Air Source Heat Pumps
- Thread starter TeeDee
- Start date
I don't, but was interested because I prefer electricity to gas.
Turned out that they're expensive. Expensive to install and expensive to run compared to a gas boiler.
They're also noisy, and don't do well when it freezes. We don't really get long hard frozen winters, but we do get a lot of just below and just above freezing temperatures in rapid succession. Every day and night for months on end at times.
Just seemed too much bother tbh.
Turned out that they're expensive. Expensive to install and expensive to run compared to a gas boiler.
They're also noisy, and don't do well when it freezes. We don't really get long hard frozen winters, but we do get a lot of just below and just above freezing temperatures in rapid succession. Every day and night for months on end at times.
Just seemed too much bother tbh.
Thanks Toddy.
Had an architect turn up today and he was suggesting / extolling that air source heat pumps were 300% efficient (?) - when questioned he as stating they took 1 kw of Electrical energy in and turned it into 3 kw of HEAT energy......
I've got no idea of the maintenance costs nor the noise they produce - which could right royally irk my delicate character.
As for costs I think their are various government led incentives :-
Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI)
Help with renewable energy costs for homeowners and landlords through the RHI scheme.
I have had one for the last 5 years, very happy with it. If outside is above 5-10C one can get a COP of 4-5, meaning one kW of electricity does produce 4-5 kW of heat. Nominally works down to -20C but COP gets worse and worse, I usually turn it off at -15C. Modern two stage pumps work down to -30C and practically -25C. At summer it cools like any air conditioner.
One option is to use a two stage pump to heat water at 60C and store heat and get warm water.
They are not cheap but beat direct electricity at heating almost any day. Of course one is dependent on electricity so a back up heater is a good idea at colder reagions.
One option is to use a two stage pump to heat water at 60C and store heat and get warm water.
They are not cheap but beat direct electricity at heating almost any day. Of course one is dependent on electricity so a back up heater is a good idea at colder reagions.
At between 5 and 8 thousand pounds for the system, not including radiators, it's not a cheap option.
www.renewableenergyhub.co.uk
A new gas boiler is well under one thousand, a combi boiler well under two thousand pounds. If it's fitted with an entire central heating system, radiators in every room, and hot water shower and taps, it's still, just, under four thousand. That was the quote last year for my three bedroom, two bathroom, end terrace house with a combi boiler and nine radiators and a ten year guarantee with the first three years servicing free.
householdquotes.co.uk
I think if building from new, or totally renovating a house, I would consider it, but to be honest, I think electricity is a better option. We're getting better all the time at improving the technology to harvest energy to make electricity, and we're getting better all the time at reducing how much electricity we actually use. LED lighting for instance, low energy requirement appliances, etc., really good insulation too.
In the home, it's quiet, it's not polluting the air and it's clean.
How do you find the noise level, @TLM ? and what servicing costs do you have to consider ?
How much does an Air Source Heat Pump cost to install, run and maintain UK?
How much do Air Source Heat Pumps or Ground Source Heat Pumps cost in the UK? All the information you need about heat pump prices at RenewableEnergyHub.co.uk
www.renewableenergyhub.co.uk
A new gas boiler is well under one thousand, a combi boiler well under two thousand pounds. If it's fitted with an entire central heating system, radiators in every room, and hot water shower and taps, it's still, just, under four thousand. That was the quote last year for my three bedroom, two bathroom, end terrace house with a combi boiler and nine radiators and a ten year guarantee with the first three years servicing free.
Central Heating Installation Costs in the UK: 2024 Guide
What is involved in installing central heating and what influences the cost? Find out here in our 2023 guide.
householdquotes.co.uk
I think if building from new, or totally renovating a house, I would consider it, but to be honest, I think electricity is a better option. We're getting better all the time at improving the technology to harvest energy to make electricity, and we're getting better all the time at reducing how much electricity we actually use. LED lighting for instance, low energy requirement appliances, etc., really good insulation too.
In the home, it's quiet, it's not polluting the air and it's clean.
How do you find the noise level, @TLM ? and what servicing costs do you have to consider ?
Mine was about eur 2500 installed that included one outside and one inside unit. I have air central heating so that takes care of distributing the heat.
In some cases the heat pump can be connected to an existing water system, it depends on the type of boiler one has.
In the five years so far no servicing. I have cleaned some filters on the inside unit.
The inside unit on full blower makes some noice but on a smaller setting no problems. The outside unit practically can't be heard if on steel springs the elastomer springs might cause a low noice.
