dennis made.
Long before the installation, he'd upgraded the building fabric itself.
During a roof replacement, he increased insulation throughout the loft.
"It did allow for 12 inches of insulation to be put up in the roof space."
Solar PV followed soon afterwards, along with substantial battery storage.
"A bit after the roof was improved I had solar panels installed."
"The inverter and best part of 20 kilowatts of batteries are stored in this little side loft."
Even the insulation material reflected the wider thinking behind the project.
"I engaged an architect who was a bit of an eco freak... so it's actually wool insulation."
Only replacing what actually needed replacing
One of the most common assumptions surrounding heat pumps is that every radiator must be replaced.
Dennis' installation demonstrates that's simply not always the case.
Out of ten radiators throughout the house, only three required upgrading.
"I actually have 10 radiators in this house, only three needed replacement or upgrading."
The key, Dennis believes, is understanding the heat loss properly before changing anything.
"You need somebody that really knows what they're doing, come in, do a heat loss calculation."
Having studied the subject himself, he understood exactly why that mattered.
"I confess I did have a couple of goes myself at the heat loss calculation."
His conclusion is refreshingly practical.
"Why replace seven perfectly good radiators if you don't need to?"
Where changes were required, they were tailored to each room.
A fan coil unit solved the heating challenge in the large lounge.
"He suggested this fan coil radiator which has a ridiculously high output if you want it but an incredibly low if you don't."
"I thought it was absolutely perfect for here."
In the bathroom, Simon found another solution.
Rather than removing an expensive towel rail, an additional emitter was installed alongside it to provide the required heat output while retaining the existing feature.
As Simon explains:
"We put another heat exchanger in series with it... the residual heat that's left over is enough to dry his towels out."
Quiet enough to forget it's there
Noise is one of the most common concerns homeowners raise before installing a heat pump.
Dennis had exactly the same concern.
"The reason I didn't originally want anything here was because of the sound."
Once installed, those concerns quickly disappeared.
"These Vaillants are incredibly quiet."
"Even going full, it's quieter than my gas boiler was."
Living with the system has only reinforced that first impression.
"It's brilliantly quiet."
"My neighbours haven't commented about anything."
"You can stand here having this level of conversation no problem whatever."
"It's quieter than the old gas boiler used to be."
For Simon, that outcome starts with good design rather than oversized equipment.
"The idea is the system is going to be efficient, it's going to be quiet and it's going to recover the heat loss in the building in time but not over design it."
The small details matter
Beyond the visible equipment, much of the engineering is hidden.
Pipe runs were shortened by relocating the hot water cylinder.
External pipework was insulated and sealed to reduce unwanted heat loss.
The outdoor unit was positioned to minimise visual impact while keeping pipework as short as possible.
As Simon explains:
"We get it as close to vapour seal as we can."
"What we don't want is too much of this heat leaking away from this exposed pipework."
Those details may never be noticed by the homeowner, but they all contribute to long-term efficiency.
"If I'm going to do it, I'd like to do it right."
Dennis' story isn't really about buying a heat pump.
It's about taking the time to understand his home, finding an installer he trusted and making informed decisions at every stage of the project.
For him, that's what delivered the result.
"If I'm going to do it, I'd like to do it right."
Dennis wanted to electrify AND have cheaper bills. Dennis got both. Dennis found Simon the heat pump expert. Based in Kent or Medway? Get your estimate now. https://app.spruce.eco/aac-group
You can find Simon too. And get a heat pump in your home. Fitted by a local company who are all very good. Simon trained them. Simon is good at training. Really good.
