Description
What is
the basic working principle of a heat pump?
Heat
pumps are a relatively new technology, although they are widely used in many
parts of Europe where renewable energy is abundant.
Heat
pumps take energy from the outside and convert it into heat to circulate around
heating and hot water systems. Heat pumps use electricity to run the heat
pump's components, primarily fans, compressors, and circulation pumps, to
transfer energy from a heat source to a radiator or heating system.
Government
Subsidised Heat Pump - Boiler Upgrade Scheme
The
Boiler Upgrade Program is a government incentive that will help you cover the
upfront cost of upgrading your heating system with one of our air-to-water and
ground source heat pumps.
In
addition, heat pumps are now free of VAT - further reducing costs.
What
grants are available?
Your
installer will apply for the grant on your behalf. You can receive:
£5,000
reduction in cost and installation for air source heat pumps £5,000 reduction
in cost and installation for biomass boilers £6,000 in cost and installation
for ground source heat pumps
Our heat
pumps:
7001i LM
Meet
demanding hot water needs - from small to large homes.
7400i LM
Our
premium heat pumps are our quietest for small to mid-sized homes.
hybrid
Best of
both worlds - combine a heat pump with a gas combination boiler.
Can I
still use a gas boiler?
Yes, you
can still have a gas boiler, and you can still replace your current boiler.
Find out what the latest announcements about decarbonizing heat in your home
mean for you.
Frequently
Asked Questions
1. What
are the advantages and disadvantages of different types of heat pumps?
There is
debate as to which system is the most efficient, however, air source heat pumps
rely on outside air temperature, which can be much cooler than the relatively
stable surface temperature. As a result, ground source heat pumps tend to be
more efficient at all outside temperatures, however, they are significantly
more expensive to install and therefore less popular than air source heat
pumps.
2. How
does the operation of a heat pump differ from that of a boiler?
A heat
pump works best when it circulates cold water around the heating system in a
"steady state" mode. Heat pumps are best run from a
weather-compensated system and are allowed to operate at all times as specified
by outside weather temperature and inside room temperature. Due to the low
temperature of the water in the heating system, it is not suitable for
intermittent operation like a boiler. Boilers are typically turned on for a few
hours in the morning, turned off throughout the day, and then turned back on
for 5 or 6 hours at night.
The high
temperatures a boiler can produce causes it to heat the house faster than a
heat pump, so it is necessary to run the heat pump in "steady state"
mode and avoid the need to heat the house quickly and from a low base
temperature.
3. What
are the maintenance requirements for the heat pump?
The
maintenance requirements for heat pumps are not as onerous as boilers, but
there is disagreement on whether homeowners can afford it or if a maintenance
engineer is needed.
With a
ground source heat pump, the requirement is more of an inspection than an
activity, and the closed loop collection system needs to be checked for the
correct level and efficacy, as the fluid is also used as an antifreeze. The
water pressure of the heating system needs to be maintained, and if a hot water
storage tank with main pressure unvented is installed, its maintenance
requirements need to be considered.
Air
source heat pumps require that the outer unit be kept free of leaves and
debris, and any filters inside also need to be cleaned or replaced as specified
by the manufacturer. Similar to a ground source heat pump, any unvented tap
water pressure cylinder will need to be serviced according to the
manufacturer's instructions.
4. What
is the annual operating cost of the heat pump system?
The cost
of running a heat pump varies depending on the type of home. Well-insulated
homes built to new building code standards are generally less expensive to run
than gas or oil boiler systems, provided the flow temperature of the heating
system is kept relatively low, ideally around 40ºC.
When
producing higher temperatures, the heat pump is less efficient and more
expensive to run, either because the house is not well insulated, the radiators
are not sized enough for the lower temperatures, or because the heat is being
produced at a higher temperature. high temperature to produce hot water.
4. Can I
connect the heat pump to my existing heating system?
The heat
pump can be connected to an existing heating system, but several conditions
need to be checked, otherwise it may affect customer satisfaction and operating
costs;
Attribute
heat loss calculations are required to determine the correct heat sink or heat
emitter size required. If the original system was sized assuming the boiler was
operating at a relatively high temperature, i.e. 70-75ºC flow, then unless the
house has since then had additional insulation measures such as hollow walls,
double glazing, etc. Then the radiator and when running at a heat pump
temperature around 40-45ºC, the distribution piping may not be enough to heat
the room. In some cases this is not done correctly and the heat pump is then
turned up to run at a higher flow temperature, which results in the heat pump
running at a lower efficiency and even backup immersion heaters running.
If the
homeowner is used to operating the boiler system intermittently, they need to
be instructed on how the heat pump system needs to operate differently. Many
customer complaints about heat pump suitability stem from their expectations of
how the two systems will operate differently. They need to be told that the
radiator is not as hot as it used to be, and they need to pay more attention to
the actual air temperature in the room rather than the surface temperature of
the radiator.
If the
existing heating system is a combined boiler system, a storage tank is
required. Around 17 million households in the UK have a combined boiler
installed, so there is a considerable difference between this system and a heat
pump system. There needs to be room in the house for the newly needed
cylinders, this can lead to a loss of space in bedrooms or landings, and
homeowners need to be educated that cylinders now need to be heated before hot
water is available, not as soon as hot water is available The water tap is
turned on.
5. How
much does it cost to install a heat pump?
The cost
of installing a heat pump varies from house to house, as well as the size and
type of heat pump chosen. As a rule of thumb, an air-to-water heat pump can
cost around £8,000 to install, while a ground source heat pump can cost up to
around £20,000. However, it depends a lot on the site and whether an existing
heating system can be used, the location of the equipment, etc.
There
are grants available to assist with investment, sometimes local and regional,
and the Renewable Heat Incentive Program, which will pay the system purchaser
an annual payment for seven years.
6. Is
the heat pump noisy?
Air
source heat pumps have an outdoor unit that contains a fan to bring outside air
into the unit, so they are noisier than ground source heat pumps. Generally
speaking, few people complain about the noise of the heat pump, which is quite
acceptable compared to normal ambient external noise.
