Vaillant aroTHERM Plus R290 Air Source Heat Pump Review

Just like boilers or buying a car, a heat pump isn’t a pick-any-and-pray job. It’s about finding a mean, green heating machine that matches your home, budget and most importantly stops the family complaining the house feels like a fridge. Is it any wonder that most homeowners are frankly baffled when it comes to what to purchase?

If you’ve arrived on this page intent on installing a heat pump, but you're confused by their thermodynamic wizardry, what model to go for and easily muddled by SCOP vs GWP scores, we’re pumped up, primed and here to help.

But before we give our verdict on the Vaillant aroTHERM Plus R290, let’s start with a plain-English guide to what you actually need to know about it. We’re still not entirely sure why it sounds like a high-performance car trim, but we do know it’s packed with clever features. Plus, we’ve got some genuinely useful real-world insight from Dwellow installers on their favourite aspects of this quiet, German-engineered home-heating workhorse.

Don’t have time to read? Scroll down for our final verdict and all-important review score.

Size matters

The Vaillant aroTHERM Plus R290 comes in an assortment of sizes - 3.5kW, 5kW, 7kW, 10kW and 12kW outputs. Put simply, this air source heat pump is pretty versatile, is suited to the majority of small-medium residential homes in the UK and generally suits up to families of five.

That said, sizing for heat pumps isn’t straightforward. A 3-bedroom semi detached property with low hot water and heat demand may be suited to a 7kW unit. However, another 3-bed semi-detached property might be better suited to a 10kW or higher.

The bottom line is; it’s best not to guess. Speak to an expert (like Dwellow) who will give your home a thorough assessment and advise you on what’s best. Or, if you must know right this minute, use our extremely good heat pump calculator here for a quick-fire estimate.

Appearance

Looks aren’t everything, but remember, you’re giving this thing a 20-year tenancy in your garden. At the very least, you may want to rest a glass of rosé on it as you barbecue come the summer. Wishing you’d picked a model with a different colourway shouldn’t be on your list of life regrets.

If you’ve not already clocked it, the aroTHERM comes in a delightful white and matte grey/black. If you’re offended by its boxy size, may we suggest softening its edges with some pot plants or shielding it with a fence or shrubs (allowing 600m clearance for airflow, of course)? Heat pumps aren't pretty, but the aroTHERM is about as good as it gets.

It shouldn't get too grubby either. Vaillant has coated the aroTHERM's outdoor coil in a clever water-repellent layer, so dust and debris don’t stick to it. When it rains, the unit basically gives itself a quick clean, so hopefully you won’t be on your hands and knees with a stick trying to hook out leaves from it come autumn.

Price

At £5,800 (12kw), the aroTHERM Plus R290 is certainly priced at the higher end of the heat pump market, with overall installation likely to cost in the region of £10,000, or around £4,000 if you raid Government coffers via the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. (This pays for half of every heat pump installation. Almost everyone qualifies. Get it while stocks last).

But don’t baulk at the price because other lesser brands can often end up costing just as much, says Dwellow co-founder Ian McLaren.

“While the Vaillant aroTHERM Plus sits at the higher end of the price range, it’s important to remember that many other brands end up costing just as much or almost as much once you factor in the extras.

“Some require you to buy all materials through them, others charge for additional bits and pieces, making their upfront price look attractive, but the final bill often isn’t. With Vaillant, what you see is closer to what you get, and you benefit from a complete, high-quality system without hidden add-ons.”

Warranty & aftercare

Two years, three years, five years? Well, we don’t mean to boast, (we do) but Dwellow fits the Vaillant aroTHERM Plus R290 with a very generous 7-year warranty.

It’s true, a lot of manufacturers only provide a pretty measly two year warranty, but for a heating system that costs this much, it really isn’t enough. You want reassurance for the long term that your unit will do its job and you won’t be out of pocket if something goes wrong, especially when repairs, parts and labour can quickly head north of £500.

Vaillant is well known for offering some of the best after sales care in the industry. Trustpilot reviews for Vaillant sit at 4.4 stars out of 5, with literally hundreds of customers commenting on the quality of their after sales care team.

Quiet, please

While no heat pump is completely noise-free, it’s fair to say that the aroTHERM does little more than a gentle purr. Quiet Mark approved, (which only certifies products that are considered below average in terms of noise), it operates at just 54dB - the equivalent low level hum of your fridge or dishwasher, and you happily give those appliances free reign indoors.

It’s true that the 5kw and 7kw models are slightly noisier when they perform their defrost cycle in winter (because they use a rotary compressor, thanks for asking). But we’re willing to bet you’re not sunbathing in the garden in mid January, so it’s unlikely to bother anyone but the occasional passing robin.

