Samsung EHS Gen 7 Review: Best Value Heat Pump in the UK?

Quick answer: The Samsung EHS Gen 7, sold as the EHS Mono R290, is good value for a propane heat pump. The 8kW outdoor unit lists at £2,283.44 excluding VAT at The Heat Pump Warehouse, about a third less than Mitsubishi’s Ecodan R290 8.5kW there, and the two are near-identical on MCS efficiency at 55°C. It reaches 75°C. The catch is noise: 55 to 65 dB(A) sound power.

How the Samsung EHS Gen 7 compares on value

On the price of the kit, it’s hard to beat. On 28 September 2026 the Samsung 8kW was about £1,166 cheaper, excluding VAT, than the Mitsubishi Ecodan R290 that the same retailer sells as its 8.5kW (PUZ-WZ80VAA), and the MCS product directory puts the two within 0.04 of each other at 55°C flow (3.41 against 3.45). Our Samsung vs LG comparison does the same sum against LG’s propane unit.

Installers set their own prices, so don’t expect all of that saving on a quote. The catches are noise, and a 7-year warranty that relies on an approved installer registering it.

Samsung EHS Gen 7 specifications and main features

The Gen 7 is Samsung’s EHS Mono R290 range: monobloc outdoor units in 5, 8, 12 and 16kW, listed in the UK as single phase. An integrated version, the EHS Mono R290 Pump, includes the pump, expansion tank, control kit and Wi-Fi kit, and its MCS SCOPs are within 0.02 of the standard unit’s. Both run on R290 (propane), as do most of the brands in our heat pump brands comparison. Samsung gives it a global warming potential of 3, against 675 for R32 (Samsung brochure).

Samsung’s headline COP, 5.10 on the 5kW down to 4.51 on the 16kW (Samsung), is a single test point at 7°C outside and 35°C flow. It says little about January. The seasonal figures below are the ones to compare. Samsung’s datasheet publishes them in 5°C steps from 35 to 65°C, and we’ve used the MCS product directory’s own.

Real-world COP and seasonal performance

Treat the ratings as a ceiling. The government-funded Electrification of Heat trial monitored 742 heat pumps installed in 2020 and 2021, before the Gen 7 was certified in September 2023. Its air source units ran at a median seasonal performance factor of 2.78 for the whole heating system, and its 165 propane units at 2.86. In 91.9% of homes the measured efficiency was below the design SCOP, and the median measured figure sat 17.9% below the median design one (EoH summary report).

For the Gen 7 itself, HeatPumpMonitor.org publishes owners’ metered data. On 28 September 2026 it listed 18 Gen 7 systems. Of the seven with close to a full year of readings, the six designed for 40 to 45°C flow ran at 3.4 to 4.4 over the last 12 months, heating and hot water combined, and the one designed for 55°C at 3.2. Owners choose to publish, so read that as what a well set-up Gen 7 can do.

Flow temperature moves these numbers more than the badge does. In the trial the median COP was 3.50 when heat pumps made 35°C water, 2.38 at 55°C and 2.02 above 65°C. The Samsung 8kW’s MCS curve has the same shape (4.66, 4.04, 3.41 and 2.89 at 35, 45, 55 and 65°C), yet at 55°C it sits within 0.04 of the Ecodan and of Vaillant’s aroTHERM plus 7kW, which Vaillant’s installer guide puts at 3.39.

At the October to December 2026 price cap of 26.32p per kWh (Ofgem), 1,000kWh of heat from the 8kW costs, on its MCS ratings:

• about £56 with a 35°C design flow temperature (SCOP 4.66)
• about £65 at 45°C (4.04)
• about £77 at 55°C (3.41)
• about £91 at 65°C (2.89)
• about £94 from a gas boiler at the 85% efficiency Octopus uses for a typical boiler, with gas at 7.97p per kWh

If your system falls short of its rating by the trial’s median margin, a 55°C design ends up level with gas and a 45°C design still saves about 15%. A time-of-use tariff or your own solar panels can lower the price per kWh. Neither changes the SCOP.

Cold weather cuts every air source unit’s efficiency: across the trial, the median air source COP fell from 3.37 at 10°C outside to 2.37 at -3°C and 2.30 at -5°C. Samsung says the Gen 7 holds its full heating output down to -10°C (Samsung), keeps running to -25°C, and makes 70°C hot water down to -10°C without the booster heater (brochure).

Noise performance and siting

Samsung’s quiet figure, 35 dB(A) in its four-step quiet mode (Samsung), is sound pressure measured 3 metres from the front of the unit in an anechoic room at 7°C. For permitted development in England, the installer’s MCS 020(a) sound calculation has to use sound power, and it rules out quiet-mode figures (MCS 020(a)).

