Ancillary certs required for heat pump?

SodiumCooled · 23-10-2025 10:16AM #1

Are ancillary certs (Sc, Sd and Cs) actually required by the regulations for the installation of a heat pump? My plumber who is plumbing new builds and fitting heat pumps to them regularly said he has never been asked for one before - he wasn’t even sure what they are. My engineer is asking for them but he is known as being over the top in his paper work requirements so I want to know if I can push back on him on these.

I’ve provided the loop plans for the ufh, the designer installer sign off (another thing my plumber said he he generally never asked for by engineers but he was able to get this done) and the commissioning report.

This is really delaying our final draw down and I’m sick of the engineer endless requests for paper work which talking to other people who have recently built they weren’t asked for half of what I’m being asked for to get their final sign off.

tonytoc11 · 04-11-2025 09:54AM

Have you opted in or out to BCMS? My guess is that your engineer has opted you in, which means that your plumber would need to provide these documents. The vast majority of self builds opt out, so no need to provide them.

Gumbo · 04-11-2025 11:03PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123960827#Comment_123960827

That’s actually irrelevant. If the certs are a requirement to demonstrate compliance then the opt in or out means nothing. The person signing off on the works would still need those certs to stand over the development as a whole.

sydthebeat · 04-11-2025 11:49PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058427175/ancillary-certs-required-for-heat-pump

Why would you push back on the engineer?

I assume the engineer has already given the certs to the plumber to fill out, so what's stopping the plumber filling them out?

The plumber has already outsourced the design compliance, so all he has to cover is installation and commissioning

tonytoc11 · 05-11-2025 09:47AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123963340#Comment_123963340

That's a fair point, but I haven't experienced this with engineers I've worked with on projects.

Gumbo · 05-11-2025 10:53AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123963879#Comment_123963879

I’d say more a lack of understanding. These vertebra would have been required pre-BCAR but not many insisted on it. They left it to the relevant disciplines to govern themselves.

SodiumCooled · 06-11-2025 01:15AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123960827#Comment_123960827

I am not 100% sure but I think opted in as I have received a cert of completion from the local authority which I think means I was opted in.

I did not provide these ancillary certs but he still proceeded - I sent him the designer/installer sign off and commissioning cert and just waited it out and he eventually just proceeded.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123963340#Comment_123963340

As mentioned above he proceeded without them in the end so they must not have been really required.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123963479#Comment_123963479

The engineer has had nothing to do with providing certs, in fact he has had no interaction at all with most of the trades including the plumber. He requested they be provided from the hollowcore provider and MVHR installer and heat pump installer/designer only nothing else in the build. The hollowcore and MVHR provided the Cs only as part of their data pack the plumber knew nothing about ancillary certs and has never been asked for one before - despite as mentioned he is working on new build (self-builds) all the time. Anyway as highlighted above he went ahead without these certs and i have a valid "Certificate of Compliance on Completion" sitting in my inbox so all good.

Thanks for the responses.

Ancillary certs required for heat pump?

Comments