Heat pumps: heating technicians come forward to defend their profession

“Put the church back in the middle of the country”. This is essentially the purpose of the speech by Guy Sorbadère, president of the confederation of crafts and small construction companies (Capeb) of the Gers. Like many other professionals in the sector, he had little taste for the reproaches made by a man from Pavia, upset following the multiple refusals for the installation of three heat pumps delivered almost two years ago.

Read also:
No professional wants to install his own heat pumps, a Gersois spends the winter without heating

Forced to spend the winter without heating, Mr. Ricard had denounced it as a reminder The Midi Expedition the “perverse effect” of energy renovation subsidies and the “additional margins” that would benefit heating engineers when installing new heat pumps. A caricatured judgment for Guy Sorbadère, who hastens to restore the truth to defend his profession. “If a machine breaks down within two years, there is a manufacturer’s guarantee, as manufacturers give us a discount of between 20 and 30%. This is not done to make money, but to be able to follow up for at least two years ” , free of charge, the operation of this machine. Obviously we take a small margin on the discount we have, but at the moment it is T. If we have breakdowns in the year, we will automatically cut our margin”, he specifies as GOOD.

“We are ready to work anywhere”

Beyond the margins necessary to ensure control of the installation, Guy Sorbadère insists on the responsibility assumed by the heating technicians during installation. “When you are an installer, you must be RGE (Editor’s note: Recognized Environmental Guarantor is a mention granted to professionals by public authorities and by the ADEME). When you are responsible for the environment, there is necessarily a heating study that must be done, it’s mandatory,” adds Guy Sorbadère. The president of the Capeb du Gers cites as a counterexample the case of the couple from Gimont dealing with a breakdown of the heat pump following a bad installation. “There was no studio, there wasn’t enough power for the car. There are leaks all over the house, so it’s normal for it to fail. Heat pumps don’t work like oil or gas boilers. A heat pump is calculated to the nearest required kilowatts,” he assures.

In these conditions, it is difficult to engage in a plant which, according to him, does not offer the required guarantees, both in terms of design and equipment. Guy Sorbadère is therefore not surprised by the many refusals received by Mr. Ricard. “He would have called me as a company manager, I wouldn’t have gone either. It’s normal that no one came to ride him. This shows that the heating technicians he called are true professionals”.

As for the substandard implants, of which the Gimont couple in particular fell victim, Guy Sorbadère warns against the advertisements that abound on the Internet and invites you to contact the approximately 180 professionals in the department. “In rural areas, everyone knows each other. If there’s a gougnafier, he’s identified quickly,” he says. For him, the good will of the Gers heating technicians is not to be questioned. “We are ready to work anywhere. Also, we have to be very prepared. We have eight qualifications,” he concludes.