Air To Water Heat Pumps

Introduction

Air to water (A2W) heat pumps are designed to provide 'whole of house' hot water and heating, all year round. An Air to water heat pump is a very efficient and an environmentally friendly means of providing the heating and hot water in your home.

How does it work?

The technology inside an air source heat pump is similar to a domestic refrigerator which uses a vapour compression cycle. The main components in the air source heat pump are the compressor, the expansion valve and two heat exchangers (an evaporator and a condenser).

image

Heat pumps absorb energy from the atmosphere as a source of free heat. This heat is then transferred to hot water which is then distributed around the house in much the same way as a conventional oil/gas boiler system. Hot water is distributed to each room and radiates heat into the room using conventional style radiators. Hot water is also stored in a hot water cylinder for showering and bathing.

A typical system has an outdoor unit to collect the free heat from the atmosphere which is plumbed into an existing radiator and hot water distribution system.

Air to Water heat pumps have a very high Coefficient of Performance (CoP), usually around 3.5 to 4.0 at typical operating temperatures. This means that for 1kW of electrical energy consumed to run the heat pump, you will be converting 4 times that amount into heat energy.

image

What is a typical system?

  • An outside unit mounted on the wall and connected to your electricity supply
  • Hot Water storage cylinder
  • Indoor distribution system and system controls

AIR TO AIR HEAT PUMPS

Introduction

There are a variety of different heat pump systems available to provide hot water and heating. By far the most common in the UK is the Air to Air heat pump (A2A) which is a very efficient and environmentally friendly means of providing heating and cooling to your home.

How does it work?

image

Air to Air systems absorb energy from the atmosphere as a source of free heat. This heat is then supplied to the household by means of fan assisted head units.

A typical system has an outdoor unit to collect the free heat from the atmosphere and at least one (sometimes more) indoor head units to deliver the heat within the house.

During the summer, the heat pump can work in reverse providing you with a comfortable cool temperature.

Air to Air Heat Pumps also have an active air purification system which charges the air with positive and negative ions to remove smells and dust from the air.

Air to Air heat pumps have a very high Coefficient of Performance (CoP), typically around 4.5 at typical operating temperatures. This means that for 1kW of electrical energy consumed to run the heat pump, you will be converting 4.5 times that amount into heat energy.

What is a typical system?

  • An outside unit mounted on the wall and connected to your electricity supply
  • One or more indoor units to distribute the heat
  • Isolation switch

Is planning permission required for a heat pump system?

  • Heat Pumps are exempt from planning regulations provided other criteria (eg product size) are met.
  • Listed buildings and those in conservation areas and World Heritage Sites may have to meet additional criteria

People are willing to pay more for a home built to high environmental standards. Therefore with such a system your house value will increase, possibly even covering the installation costs, if not more.

Arrange a free quotation

To arrange a free telephone survey and site visit, please contact one of our surveyors on our freephone number 01494 438 054 or email info@solasave.co.uk

If calling out of hours or at weekends, please leave a message on the answer phone and we will call you back at our earliest opportunity.

Please note that we offer:

  • Timed appointments
  • Appointments available out of hours and at weekends to suit your lifestyle
  • We do not 'sell' in your home – we will survey, listen carefully to your requirements, supply a tailored quote and then leave the decision to you