Year on year, we see the effects of climate change having a greater impact on the environment around us. In addition to this, the world is facing unprecedented challenges when it comes to energy.
We can’t be oblivious to this and need to consider new greener, more energy efficient technologies, to protect against both the environmental and economic challenges that our society is being faced with. How can we do this you may ask? There are many ways, but the one we are going to focus on today is utilising an Air Source Heat Pump to heat your home as an alternative to traditional methods.
Carry on reading to find out more about what an Air Source Heat Pump is and how they work.
What is an Air Source Heat Pump?
A popular technology that homeowners are now adopting is the Air Source Heat Pump. They are a replacement to your traditional gas boiler or electronic heating system, providing your house with heating and hot water. While both the traditional gas or electric, and new Air Source Heat Pump system produce similar results, the difference in efficiency and cost is night and day. By burning fossil fuels to generate heat, standard boilers operate at a 90% efficiency rate resulting in a heat loss of 10%.
On the other hand, Air Source Heat Pumps have an efficiency level of 350%. With such an advancement in efficiency, you are probably asking, how does an Air Source Heat Pump work to product such results?
How Does an Air Source Heat Pump Work?
An Air Source Heat Pump is installed externally in your home and looks somewhat like an air conditioning unit. To run they need a small amount of electricity and create heat through compressing ambient air. As they produce more energy than they use, they are classified as a renewable technology.
The process that is used to create heat is similar to how a fridge creates cold air but in reverse.
1. Located outside the home, the air pump channels air over a pipe system that contains a refrigerant to a point where the refrigerant changes form from a liquid to a gas in a process that is known as vaporisation.
2. The gas then continues its journey through a network of pipes entering a compressor. The gas is then further compressed which generates more heat.
3. The hot gas now enters a heat exchanger where it is condensed back into liquid form, and in the process transfers its heat to either air or water, which is then circulated around the home. The refrigerant then simply continues back through the system to repeat the process.
To effectively operate an Air Source Heat Pump will be installed externally, in an area with plenty of space so that there is no shortage of air for the pump to circulate. To transport the water to either a water tank or to your heating system, water pipes will be attached to the unit from the inside of the property.
As the pump creates heat through the energy in the air you may be wondering what happens when temperatures dip? The relatively mild climate of the UK does not pose a threat to an air source pump, as they can still operate in temperatures down to -20 Celsius.
If you are still left with some questions about how they work, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with a member of the team.
Pros and Cons of an Air Source Heat Pump
As with all different methods of heating. The Air Source Heat Pump has its own unique set of pros and cons.
Pro’s
- Highly effective system and process when creating heat and hot water
- Competitive running costs
- Eligible for installation cost to be offset by boiler upgrade scheme
- Easily installed in the property with no need for digging
- Product built for longevity with low maintenance levels and long-lasting service life of 2-3 years
- Maintains ambient temperatures
Con’s
- Lower water and heating temperatures achieved
- Radiators will feel warm rather than hot
- When running a bath, you may require more water from the hot water tap than the cold-water tap, this may mean investing in a larger hot water tank
- Installation time 3-8 days
- Needs available space outside
- Buildings need to be well insulated to maintain their temperature as they struggle to work effectively in draughty properties
What is The Difference Between an Air-to-Water Heat Pump and An Air-to-Air Heat Pump?
There are two different types of air source heat pumps available ‘Air-to-Water’ and ‘Air-to-Air’.
Air-to-Water
In the UK, Air-to-Water heat pump systems are the most common. These systems transfer the heat into a typical “wet” heating system. You also get central heating and hot water with this setup.
Air-to-Air
Air-to-Air heat pumps are rare in the UK. Additionally, as their name implies, these transfer heat into the air, which circulates around the house. Unfortunately, they don’t offer hot water. They are more commonly referred to as air conditioning units and depending on the season, they can switch between heating and cooling.
Make The Switch Now
With soaring energy prices, now is the perfect time to adopt this technology. An Air –source heat pump costs roughly 5.73p per kWh, this means the typical 4-bed house’s annual heating cost would be £1,089 per annum according to the Energy Saving Trust. Considerably lower than other energy sources with gas currently costing 7.4p per kWh, Oil 11.8p per kWh, and LPG 15.5p per kWh. An Air Source Heat Pump would provide a long term solution to save money with the rapidly increasing energy costs.
If you are still undecided as to whether an Air Source Heat Pump is right for your home or business, well you will be pleased to know. The government are currently offering the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. This could mean you could be eligible for £5000 to help you make the switch to an Air Source Heat Pump, installation costs vary but this should cover most of it.
If you think about it making the switch is a no-brainer, you can reduce your energy bills and help reduce your carbon footprint at the same time!
If you would like to reap the rewards of making the switch to this exciting technology or would just like to know a little bit more about the system, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.