So, so smart

When installed with a digital gateway - which at Dwellow we always do - the aroTHERM Plus allows installers to remotely monitor performance and access far more data than most other manufacturers provide. Some heat pump customers, (they're a studious bunch), really like to get under the bonnet of the data to really scrutinise its efficiencies. If that’s you, you’ve found your perfect heat pump.

If data isn't your thing, a good installer will chug through the numbers and tweak settings for improvements without stepping foot in your property, while Vaillant themselves can also diagnose issues remotely, saving time and costly call-outs.

Dwellow’s Head of Partnerships and Network Chris Watling says one of the aroTHERM's best features is the easy-to-use sensoCOMFORT controls. The myVaillant app also means you can track your heat pump's energy consumption and set temperatures quickly and easily without getting up from the sofa.

“Everything’s laid out in a way that actually makes sense - whether you’re using the controller on the wall or the app, it’s all very intuitive. You’re not digging through menus or second-guessing settings like you are with some other systems. It just works, which is exactly what homeowners want from their heating.”

We also love the fact the sensoCOMFORT is supplied with an outdoor sensor, which means your heat pump will adjust to the weather conditions to work as efficiently as possible.

The aroTHERM is also particularly straightforward to install and commission, so selfishly we like it for that. Who doesn’t love an easy day on the tools? We'll fit your heat pump and be on to the next job before you can say tea and biscuits.

Top draw efficiency

The average heat pump has an efficiency rating of around 300%, which means for every 1kWh of electricity used, they’re able to produce 3kWh of heat. But what about the aroTherm? Well, hold on to your hats ladies and gents. This model racks up a working efficiency of up to 503% - that’s 5.03kWh of heat produced for every 1kWh of electricity consumed, making it one of the most superbly efficient air source heat pumps on the market.

Now… compare that to your little old gas boiler; they sit in the paltry 70%-94% efficiency range; 0.70kW-0.94kW of heat produced for every 1kW of gas they consume.

Seriously green

The aroTHERM uses something called R290, which sounds like a plane seat number to avoid or perhaps a questionable early noughties Indie band, but it is in fact the proper science name for propane, a natural refrigerant. It’s already in our fridges, air conditioning units and even hairspray, but Vaillant thought it was a good idea to pop it in their heat pumps too, and they were right.

It gives the aroTHERM all sorts of top scores on the planet-saving front, including a negligible Global Warming Potential (GWP) of 3 and zero Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP). So rest assured, if you opt for this heat pump, you’re future-proofing your home and Earth. Well done you.

75°C flow temperature

Most heat pumps run efficiently at low flow temperatures (35–45°C), which works well with underfloor heating or oversized radiators. But older UK homes tend to have standard radiators designed for 70–80°C temperatures generated by a gas boiler.

The Vaillant aroTHERM Plus gets top marks because it can deliver up to 75°C, (thanks to the very clever R290 refrigerant - see above) which means you can swerve those costly radiator replacements. No one wants to see a perfectly good radiator ripped off a wall and tossed into a skip. This high-temperature capability is a key reason installers and homeowners often choose Vaillant over competitors who are limited to 60–65°C.

Full disclosure: Running at 75C does reduce the heat pump’s efficiency and the system isn’t meant to run at maximum flow constantly. However, it is useful if you’re retrofitting and replacing radiators is impractical or not possible financially, which for many homes it isn’t. A skilled installer like Dwellow will calculate the lowest practical flow temperature for each property and ensure you can keep as many radiators as possible to balance comfort, efficiency and cost.

Verdict

While the world scrambled to engineer a COVID vaccine, Vaillant quietly refined what could generously be called the most innovative heat pump yet, releasing it into British homes in 2020. Assembled on the fringes of Derbyshire’s Peak District, it has swiftly become one of the most talked about models in the UK renewables market. It's cool, clever, completely unflappable in all seasons, and built for the long-term.

We could split hairs over the warranty which varies widely according to your installer, and some older customers take umbrage over the lack of a basic hand-held manual, but we’d be wasting our time. It’s frankly worth buying, especially if you’re retrofitting or you live in a densely built-up area where quiet is key.

But before you add to basket and click pay, there is one tiny reason to hold back. Vaillant is bringing out a new updated model later this year. We expect the same innovative, highly efficient model with hopefully some fancy upgrades. What could be better than the aroTHERM Plus? The brand new updated aroTHERM Plus, we hope.

Score

9/10

If you've got a question about the Vaillant AroTherm R290 Plus or you're considering installing a heat pump, contact our friendly experts here.