No room for a hot water cylinder? Put it outside.

The airing cupboard is already gone

Many homes converted to a combi boiler years ago, and the old cylinder cupboard became a shower room, wardrobe or storage. A heat pump needs that cylinder back.

A heat pump needs more than a cylinder

Alongside the cylinder there is usually a buffer or volumiser, expansion vessel, pump, diverter valve, filter and controls. On a traditional install that plant all has to live somewhere inside.

Loft and understairs options are rarely simple

Loft installs raise access, weight, freezing and pipe-run questions. Understairs cupboards are usually too shallow once pipework and clearances are allowed for.

• Sited outside against a wall, or in a garage or other suitable outbuilding.
• A firm, level base — typically a concrete pad or slab — with drainage away from the property.
• Space to open the service panel and safe working access all round for commissioning and servicing.
• A practical route for flow and return pipework to where the existing boiler and hot and cold supplies are.
• An electrical route back to the consumer unit, with the incoming supply capacity checked (your installer may need to confirm with the DNO).
• A workable position for the heat pump itself, left or right of the pod, with clearance for airflow.

How we confirm the position

In the free home check you photograph the proposed pod position, your existing boiler, consumer unit and meter. We use that to judge pipe routes, electrical supply and access — and can render the pod on a photo of your own property so you can see it in place before committing.

The exact footprint and clearances for your configuration are confirmed with your indicative design.

Do I lose any space inside the house at all?

The cylinder, hydraulics and controls move into the pod. You still need pipework entering the property and a small electrical connection, but the plant itself no longer occupies a cupboard, loft or utility area.

Is an outdoor cylinder safe in a UK winter?

The pod is insulated and includes frost protection, and the system is designed for outdoor siting rather than being an indoor cylinder moved outside. Positioning and pipe insulation are confirmed during design.

Can it go in a garage instead of outdoors?

Yes. A garage or similar internal-but-unused space is a common position, provided access, drainage and pipe routes work.

How do I find out if it fits my home?

The free online home check asks for your postcode and a few photos, including the position where the pod could sit, and gives you an indicative system design and price without a visit.