Using your Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP) system
If you have an Air Source Heat Pump, you'll need to know how to get the most from your new renewable heating as it doesn't work in quite the same way as something like gas central heating.
We've put together some useful information and guides to help you personalise your heating system to suit you and your home. (The specific guides are based on the Mitsubishi Electric Ecodan FTC5 system but should also be useful if you have a different system.)
How does an ASHP heating system work?
1 The air source heat pump takes in heat from the outside air
2 Using electricity and a compressor, heat from the air is absorbed into a fluid, warmed and released at a higher temperature
3 Heat is then sent to radiators, and any remaining heat is stored in the hot water cylinder
4 Stored hot water can be used for showers, baths and taps.
How do I set up my system?
To find out how to set up your new heating system, you can read the quick start guide 
or watch the video below:
Using the wireless controller
If you have a wireless controller, find out how to use it by reading the wireless controller user guide or by watching the video below:
Troubleshooting
We hope you don't have any problems with your heating system but, if it’s something simple, you might be able to fix it yourself. Take a look at the tips below.
All serious problems should be fixed by the installer or a trained professional, so please contact us.
Troubleshooting tips
Check the following:
- Is the hot water scheduled off? If so, please check the schedule settings and adjust as required.
- Has all the hot water from the tank been used? Make sure DHW (Domestic Hot Water) mode is operating and wait for tank to re-heat.
- If the heat pump or electric heaters are not working, please contact us.
The system has overheated/over pressurised. Please switch off power to the heat pump and any immersion heaters, then contact us.
Dirt may be preventing a tight seal in the valve. Try twisting the valve cap in the direction indicated, until you hear a click. This will release a small amount of water to flush dirt from the valve. Be very careful, the water released will be hot.
If the valve continues to drip, please contact us as the rubber seal may be damaged and need replacing.
Air may be trapped in the system so try bleeding the radiators.
If the pipework is still noisy, please contact us.
Check the following:
- First check the settings for your heating system and change as required.
- If one room is consistently colder than the others, check that the radiator valve is fully open. If that doesn’t solve the issue then please contact us.
- The temperature sensor may be in a room which is at a different temperature to the rest of the house. You can move the temperature sensor to another room.
Heat pumps work best when they work a steady rate, rather than being turned on and off quickly. The radiators won't warm up as quickly and, because the system is more efficient, they don't need to be as hot to the touch as you may be used to if you've previously had something like gas central heating.
To allow your heat pump to work as efficiently as possible, make sure you set your schedule so that the heat pump has time to warm up the room before you want it to reach the set temperature.
If the indoor or outdoor unit is reporting an error, please make a note of the error code number and contact us.
The pump jam prevention mechanism is working to prevent the build up of scale. This is normal and no action is needed.
This could be the heaters switching on or off, which is normal and no action is required.
The 3-way valve could be changing position between DHW (Domestic Hot Water) and heating mode. Again, this is a normal and no action is required.
The 3-way valve may have foreign objects in it, or hot water may flow to the heating side due to a fault. Please contact us about this.
This is part of the normal defrost cycle. It is warm air being blown from the Ecodan to make sure that the internal parts don’t freeze.
If you have a power failure, all the settings will be saved for one week. After one week with no power, only the date and time will be saved.