Why Install a High Temperature Air Source Heat Pump?
If your home or building isn’t well insulated and is losing heat, then installing a high temperature air source heat pump will likely be a good investment. However, if your property already has loft insulation and other energy efficient measures in place, a low temperature air source heat pump might be the best choice for you.
Efficiency
A high temperature air source heat pump is a highly efficient way to heat up your home, and can save you a lot of money on your energy bills. They are being heralded as the key to a greener UK, and can help you reduce your carbon emissions by 35-65%.
The efficiency of your heat pump depends on a number of factors, including its design. The size and type of compressor and evaporator can have a significant impact on how efficiently it works. Alternatively, you can also design your heat pump to be able to work at higher temperatures (known as ‘thermal storage’).
To understand how well an air source heat pump can heat up your home, we need to look at the efficiency of the unit itself. This is measured in terms of the Coefficient of Performance, which is the ratio of useful heat pumped from the outside air to the amount of work it takes to transfer this heat inside your home.
On a warm day, the COP of an air source heat pump may be 4 or 5, but as the weather gets colder, it will take more work to move the same amount of heat from the outdoor air into your home. Typically, a heat pump designed for use in winter can achieve a COP of about 2.
A heat pump with thermal storage can achieve higher efficiencies than an air source heat pump because it can heat water from the air itself, rather than from a boiler. It can then use that water to heat your radiators, underfloor heating or hot water, depending on the system you buy.
This is an important consideration if you live in an area where the temperature of the air can vary greatly, such as Scotland. You will need to ensure that your system can work at a temperature of around 55degC, or you will be forced to buy bigger radiators to keep your home toasty.
If you are thinking about replacing your old gas or oil-fired boiler with a high temperature air source heat pump, it is important to find an installer who can provide you with advice on the best system for you. They will be able to advise you on the efficiency of the different systems, as well as the type of radiators and heat distribution system that you need for your particular property. You can also ask them to calculate the energy savings you will make over time. This will be based on the HSPF and SEER of your current boiler, as well as the efficiency of your new system.
Installation
There are a number of different high temperature air source heat pumps available. The best choice for your home depends on the size of the building, the heating requirements and the climate in your area.
Essentially, the system works like an air conditioner, extracting heat from outdoors and using that heat to provide heating. Alternatively, the system can use solar energy to generate heat or geothermal heat.
If you’re interested in installing an air source heat pump in your home, it’s important to find a reliable installer. A qualified and experienced installer can provide you with advice about the suitability of your home for the installation and give you a competitive quote for the job.
A qualified installer will also be able to carry out any necessary maintenance on your system, including cleaning filters, checking refrigerant levels and clearing leaves from the unit. This will ensure that the system runs at high temperature air source heat pump peak performance, and will help to reduce any downtime or repair costs you may have.
In many cases, a ducted air source heat pump can be installed to replace a traditional central heating system. This is particularly useful for larger homes or properties with extensive heating needs, since ducting allows a greater amount of heat to be transferred to the property, which can make your energy bills lower.
Ducted systems can be used in new buildings, and they can be incorporated into existing ventilation systems to help improve the overall efficiency of the building’s heating and cooling. In older buildings, however, air source heat pumps aren’t always the best option, and it may be a better choice to install an oil or gas boiler instead.
Despite these drawbacks, heat pumps are a great way to save money on your heating bill and reduce your carbon emissions. In fact, they can cut your energy bill by up to 33% if you install them in a new build or upgrade an existing installation.
If you’re interested in upgrading your home’s heating, click the link below to get up to 3 personalised, no-obligation quotes from local air source heat pump experts. You’ll be matched with up to 3 local heat pump installers that can offer bespoke advice about your home’s suitability for the upgrade, then you can choose the most competitive quote to suit you.
Maintenance
A high temperature air source heat pump is a relatively new technology that has the potential to make your home more energy efficient. These are a great way to reduce your carbon footprint, as they use renewable electricity to heat the water in your central heating system to around 80 degC, the same temperatures that traditional gas boilers can achieve.
As with any high tech gadget, it is important to maintain your new system to keep it running at its best. A few small routine maintenance tasks should be completed on a regular basis to ensure that your unit is working at peak efficiency, which will ultimately lead to lower energy bills and reduced carbon emissions.
Getting the right technician to perform the necessary maintenance is the best way to keep your investment in tip top condition. A professional will be able to spot any problems before they become major issues, which can be costly in the long run.
The most important maintenance task is removing and replacing the filter. Dirty filters can affect the performance of your unit, and may even impede its ability to cool down the air in your home. The more you do to clean and maintain your unit the longer it will last, and you can save a small fortune on future energy costs.
Other notable maintenance items include checking and adjusting the condenser and water flow, as well as cleaning or replacing the fan and coils in your unit. The most obvious way to go about this is to hire a local HVAC contractor. They will be able to recommend the most efficient and effective maintenance practices for your unique situation.
Energy Savings
A high temperature air source heat pump is one of the best ways to reduce your energy bills while reducing your carbon emissions. They use natural resources like the sun and air to provide year-round heating, cooling, and hot water. Compared with electric and gas boilers, they are significantly more efficient in both the heating and cooling modes.
The efficiency of an air source heat pump is measured by its COP, which is the ratio of energy produced to energy consumed. The lower the COP, the more efficient the unit. Typically, units with a COP of 4 or better will be able to deliver the same amount of heating energy for every unit of electricity used.
As outdoor temperatures drop, a heat pump will take longer to heat a home because it must work harder to extract enough heating energy from the outside air. This is why they are most effective when the outdoors are between 250 and 300 F.
This can be a significant high temperature air source heat pump benefit to homeowners who live in cold climates. In fact, the Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships has found that when units designed specifically for colder regions are installed, they can save around $459 per year in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states compared to electric resistance heaters or $948 compared to oil furnaces.
While older air source heat pumps will not operate as efficiently when the outdoors are too cold, newer ASHPs can be installed in these areas and will provide useful capacity even down to 0 degC. Despite this, older models may have a tendency to ‘frost up’ at these low temperatures and the system will need to switch into cooling mode temporarily to help it cool down.
In the long term, however, these problems are likely to be overcome. Modern heat pumps have the intelligence to adapt to changing weather conditions and are much more efficient than older models.
In addition, many heat pump models can be configured with supplemental heating systems. These are similar to boilers but they extract additional energy from the surrounding air and transfer this into the home’s central heating system. This helps to ensure that your home is always insulated and comfortable.