On sound power the Gen 7 is 55 dB(A) for the 5kW, 59 for the 8kW, 60 for the 12kW and 65 for the 16kW (Samsung), with no flow temperature stated. Rivals near the 8kW are quieter on paper. At 7°C outside and 55°C flow, Mitsubishi rates its Ecodan R290 8.5kW (PUZ-WZ85VAA) at 54 dB(A) (datasheet) and Vaillant rates its aroTHERM plus 7kW at 55 (installer guide).

That matters because MCS 020(a) carries sound power straight through. Each extra decibel is an extra decibel at the assessment point, 1 metre outside a neighbour’s door or window to a habitable room, where the limit is 37 dB(A). So a 16kW needs more distance or screening than a 5kW to pass. You can schedule quiet mode for overnight (Samsung user manual), but it doesn’t count, so ask for the calculation on the size you’re buying before you commit.

Propane adds a siting rule of its own. Samsung’s installation manual sets a safety zone around the unit with no windows, doors, light wells, flat roof windows or ventilation openings in it, and no dips in the ground, because R290 is heavier than air and can collect low down. On a narrow side passage, that can rule a spot out.

Samsung heat pump installed costs and value

The outdoor unit is where the Samsung saves money. Supply only at The Heat Pump Warehouse on 28 September 2026, excluding VAT, the 5kW was £1,935.98, the 8kW £2,283.44, the 12kW £3,208.24 and the 16kW £3,561.84. The 8kW Pump version, with controls and Wi-Fi built in, was £2,518.67. None of these includes a cylinder, and the standard unit needs a control kit. Fitted by an installer, heat pumps carry 0% VAT until 31 March 2027.

We couldn’t find a published installed price for a Samsung system. Across all brands, the median air to water installation under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme cost £12,908 in April to June 2026 before the grant, with the middle half of jobs between £11,128 and £15,627 (DESNZ). The median job was 8kW, the size of the Samsung 8kW, and after the £7,500 grant (England and Wales) it comes to about £5,408. Our heat pump cost guide has typical prices for your area.

What moves the price on a Samsung quote:

• The size, which should come from a room-by-room heat loss calculation. At supply prices the 16kW is £1,278 more than the 8kW.
• Whether hot water comes from Samsung’s ClimateHub or a separate cylinder.
• Whether you need a control kit and a Wi-Fi kit. The standard unit does; the Pump version has both built in.
• How many radiators need upsizing for the flow temperature you design for.
• Where the unit goes, which sets the base, the pipe run and the R290 safety zone.
• Whether your supply can take it. The 12 and 16kW single-phase units need a 32A circuit (installation manual).

SmartThings integration and controls

Samsung’s app is SmartThings. The standard unit needs Samsung’s optional Wi-Fi kit (MIM-H04N), a Samsung account and home Wi-Fi, while the Pump version comes with the control kit and Wi-Fi kit (Samsung). SmartThings Energy shows your energy use. Its AI Energy mode, which learns your hot water pattern, needs a Wi-Fi integrated Mono ClimateHub.

Once it’s online, installers can check faults and running data remotely through EHS Remote Care, which Samsung pitches as fewer site visits (Samsung). Ask whether yours uses it.

The setting that matters most for bills is weather compensation, which Samsung’s controller calls Water Law. It sets the flow temperature from the outdoor temperature, so colder weather gets warmer water (Samsung user manual) and milder weather gets cooler water, which is where the efficiency comes from. Ask for it at commissioning. Our guide to weather compensation curves explains the settings.

Warranty, reliability and installer network

Samsung’s extended warranty is 7 years if the completed registration sheet reaches Samsung within 30 days of commissioning (Samsung registration form). The form asks whether the installer is Samsung EHS approved and in which year they did the course, whether you’ve been shown how to use the system, and whether the installer will maintain it. Samsung’s UK product pages state neither a standard term nor whether the 7 years covers labour, so get both in writing.

Seven years matches the top tier of two main rivals. Mitsubishi gives up to 7 years on the Ecodan through its Business Solutions Partners, up to 5 through accredited installers and up to 3 through standard ones (Mitsubishi). Vaillant’s aroTHERM plus has a 2-year guarantee, up to 5 years through Gold, Platinum and Renewable Partner installers, and 7 only with a Vaillant cylinder fitted by a Platinum or Renewable Partner (Vaillant). Our heat pump warranty comparison covers the rest.

Samsung says a yearly service helps keep the warranty valid and points owners to HomeServe (Samsung), whose heat pump plan is £15 a month (£180 a year), or £18 a month (£216) including the unvented cylinder (HomeServe). Our guide to heat pump service costs covers the alternatives.

The installer is the part to get right. Samsung has a find-an-installer search, and the question for anyone quoting is the form’s own: are you Samsung EHS approved?

