How Much Does it Cost to Install a Central Heating Pump? (Nationwide Study)

First time installing a central heating pump? If so, you’ll no doubt need to hire a plumber.

Central heating pumps can be quite technical, and as the heart of your home’s heating and hot water, we highly recommend having it installed by a professional.

So, how much should central heating pump installation cost?

Well, to find out, we’ve turned to thousands of our very own customers. With the majority of them being plumbers, we asked them on average both how long it would take, and how much it would cost, to install a central heating pump. Remember, boiler pump cost for installation varies.

Find the results below:

How many hours does it take to install a standard central heating pump?

Time is the most crucial factor for a plumber. The longer they have to spend on a particular job, the fewer jobs they can get through on the whole. As such, plumbers will almost exclusively quote based on how many hours it takes to get the job done.

So, how many hours does it take to fit a central heating pump?

image showing how many hours it takes to install a central heating pump

Well, the results seem to be fairly conclusive. On the whole, across the nation, plumbers believe it will take about four hours to install a central heating pump. The only outlier was the South East, where plumbers quoted us just over five hours.

How much does it cost to install a central heating pump?

Central heating pump prices can vary, and the cost of fitting central heating also varies. To calculate the installation cost you then need to multiply the general hourly rate in your region by the number of hours it takes to install. Now, because the UK has quite varied differences in the cost of living, the general hourly rate will differ depending on where you live.

Fortunately, we've also been to cross-reference where our customers live with their estimated installation quote. Let's take a look at the results.

image showing how much it costs to install a central heating pump

As expected, if you live in London or the South East, then you’re looking at higher installation costs than the rest of the UK, with an average quote of around £350. That’s because the average hourly rate is much higher than in other areas of the country. At the other end of the scale, if you’re looking for cheaper installation costs, then either the North East or North West are your best bet, with quotes of the cost to install a heat pump averaging between £150 to £180.

Based on our results we can say that the cost to install a central heating pump is somewhere between £164 and £344, depending on what area of the UK you live, as well as depending on the size, which brand and model of pump you use. So if you need a new pump for your boiler, keep in mind this includes labour costs and all materials.

Variables That Might Increase Your Boiler Pump Cost For Installation

This study was conducted by asking plumbers to quote on the average time and cost of a standard central heating pump installation. As such, in reality, there is no “standard” central heating pump installation. Every home is different and there will always be a range of factors that may slightly increase the time a plumber needs to spend on the installation and consequently the price they quote you. Here are some variables that might increase your installation fee.

Age of the House

Older houses tend to have ageing or rusting pipework. This will undoubtedly increase the time it takes the plumber to install the pump, either through having to replace certain pipes or by taking extra care not to break anything. Take this into consideration when evaluating your quote.

First Shower Pump Installation

It’s far quicker to replace a broken pump than to install one for the first time. In a like for like replacement, a plumber will simply need to find the up to date version of your current pump and install that pump on the same fittings. If you’ve never had a central heating pump, it’s likely the plumber will need to access the right location and pump type for your home, while also conducting work on your current system. This will naturally increase the cost of installation.

No Isolation Valves

If your central heating system has no isolation valves then the plumber will need to conduct a complete drain down of your system. This means isolating the water at the mains and then draining all the water out of your system before installing the pump. As you can imagine, this takes quite a bit of time and will increase the cost of installation.

Emergency Call Out

Central heating pumps almost exclusively break first thing in the morning when you jump in the shower. Now, if you have an important day planned, you will no doubt want your hot water back as soon as possible. As such, you are going to need a plumber on an emergency call out. Almost all plumbers will increase their hourly rate for work conducted in an emergency, which will inflate the cost of your installation. If you can live without hot water for a couple of days, you could save yourself hundreds of pounds.

The cost of installing a central heating pump varies depending on several factors. It's important to consider these variables and plan accordingly to ensure an accurate estimate and to potentially save on installation expenses.

Ask the Professionals

If you do run into problems with your central heating pump, Anchor Pumps have a comprehensive range of replacement pumps.