An Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP) is a renewable heating technology that can be used to heat your home or office and supply hot water. They are a great alternative to conventional electric heating, gas or oil boilers as they can be used with a radiator system or with Under Floor Heating.
How does an air source heat pump work?
An air source heat pump extracts heat from the outside air, compresses and concentrates it, thus raising the temperature and turning it into a usable form of heat. Because of this they still produce heat when the outside air temperature is at -15 degrees. The most commonly installed air source heat pump is an air to water system, which is used in central heating systems and to heat domestic hot water.
How efficient are they?
Typically, an air source heat pump will produce 3 kw of heat energy for every one kilowatt it uses to produce that heat. The other two Kilowatts are produced from the air!
What are the Benefits?
- Your fuel bill will be reduced if replacing oil or electric heating
- They are eligible for the government's Renewable Heat Incentive which, at the time of writing, pays 10.49p/kwh of energy needed to heat your home.
- Reduced home carbon emissions especially if using a green energy supplier (which we strongly recommend).
- They run at a lower temperature to oil or gas therefore they run constantly maintaining a nice even background heat as opposed to other heating systems that run at higher temperatures and are set to come on and off several times a day, producing intense heat and cooler periods.
- Once installed they are low maintenance
- Once you have an ASHP you will no longer need to rely on fossil fuels as electricity can now be generated from 100% renewable sources, such as wind and solar.
Things that need to be considered
- Running at a low temperature means that they need to be installed on a property that is well insulated so may not be suitable for every home. We actually consider this a good thing as insulation is a big factor in energy efficiency.
- They work well with underfloor heating and may require bigger radiators
- An outdoor space is needed to install the heat pump.
- There is some concern about the noise they make; however, we have found them to be incredibly quiet.
Next step
If you'd like to find out if an Air Source Heat Pump could be for you or you'd like to look into other renewable technologies please contact us for a, no obligation, free survey. We arrange a time that is convenient for you, assess your home and discuss with you your heating needs. We will then design a bespoke heating system to meet your individual requirements.
Comments