Air Source Heat Pumps
Air source heat pumps absorb heat from the outside to heat buildings. There are two types of air source heating systems. Air-to-air systems provide warm air, which is circulated to heat the building. The other type, air-to-water, the heated water provides heating to a building through radiators, underfloor or fan coil systems.
Air source heat pumps offer many advantages:
- Operate up to 4 times more efficient than a traditional heating system
- Greatly reduced carbon emissions
- Low installation cost and minimal space requirements compared to other forms of renewable energy
- Truly practical solution whether you are looking at a new build or a renovation project
How they work
In the same way that a fridge uses refrigerant to extract heat from the inside, keeping your food cool, an air source heat pump extracts heat from the outside air, and uses it to heat your home and hot water. An air-source heat pump has three main parts:
- The evaporator coil - absorbs heat from the outside air;
- The compressor - pumps the refrigerant through the heat pump and compresses the gaseous refrigerant to the temperature needed for the heat distribution circuit;
- The heat exchanger - transfers the heat from the refrigerant to air or water.
In an air-to-water system, the heat produced is used to heat water, which can be used to pre-heat water in a storage tank or circulate through a heating circuit underfloor, fan coils or radiators. Heat pumps produce hot water that is a lower temperature (typically 35-45C) than standard boiler systems, which makes underfloor heating the most effective option. In an air-to-air system, this heat is used to produce warm air, which is circulated by fans to heat a building.
Air source heat pumps operate up to 4 times more efficient than a traditional heating system with greatly reduced carbon emissions, they also have the advantage of low installation cost and minimal space requirements compared to other forms of renewable energy products which makes them practical solution whether you are looking at a new build or a renovation project.