Who the Samsung EHS Gen 7 suits

It suits a home that can run at 45 to 55°C and has a spot for the outdoor unit away from neighbours’ windows, where you want a well-documented heat pump at a lower equipment price. It’s the wrong pick if the only spot is close to a neighbour, if your heat loss is beyond one 16kW unit, or if your installer isn’t Samsung approved.

• Homes with radiators sized, or upsized, for 45 to 55°C, where its MCS SCOP is 4.00 to 4.14 at 45°C and 3.41 to 3.51 at 55°C.
• Buyers whose installer passes on the equipment saving of about £1,166 against the Ecodan R290 8.5kW.
• Older homes that need hotter radiators on the coldest days. It reaches 75°C when it’s -10°C or milder outside, and the SCOP curve shows what running hot costs.
• Households already on SmartThings.

When to look elsewhere

• The only site is near a neighbour’s window or in a narrow side passage. The 8kW’s sound power is 4 to 5 dB(A) above Mitsubishi’s PUZ-WZ85VAA and Vaillant’s aroTHERM plus 7kW, and the R290 safety zone needs space.
• Your heat loss is more than one 16kW unit can deliver at your design temperature.
• Your installer isn’t Samsung EHS approved. The 7-year registration asks for their approval and course year.

If your home needs insulation improvements, do them before or alongside the heat pump. A lower heat loss lets you design for a lower flow temperature, which is where the Gen 7’s numbers are best.

What to ask an installer

Get more than one quote and put the same questions to each. Our guide to what a good heat pump quote looks like goes through it line by line.

• Is this the standard unit (CXYDEK in the model code) with a control kit, or the Pump version (CXYBEK)? Is Wi-Fi included?
• Are you Samsung EHS approved, and will you register the warranty within 30 days of commissioning? Does the 7 years include labour?
• What flow temperature is the system designed for, and what’s the MCS SCOP there? Will weather compensation be on from day one?
• Can I see the MCS 020(a) calculation, done with this size’s sound power rather than the quiet-mode figure?
• Is the R290 safety zone clear of windows, doors, light wells and vents?
• How will the pipework be protected from freezing? Samsung’s manual allows glycol or anti-freeze valves, never both.
• ClimateHub or a separate cylinder, and what size?
• Who services it each year, and for how much?

If you’d like prices to compare, request a free quote: up to three approved installers who cover your area may contact you. No charge, no obligation. Ask each of them the questions above.

We haven’t tested the Gen 7: this review is based on Samsung’s specifications and manuals, the MCS product directory, Samsung’s warranty form and UK retail listings, all checked on 28 September 2026.

FAQs

Is Samsung a reliable heat pump brand?

We couldn’t find published UK failure rates by brand, so judge it on what you can check. Samsung offers 7 years’ cover when an approved installer registers the unit within 30 days of commissioning, and says a yearly service helps keep it valid. Installers can monitor it remotely through EHS Remote Care. And on HeatPumpMonitor.org, the seven Gen 7 systems with close to a year of data ran at 3.2 to 4.4 over the last 12 months.

Can the Samsung EHS Gen 7 heat a large house?

Up to a point. The biggest Gen 7 is 16kW, rated at 7°C outside and 35°C flow, and Samsung says it keeps full output down to -10°C. That’s twice the median air to water heat pump fitted under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme in April to June 2026, which was 8kW; three in four were 10.8kW or smaller (DESNZ). A room-by-room heat loss calculation decides it. On a single-phase supply the 16kW needs a 32A circuit.

How does the Samsung compare to Vaillant on efficiency?

Closely. Both use R290 and reach 75°C. At 55°C flow, Samsung’s MCS figures are 3.41 to 3.51 across its four sizes. Vaillant’s installer guide gives 3.10, 3.06 and 3.39 for the aroTHERM plus 3.5, 5 and 7kW, and 3.58 and 3.63 for the 10 and 12kW. So the Samsung is ahead at the small sizes and behind at the large ones. Vaillant’s smaller units are quieter on paper.

Does the Samsung EHS Gen 7 qualify for the BUS grant?

Yes. All four sizes are on the MCS product directory, so in England and Wales an MCS certified installer can claim the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant and take it off your bill (GOV.UK). It’s £9,000 if your home is heated by oil or LPG and has no mains gas connection, on applications from 21 July 2026 to 31 March 2027. Scotland has its own grant through Home Energy Scotland.

What hot water cylinder works with the Samsung EHS Gen 7?

Either Samsung’s ClimateHub, which puts a 200 or 260 litre cylinder and the hydraulics in one indoor unit, or a separate cylinder run from Samsung’s control kit through a tank sensor (Samsung user manual). The MCS directory lists the ClimateHub with every size, the 5kW with the 200 litre only. Samsung’s warranty form asks for the cylinder’s make and model. Our cylinder guide covers sizing.