We are now offering new home heat loss survey services by an accredited ABBE Level 3 heat loss surveyor. These are a great complement to our thermal imaging surveys. Our heat loss surveys provide a room-by-room heat loss calculation in line with BS EN 12831, which are ideal to understand whether your heating system is sufficiently sized. You will then know which changes might be required if you were to move to a heat pump system.

As part of a heat loss survey, our thermal experts will make detailed assessment of each room. We start with compilation of an accurate floor plan, an inspection of all the elements that make up the build. This includes windows, doors and whether the walls are filled cavity, or solid construction. We will also inspect to see if loft insulation may be present. We then process all of this information with the aid of an MCS-accredited software package to provide a comprehensive assessment of design heat losses, which can then be used to guide home thermal improvements. Often, this can be as little as upgrading loft insulation, or changing a specific radiator. However our heat loss survey will also be essential for providing an assessment of compliance of a home, where the owners are looking to move to a heat-pump for their central heating.

Independent Experts in New Home Heat Loss Surveys

Remember a room-by-room heat loss survey is now a pre-requisite for MCS accredited installations and the appropriate grants. Whilst these are often offered as part of a heat-pump installer’s services, they vary on how well they are performed. We’re not affiliated with any heat-pump providers, so we can provide a truly objective, expert assessment of your home’s heat loss.

Combined with thermal imaging surveys, our home heat loss surveys provide an unprecedented insight in to your home’s thermal performance.

DOMESTIC HEAT LOSS SURVEYS

What is a Heat Loss Survey?

Our heat loss surveys are analytical assessments performed by our trained surveyors. The surveys build up a numerical understanding of the heat loss from a property on a room-by-room basis. It is fully comprehensive, with our surveyor building up detailed floor plans. Our surveyor will also capture details of radiator and heating systems types, and building fabric make-up. If required, we can also scope locations and viability for a heat pump.

After our survey, the client will receive a detailed survey report showing room-by-room heat loss, and an assessment of the current heating system suitability. This allows us to easily identify undersized radiators, or under floor heating systems. Furthermore, we will provide recommendations for revised radiator sizes in the instance the clients wished to move to a heat pump system. We can use the numerical model to assist the client in identifying ‘easy wins’ as part of planned refurbishment works. This can include instances when simple improvement to insulation or design can be employed to improve thermal efficiency.

As part of this assessment we will also provide the client with a noise survey. This will assess viability of proposed heat pump systems and guidance on whether planning permission is required. Additionally, this industry-recognised report format can be used to engage with heat pump suppliers and installers. The findings can significantly help to optimise the heat pump design and installation.

When combined, our thermal imaging surveys and heat loss surveys provide a powerful set of tools for us to understand building thermal performance and identify remedial actions.

Professional Heat Loss Surveys You Can Trust

Why do I need a Heat Loss Survey?

Our Heat loss surveys provide a useful counter-point to thermal imaging surveys, since they are based on a numerical estimation of the building thermal performance. As part of the survey approach, we assess each room for its relative heat inputs (principally radiators or underfloor heating), and heat outputs (to the environment or adjacent rooms). We populate the numerical model with detailed assessments of radiators size, room temperature requirements and building fabric thermal performance, based on a visual survey. The advantages of this approach are:

We can quickly ascertain which rooms are running a heat deficit (i.e. more losses than gains), which often is confirmed by the client’s experience. By quantifying this loss, we can identify remedial measures and size accordingly.

Secondly, we can use the survey to assess adequacy of radiators based on reduced flow temperatures that would be expected when moving to an air source or ground source heat pump. This approach also allows us to determine what size radiators would be required at such temperatures, allowing the client to determine the best locations for these as part of any planned refurbishments.

We can also use the heat loss survey to investigate the potential impacts of planned works (e.g. a new extension, or double-glazing installation).

Furthermore, the survey is a prerequisite for heat pump design and installation. In order to be compliant with the MCS standard and receive the appropriate grant funding, a heat loss survey must first be performed. Such surveys also provide a comprehensive scoping document that can be used to obtain accurate heat pump installation quotes.

