Heat Pumps Explained
What is Heat Pump?
A heat pump system is an air conditioning unit that works in reverse to either heat the space directly with refrigerant or indirectly by heating water that is then used to heat the required space with underfloor pipes or radiators.
This hot water can also be used to heat a hot water tank. 300 to 500% efficiency is normal with heat pump technology. That means you can expect 3 to 5KW of heat for every 1KW of electricity you pay for.
There are three types of heat pumps and many brands available. We are not tied to any particular product or brand so we have sourced what we believe are the best available on the market and with this in mind, we believe we can give the best service in this field.
We have looked at average temperatures and the coefficient of performance (COP) of various systems.
Air-to-Air Heat Pump
Air-to-Air is the most efficient heat pump system; this type of heat pump is not required to heat hot water before heating the space required. It has refrigerant running between its outdoor unit and indoor units, therefore little chance of any energy loss before heating the required space. Effective cooling is available from these systems because they are also an air conditioning system. These systems will also give added benefits of cleaning the air in the required space and a dehumidify mode is available.
Air-to-Water Heat Pump
For the mild country with is rarely go below zero degrees Celsius for long periods. The Meteoffice site will help you with average temperatures for your area. A low-temperature air-to-water system are perfectly suited for underfloor heating. They do rely on backup heat i.e. emersion or another heat source when the temperature drops below zero degrees Celsius for long periods. These backup heaters are already fitted to the systems provided by Howecool. High-temperature heat pumps are now available using only the heat pump technology and not having to use an emersion heater for higher-temperature water. These are useful systems for retrofitting radiator, OIL, LPG, and poorly insulated houses.
Ground-to-Water Heat Pump
Ground-to-Water: These systems are not affected the same way as air to water systems when the climate drops below zero degrees when correctly installed. They have a large installation cost and require large areas of land or expensive bore holes to extract the heat. With this in mind payback time could be quite long.
This type of heat pump is what you will find in most commercial heat pump installations and quite often, expected in new commercial buildings so why not our homes?
They have been made a lot more aesthetically pleasing on the eye for the domestic market as you will see on this website and considerations with airflow have been made so they are whisper quiet.
These systems must be installed by air conditioning or refrigeration engineers with fgas certification. We believe this to be one of the reasons people have not been made more aware of these systems.
Why would a plumbing company promote these systems?
Hot water for your home can be provided by a small dedicated all in one heat pump hot water tank. You will see examples of these units on this website. They do not need an outside unit they are a tank and heat pump all in one system and can also use energy recovered from your home.
Frequently Asked Questions
Air conditioning units are not only very efficient, but are pleasing on the eye and bring prestige to many new projects. Air conditioning is not just for cooling solutions. Many units which are being supplied to the industry are efficient heating solutions aswell. These units are called heat pumps.
How does a heat pump work?
A heat pump works like a refrigerator in reverse. In a refrigerator, the heat is moved from within the fridge to the outside of the fridge, so cooling the contents. With a heat pump, you can make use of free energy within the air. For each unit of energy, you buy as the electricity you can get three units back as useful heat.
What sort of efficiencies are produced?
Depending on the application and type of heat pump utilised, efficiencies of 300% to 500% are normal.
Will it affect CO2 emissions?
Heat pumps emit considerably less CO2 to the atmosphere than gas or oil-fired heating systems, so they are environment-friendly and the low-grade heat source is considered to be a renewable energy source.
Can heat pump save money?
Yes, of course. Due to the dynamic nature of heat pumps their capital cost is higher than conventional heating systems. However, the savings delivered in energy efficiency allows for very low operating costs. The government are allowing a 5% Vat charge in comparison to the normal 17.5% Vat charge should you have a heat pump installed within a domestic application. Many heat pumps are on the ECA list, so full tax rebates can be claimed within the first year of installation.
Heat Pump Systems
Use the heat from the air around you and the ground below to heat your home with heat pump systems. There are a couple of types of heat pump systems, including air source heat pumps, HRV giving you the option to choose which heat pump works best for the space you have. Although they are very energy efficient, these types of heat pumps do require electricity to run but the heat they source is always naturally renewed.
Our heat pump systems are of the very highest quality and our technicians are all fully qualified to supply and install the required equipment for you and your home.
We have many years of experience in providing quality heat pump systems for homes, who have all enjoyed the benefits of their systems to heat their homes.
Air Source Heat Pumps
Air source heat pump systems harness heat from the air outside your home to heat appliances in your homes such as heating systems and radiators, they can also provide hot water for your property.
Heat can be sourced from the air from temperatures as low as -15° C, providing a source of heat all year round.
Ground Source Heat Pumps
Harness the energy from the ground to heat your home with ground-source heat pumps.
Ground source heat pump systems use heat from the ground, via pumps to heat your home and the items in it, such as radiators and air heating systems. They can even be used to provide hot water.
A mixture of anti-freeze and water is circulated around a pipe loop, called a ground loop. This is buried in the ground in your garden. The heat exchanger then passed the absorbed ground heat through to the ground source heat pump. Under the surface, the ground usually stays at a fairly regular temperature, meaning that the ground source heat pump can be used at very different times of the year, from the slightest of cool conditions to freezing temperatures.
The amount of heat you require and the size of your property will determine the length of the ground loop. If you require more heat, the loop will be placed further in the ground, however, this will require more space. In cases where space is limited, a vertical borehole is a good workaround.
3 Types Of Heat Pumps
Air-to-Air
Air-to-air is the most efficient heat pump system; this type of heat pump is not required to heat hot water before heating the space required
Air-to-Water
Air-To-Water: We are a mild country and we rarely go below zero degrees Celsius for long periods
Ground-to-Water
Ground-To-Water-to-Water: These systems are not affected the same way as air to water systems when the climate drops below zero degrees