Air Source Heat Pumps
Air source heat pumps absorb the heat from outside air and rejects warm air into your home via natural convection and run on minimal electricity usage i.e a plug!
How do air source heat pumps work?
An air source heat pump extracts heat from the outside air the same way that a fridge extracts heat from its inside.it can extract heat from the air even when the outside temperature is as low as minus 15C. Heat pumps do use a small amount of electricity to run, but run on low running amps as oppose to other conventional ways of heating your home and making great use of renewing the energy around us naturally.
- An air-to-air system produces warm air which is circulated by fans to heat your home.
Heat from the air is absorbed into a fluid which is pumped through a heat exchanger in the heat pump. Low grade heat is then extracted by the refrigeration system and, after passing through the heat pump compressor.
The efficiency of air source heat pump systems is measured by a ceofficient of performance (CoP)- the amount of heat they produce compared to the amount of electricity needed to run them. A typical CoP for an air source heat pump is around 4.0 when used with under floor heating;it can be less when used with radiators. The CoP means that for every unit of electricity used to power the pump, 4.0 units of heat could be generated!
The Benefits of air source heat pumps
- Reduce your fuel bills: air source heat pumps run on electricity, so there is no need to pay for gas, oil or solid fuels to heat your home. Emissions can be reduced further if the heat pump is powered by another renewable technology, such as solar electricity (PV)
- No fuel deliveries required.
- Can lower fuel bills, depending on what heating fuel you are replacing.
- Its often classed as a 'fit and forget' technology because it needs little maintenance.
- Quick to install (about a day)
Is an air source heat pump suitable for my home?
To tell if an air source heat pump is right for you, there are a few key questions to consider:
- Do you have somewhere to put it? You will need a place outside your house where a unit can be fitted to a wall or placed on the ground. It will need plenty of space around it to get a good flow of air. A sunny wall is ideal.
- Is your home well insulated? Warm air produced, circulates your home via natural convectionand therefore naturally hot air moves to cool air. The better your insulation the more you save on bills.
- What fuel will you be replacing? The system will pay for itself much more quickly if its replacing electricity, Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) or a coal heating system than gas or oil.
- Is the system intended for a new development? Combining the installation with other building work can reduce the cost of installing the system.