Concerns regarding air to water heating systems highlighted at Sligo Council meeting

By Philip Rooney, The Sligo Champion

A motion before the February meeting of Sligo County Council from Cllr Thomas Healy called for answers in relation to issues with air to water heating systems in Council homes.

Addressing his motion Cllr Healy referred to an incident where a woman was waiting for three months to have her system repaired. He stressed, “We need to have a better set-up, we can’t have people without heat and water.”

Cllr Healy also highlighted the importance of the Council being made aware of any issues residents may be having and stressed the need for a back-up service to be in place.

Cllr Healy’s motion called on Sligo County Council to provide “An updated report on the air to water system heating system that is installed, including: feedback from tenants regarding air to water compared to heating oil or solid fuels; repaired time on breakdown when the system fails; cost saving made by tenants; cost to the Council to install this system; are tenants instructed on how to use the system and how many have been installed to date?”

The motion was supported by Cllr Barry Gallagher who stressed the importance of having people in the locality who can repair the system in the event of a fault. He noted, “There is a good supplier in Sligo,” adding, "We need to look at how we are tendering jobs.”

Cllr Gallagher also insisted, “There is no point putting it into a house without good doors and windows.”

Cllr Arthur Gibbons also addressed the issue of maintenance and repairs when he commented, “Our own staff should be training in repairing those units, otherwise we are waiting on an external companies timeline."

Cllr Ann Higgins called for greater training to be provided to tenants in the use of air to water hating systems when she said, “A training video should be made available to tenants. I read a report yesterday that it can be more expensive by up to €500 per annum. It’s great when it’s working perfectly but it can have serious issues when it goes down.”

Cllr Donal Gilroy highlighted the difficulties in using air to water heating systems when he said, “I believe it’s easier to operate a car on the public road. People do not seem to know how to use the system. Adjust the temperature by a degree or two, do not turn to maximum or minimum."

Cllr Gilroy continued, “It is a complex piece of equipment. The heat loss index will always be right on a new build.”

Highlighting his concerns in relation to the air to water heating systems, Cllr Gilroy stated, “I am not confident in retro-fits, they are not the answer to all our problems. I have serious concerns about them. I am not a fan of heat pumps in existing houses.”

The discussion concluded with Cllr Thomas Healy describing the current situation as “unacceptable.” He added, “It can cost up to €16,000 heat pumps in, in the first place.”

Article Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.