Connecting a heat pump or air conditioning
The installer takes care of the unit. I take care of the part everyone runs into: whether your meter cupboard can handle it, and what you do if it can't.
Delivered to NEN 1010Inspection report your insurer acceptsWhere possible on single-phase
Will it fit on your current connection?
That's the first question, and the answer depends on what's already connected. An air-to-water heat pump draws between 2 and 6 kW, depending on the type. On its own that's manageable. It gets tight if there's already more on your connection:
- induction cooking (that's a heavy circuit)
- an EV charger, especially if it charges at full power
- an electric water heater or instantaneous water heater
- solar panels feeding back on the same phase
If you need a supply upgrade: how long does it take?
I don't go by a rule of thumb but by your meter cupboard: which main fuse, how many circuits, how the phases are divided. That tells me whether it fits, whether it fits with smart load balancing, or whether you really need a supply upgrade.
To be honest: in parts of Limburg the grid is full and an upgrade can take months. Nobody wants to hear that when the heat pump is being delivered in November. So first let's see where you stand.
If it takes a long time, there's usually something that can be arranged. Smart load balancing lets the heat pump or the EV charger turn down briefly when too much is on at once; in practice you won't notice, and you don't have to wait. Sometimes doing things in a different order is enough: install the circuit first, scale up later.
What I do, and what your installer does
Not a pointless demarcation, but useful to know: it saves you double work.
Not working with an installer yet? Then I'll look over the quote you have. The electrical part is often underestimated or forgotten altogether, and then the bill comes later anyway.
- Me: the separate circuit in the meter cupboard, the cabling to the outdoor or indoor unit, the isolator switch, any change to or replacement of the consumer unit, and the application to the grid operator. Delivered to NEN 1010, with an inspection report your insurer accepts.
- Your installer: the unit itself, the refrigerant, the water side and the commissioning.
Want me to work it out?
Send a photo of your meter cupboard and tell me which heat pump or air conditioner it will be. Then I'll tell you whether it fits, and if not, what the options are.
Questions about a heat pump or air conditioning
Can my current connection handle a heat pump?
Often, but not always. An air-to-water heat pump draws between 2 and 6 kW. If you have single-phase 35A and already have induction, an EV charger and a water heater, you're at the limit. I work it out based on what's actually in your meter cupboard and tell you honestly whether it fits.
Do I need three-phase for a heat pump?
For most home installations, no. Larger heat pumps and combinations with an EV charger do push you towards three-phase. If possible I keep it single-phase, because then you don't have to wait for the grid operator.
What if I need a supply upgrade and it takes months?
That's the reality in parts of Limburg right now. There's almost always something that can be arranged: smart load balancing where the heat pump turns down temporarily when too much is on at once, or a different order of work. Enter your postcode in the grid congestion check and you'll see how things stand in your area.
Do you connect the heat pump itself too?
I do the electrical side: the circuit, the cabling and the connection up to the unit. Your installer does the refrigerant and the water side; that needs other certifications.
Is it the same for air conditioning?
Yes, just smaller. A split air conditioner usually needs its own circuit but rarely a supply upgrade. Several indoor units or a large multi-split can call for extra capacity.
Read up first
From my knowledge base, in plain language.
How many circuits do you need in your consumer unit?
Work it out room by room instead of guessing a number. And add four spare modules: that costs next to nothing now and saves a whole new consumer unit later.
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6 min readNear you too
For planned jobs and faults I travel all over the Netherlands, day and night for a fault. I get to you fastest in Limburg; elsewhere you can see right here how long the drive takes.
- Jobs and faults, 24/7: all of the Netherlands
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Provincial borders: CBS and PDOK, CC BY 4.0