What is an Air Source Heat Pump?

A heat pump is a unit that extracts heat from the outside air by blowing the air across a refrigerant circuit. It takes existing heat from the air rather than physically creating heat, They can do this even in very cold temperatures, some even at minus 20 degrees.

Air source heat pumps can be a great way to generate heat for your home. They are much better for the environment, leaving less of an impact and no direct emissions as apposed to carbon producing Oil or Gas burning boilers, They are also extremely efficient to run generating around 3-4 kilowatts of heat per kilowatt of electricity used. we generally size the heat pump to be able to heat your house when the outside temperature drops down to as low as minus 8 degrees Celsius.

An Air Source Heat Pump is positioned outside of your house and works by sucking in the outside air, using a mechanism to harness it and increase its temperature and transfer it to your homes heat emitters.

Under floor heating is the most effective way to use this heat to warm your house as this is always run at a much lower temperature than traditional radiators.

Is an air source heat pump suitable for my house?

Air source heat pumps can be suitable for most properties, you may need space for a hot water cylinder and a buffer but each installation is different.

They are not always suitable for all properties as they generally run on a lower flow temperature (typically40-50 degrees) so your system must be designed accordingly. This does not mean that you cannot have a heat pump in an old property. It is a case for working out room by room heat loss calculations and assessing your existing radiator and pipework sizing, we often find that the existing pipework size is adequate but sometimes we will need to upgrade your radiators or replace them with low temperature radiators.

As with all heating systems the higher the levels of insulation, draft proofing and double glazing that you have the more efficiently it will work and the less it will cost you to run.

What are the benefits of an Air Source Heat Pump?

Energy bills will generally be lower than a conventional Oil/Gas heating system.

If you replace a gas or an oil boiler with a heat pump you may be eligible for a £5000 grant towards the cost of installing your new heat pump through the governments (bus) boiler upgrade scheme.

The system is relatively simple to maintain through annual servicing.

Is an Air Source Heat Pump right for me?

Things to consider

One of the first things to consider when thinking about installing an Air Source Heat Pump is space. do you have enough space to install it. Although the unit itself is not too large they do require some space around them in order to draw in adequate air.  A nice sun-facing wall with plenty of space is ideal.

Is the property well insulated? Air Source Heat Pumps use lower temperatures over longer periods of time. Poor insulation / high heat loss properties can lead to you loosing much of the heat before it has had a chance to adequately heat your home.

Air Source Heat Pumps work better with Underfloor heating as opposed to traditional radiators due to the lower temperatures they operate at.