Having a heat pump fitted in an older property? Call us for a free, no-obligation quote.
BOHS qualified surveyors covering Yorkshire, Lancashire, Greater Manchester and the wider North of England.
Asbestos surveys before heat pump installation, carried out by HSG Surveys
Buildings Surveys & Assessment of ACMs
Management of Asbestos in Buildings
In the asbestos industry since the early 1990s
Just the areas your installer will disturb
If you’re planning an air source or ground source heat pump in a building put up before 2000, an asbestos survey before heat pump installation is one of the simplest ways to stop the job being held up. We carry out targeted surveys for homeowners, landlords, housing providers and businesses, covering just the areas the installation will disturb, so you and your installer know exactly what’s there before work starts.
Why Heat Pump Installations Disturb Asbestos
A heat pump is rarely a straight swap for an old boiler. The installer usually has to remove the existing boiler and flue, take out or move the hot water cylinder, drill through external walls for the pipework and mount an outdoor unit. Many installs also need larger radiators and pipe runs, which means lifting floorboards or chasing walls.
In older properties, those are exactly the places asbestos was used. Boiler cupboards, airing cupboards, flues, pipe lagging and floor coverings were all common uses up to the late 1990s. When an engineer suspects asbestos, they should stop work in that area until it has been checked, and that can mean a delayed install and a second visit.
Where Asbestos Is Found During Heat Pump Installs
Based on the surveys we carry out ahead of heating upgrades, asbestos-containing materials most often turn up in these areas:
- Asbestos insulating board (AIB) lining boiler cupboards and airing cupboards
- Rope seals, gaskets and panels inside older boilers and warm air heating units
- Asbestos cement flue pipes and terminals
- Pipe and hot water cylinder lagging
- Older storage heaters being removed as part of the upgrade
- Textured coatings (Artex) on walls and ceilings along pipe routes
- Vinyl floor tiles and bitumen adhesive where floors are lifted for pipework
- Asbestos cement cold water tanks in lofts
Asbestos Survey Services Before Heat Pump Installation
Targeted Refurbishment Surveys
Under the HSE’s survey guidance (HSG264), a refurbishment survey only needs to cover the areas affected by the work. For a heat pump that means the boiler and cylinder positions, the pipe routes, the drilling points and the outdoor unit location. A targeted asbestos survey before heat pump installation is quicker and more cost-effective than surveying the whole building. See our detailed breakdown of this survey type.
Asbestos Sampling & Testing
If there is just one material you are unsure about – a board lining in the boiler cupboard or old lagging on a pipe – we can take a bulk sample for analysis at a UKAS-accredited laboratory, with results usually back within a few working days. For a single suspect item ahead of a heat pump install, sampling is often all you need. Find out more about sampling and testing.
Checking an Existing Management Survey
Landlords, housing providers and businesses often already hold a management survey. That survey is non-intrusive, so it may not cover the voids, wall cores and floor spaces a heat pump install will open up. We can review what you have and survey only the gaps. Read our full guide to how management surveys work.
Got an install date booked?
Send us your installer’s design or quote and we’ll tell you exactly what needs surveying – no sales pressure, just straightforward guidance.
Landlords, Housing Providers and Businesses
If you are responsible for non-domestic premises, or the common parts of flats and HMOs, you already have a duty to manage asbestos under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. Anyone carrying out building work also needs to know whether asbestos is present before they start. The HSE’s asbestos guidance sets out what is expected. For portfolios being upgraded in phases, we can survey property by property to match the installation programme.
Areas We Cover
We carry out asbestos surveys before heat pump installations across the North of England, including West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, East Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside and Lincolnshire. We’re based in West Yorkshire, so we can usually reach most of the region within a few days. Not sure if we cover your area? Give us a call.
Asbestos Surveys Before Heat Pump Installation – Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an asbestos survey before a heat pump is installed?
If the property was built before 2000, it is worth having one before the installer starts. Fitting a heat pump usually means removing the old boiler and flue, drilling through external walls for pipework, changing the hot water cylinder and often lifting floors to upsize pipes and radiators. Those are common places for asbestos in older homes and buildings, and an installer who suspects it will normally stop work until it has been checked.
What happens if the installer finds asbestos?
If an engineer comes across a material they think could be asbestos, they should stop work in that area until it has been sampled and identified. That can mean a delayed install, a second visit and, if removal is needed, extra cost and time. Having the property surveyed first means any asbestos is known about before the install date and can be avoided, worked around or removed in advance.
Does the whole property need surveying?
No. Under HSG264 a refurbishment survey can be limited to the areas the installation will actually disturb: the boiler and cylinder positions, the pipe routes, the drilling points and the external unit location. Send us the installer’s design or quote and we will plan the survey around it.
My old boiler cupboard has a board lining. Could it be asbestos?
It could be. Boiler and airing cupboards built or refitted before 2000 were often lined with asbestos insulating board, and old boilers can contain asbestos rope seals, gaskets and flue sections. Don’t drill, cut or break it. A targeted asbestos survey before heat pump installation, or a single bulk sample, will tell you for certain.
Can I get a survey if my heat pump is grant-funded?
Yes. The survey is separate from the grant, so it is worth checking with your installer whether they have allowed for it or expect you to arrange it. Booking an asbestos survey before heat pump installation early keeps your install date on track and avoids the job being paused once the installer is on site.
How quickly can you survey before my install date?
We can usually arrange a visit within a few days, and a targeted survey of the installation areas is normally quick to complete on site. Call us as soon as you have an install date, and we will fit the asbestos survey before heat pump installation around your installer’s timetable.