"Glenn provides impartial, expert advice that's been essential in pin-pointing the key areas of heat loss in our home. Being able to see photographic evidence of the hidden cold spots in our bungalow, has enabled us to focus on insulating those areas with confidence. We are already feeling the benefits! Highly recommended!" Mrs. Viviani, Hitchin, Hertfordshire

Why proceed with Red Fox Thermography?

Our heat loss surveyors are ABBE Level 3 Certified, and all assessments are undertaken in accordance with BS EN 12831 (Compliant with CIBSE ad MCS accreditation).
We are true heat loss experts, also able to back up our heat loss calculations with detailed thermal imaging surveys. Our background in spacecraft thermal design means we offer unrivalled heat loss expertise.
We are completely independent, and not affiliated with any in insulation or heat pump installers. Our expert reports are entirely objective, and we don’t ‘invent’ problems if your home is performing well.
We are fully insured to work in your home and provide the advice that we do.

How does a Heat Loss Survey work?

Initial introduction

Communicating by phone or email, we work to understand your needs and requirements. From this we can provide you a fixed cost for the survey, tailored to your needs.

Decision to proceed

If you’re happy to proceed, just let us know. There’s no obligation after our initial chat, and we won’t chase you or make you feel under pressure to go with us.

Onsite thermal survey

We will work with you to arrange a date and time convenient to you for performing the heat loss survey of your home. Unlike thermal imaging surveys, such assessments are not typically weather or season dependent.

During the survey we will need to access all parts of the build, including radiators, electricity and gas meters and hot water tanks. This allows us to build a comprehensive numerical model of your home. We may also need to access the loft to assess insulation depth, for which we bring a step ladder, if you do not already have an integral access system.

Please bear in mind that we typically require 2 to 3 hours for a normal mid-sized property, and we will try to work round you as best we can.

Completion of report

This will generally follow within 2 weeks of the heat loss survey, once we’ve had time to properly process and analyse the data, and give your heat loss survey report the attention it requires.

Aftercare

We share the same planet, so helping you address your home insulation needs and CO₂ footprint, helps us all. After you have the report, we’ll happily advise where we can to help you on your path to CO₂ neutrality.

What does a Heat Loss Survey Report look like?

We look to present everything in a clear and easy to understand manner – our mantra is honesty, openness and communication.

Download an example Heat Loss Survey Report extract:

Our aim is to provide you a report that, in the main, does not require specialist training or knowledge to understand. However, under BS EN 12831 standards we will also provide additional information on potential heat pump system sizing that can be used by potential suppliers should you wish to move to such a system.

Neither does our responsibility end with the report. We make sure we’re available afterwards to provide advice and feedback on its contents. Just call or email us.

What is included in the Heat Loss Survey Report?

A heat loss survey report is a more technical document than a thermal imaging report, since it summarises the detailed heat losses, heat pump performance and noise assessments undertaken in its preparation. Nevertheless, the objective remains to ensure the summary is written in plain English and is understandable to a non-technical reader. Like our thermal imaging survey reports, they are fully comprehensive and individually tailored to each property. In summary, the report will include:

Introduction and explanation of terminology used to allow the client to understand the contents of the report
Floor plan, showing rooms and their corresponding doors, windows and main heat emitters
Heat loss summary summarising room-by-room what the heat losses are for the design case
Emitter detail showing how radiator and underfloor heating outputs compare to heat losses. We will clearly identify any that are undersized for a heat pump or renovation project
Noise assessment (as required) showing compliance or otherwise for a proposed heat pump system at the property
Heat pump performance estimate (as required). This shows the anticipated performance, SCOP (Seasonal Coefficient of Performance) and power consumption compared to the current system
Simple plain English explanations of the results, highlighting any anomalies but also confirming where survey findings present no concern
Conclusion of our overall findings
All the necessary data required to pass on to heat pump, or heating system designers and installers, in order to ensure compliance with the MCS accreditation