Hello Forum,
my name is Jean, and you are my last hope. We bought a house last month that is equipped with a BARTL air-to-water heat pump. Even during the viewings, the unit seemed quite loud to us. However, the seller assured us that it is only a bit noisier during the defrost cycle and that normal operation is not a problem. We have now been living here for one month and had time to take a closer look at the heat pump. I want to briefly outline the situation.
The house was built in 2004.
Bartl air heat pump, model year 2004, with 11.9 kW (approx. 16 hp)
On the roof, we have a solar thermal system for hot water
Underfloor heating covering 124 sqm (approx. 1334 sqft)
Wooden house
In our opinion, the heat pump is very loud and also cycles on and off frequently during the day in the indoor unit. I am only talking about the indoor unit here. The outdoor unit is working as expected and is not audible. We also noticed that a seal on the solar thermal piping is leaking, and the system pressure is only 1 bar (14.5 psi). I was told this would be resolved after cleaning and refilling (500–600 Euros) .
I strongly suspect that the controller (Gamme223b) of the indoor heat pump is faulty because our underfloor heating does not get properly warm, and if it does, not evenly across the entire floor. The hot water tank is full, and we do have water for showering and bathing.
After one or two phone calls with the manufacturer, I became even more uncertain. The bivalence thermometer sometimes shows “PFA,” which according to online sources means the maximum temperature has been exceeded. Neither the previous owner nor the technician knew what this meant.
I have now had three different heating technicians come, and each told me something different.
Technician 1 said that the previous owners had an electricity bill of 10,000 Euros per year. I first thought he meant 10,000 kWh, but he repeated the figure in Euros. Technician 2 immediately said the heating system should be removed and replaced with an air-to-ground brine heat pump. Technician 3 suggested cleaning up the heating system, which would cost 8,000–10,000 Euros.
I am totally confused and don’t really know the best way to approach this. The manufacturer told me during the last phone call that someone could come on site and provide me with a cost estimate for a new compressor and/or control panel in advance, and they would decide on the spot what needs to be done.
Unfortunately, with BARTL, the service call fee alone is 400–500 Euros, and I don’t want to just invite someone out on a guess. I wonder who I should ask to find out what’s wrong with the unit. Is it the actuators, the controller, or something else? I am willing to pay for an expert assessment or mediation. I just want good advice and feel a bit taken advantage of, as everyone seems eager to sell me their product immediately.
Thank you in advance for any tips.
Best regards, Jean
my name is Jean, and you are my last hope. We bought a house last month that is equipped with a BARTL air-to-water heat pump. Even during the viewings, the unit seemed quite loud to us. However, the seller assured us that it is only a bit noisier during the defrost cycle and that normal operation is not a problem. We have now been living here for one month and had time to take a closer look at the heat pump. I want to briefly outline the situation.
The house was built in 2004.
Bartl air heat pump, model year 2004, with 11.9 kW (approx. 16 hp)
On the roof, we have a solar thermal system for hot water
Underfloor heating covering 124 sqm (approx. 1334 sqft)
Wooden house
In our opinion, the heat pump is very loud and also cycles on and off frequently during the day in the indoor unit. I am only talking about the indoor unit here. The outdoor unit is working as expected and is not audible. We also noticed that a seal on the solar thermal piping is leaking, and the system pressure is only 1 bar (14.5 psi). I was told this would be resolved after cleaning and refilling (500–600 Euros) .
I strongly suspect that the controller (Gamme223b) of the indoor heat pump is faulty because our underfloor heating does not get properly warm, and if it does, not evenly across the entire floor. The hot water tank is full, and we do have water for showering and bathing.
After one or two phone calls with the manufacturer, I became even more uncertain. The bivalence thermometer sometimes shows “PFA,” which according to online sources means the maximum temperature has been exceeded. Neither the previous owner nor the technician knew what this meant.
I have now had three different heating technicians come, and each told me something different.
Technician 1 said that the previous owners had an electricity bill of 10,000 Euros per year. I first thought he meant 10,000 kWh, but he repeated the figure in Euros. Technician 2 immediately said the heating system should be removed and replaced with an air-to-ground brine heat pump. Technician 3 suggested cleaning up the heating system, which would cost 8,000–10,000 Euros.
I am totally confused and don’t really know the best way to approach this. The manufacturer told me during the last phone call that someone could come on site and provide me with a cost estimate for a new compressor and/or control panel in advance, and they would decide on the spot what needs to be done.
Unfortunately, with BARTL, the service call fee alone is 400–500 Euros, and I don’t want to just invite someone out on a guess. I wonder who I should ask to find out what’s wrong with the unit. Is it the actuators, the controller, or something else? I am willing to pay for an expert assessment or mediation. I just want good advice and feel a bit taken advantage of, as everyone seems eager to sell me their product immediately.
Thank you in advance for any tips.
Best regards, Jean