In some cases the heat pump can be connected to an existing water system, it depends on the type of boiler one has.
In the five years so far no servicing. I have cleaned some filters on the inside unit.
The inside unit on full blower makes some noice but on a smaller setting no problems. The outside unit practically can't be heard if on steel springs the elastomer springs might cause a low noice.
At between 5 and 8 thousand pounds for the system, not including radiators, it's not a cheap option.
How much does an Air Source Heat Pump cost to install, run and maintain UK?
How much do Air Source Heat Pumps or Ground Source Heat Pumps cost in the UK? All the information you need about heat pump prices at RenewableEnergyHub.co.uk
A new gas boiler is well under one thousand, a combi boiler well under two thousand pounds. If it's fitted with an entire central heating system, radiators in every room, and hot water shower and taps, it's still, just, under four thousand. That was the quote last year for my three bedroom, two bathroom, end terrace house with a combi boiler and nine radiators and a ten year guarantee with the first three years servicing free.
Central Heating Installation Costs in the UK: 2024 Guide
What is involved in installing central heating and what influences the cost? Find out here in our 2023 guide.
I think if building from new, or totally renovating a house, I would consider it, but to be honest, I think electricity is a better option. We're getting better all the time at improving the technology to harvest energy to make electricity, and we're getting better all the time at reducing how much electricity we actually use. LED lighting for instance, low energy requirement appliances, etc., really good insulation too.
In the home, it's quiet, it's not polluting the air and it's clean.
How do you find the noise level, @TLM ? and what servicing costs do you have to consider ?
The initial outlay IS expensive but maybe worth investigation Toddy as there are payments available as detailed here:-
RHI
The Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) is there to help you use more renewable heat technologies. Discover how Daikin can help with this.
£ 7000 - £ 10000 payments towards the system over 7 years.
Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (Domestic RHI) - Applicants
Information on eligibility requirements and how to apply to the Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (DRHI) scheme.
If you read that thoroughly, the likelihood of someone actually getting £7K off a system (I believe their figures are considering a system costing up to £20K before annual servicing) are remote. A proportion, yes, and dependent upon the amount of heating that your system actually uses.
They also require that to benefit that one must adhere to the seven years of annual declarations, audit checks and 'ongoing obligations'.
We fitted a new combi boiler.
Each to their own, but it just wasn't worth it to us, and the noise we were told would be 'normal' wasn't like having the fan oven on, but more like the dishwasher or washing machine on spin. It has both a fan and a compressor running. Between 45 and 60 decibels. So, don't fit it anywhere that it'll annoy your neighbours.
They also require that to benefit that one must adhere to the seven years of annual declarations, audit checks and 'ongoing obligations'.
We fitted a new combi boiler.
Each to their own, but it just wasn't worth it to us, and the noise we were told would be 'normal' wasn't like having the fan oven on, but more like the dishwasher or washing machine on spin. It has both a fan and a compressor running. Between 45 and 60 decibels. So, don't fit it anywhere that it'll annoy your neighbours.
I had one heating an open air pool at my old work. I had someone tell me that it was as efficient as gas if working 100% perfect, but they often don't. Where that one was located, it was installed for an easy answer in the initial build. If they had tapped into the gas boiler that wasn't far off, it would have cost less over the years it was in use.
The 1:3 sounds right too.
In fairness, maintenance costs weren't too bad - I had it missed off the regular servicing for quite a few years and it worked ok. Did have a board blow at one point and that was about a grand to replace. Old tech though.
Noise from the fan wasn't too bad - just think of how noisy AC outdoor units are.
The 1:3 sounds right too.
In fairness, maintenance costs weren't too bad - I had it missed off the regular servicing for quite a few years and it worked ok. Did have a board blow at one point and that was about a grand to replace. Old tech though.
Noise from the fan wasn't too bad - just think of how noisy AC outdoor units are.
Electricity though is 3 times the price of gas, would a ground source be better ?
Unfortunatley as humans live in houses air needs to be vented to prevent damp and stop suffocation. All these things, heat pumps, small windows, insulation are missing the point you need to vent the air in the house. If your house is air tight enough.
A Domestic Heat Recovery Unit.
Can a heat recovery unit reduce or eliminate the need for a central heating system in your home. Potentially yes, but only if your home meets the following requirements!
www.eco-home-essentials.co.uk
Air change rates
Air change rates - Designing Buildings - Share your construction industry knowledge. Air is continuously exchanged between buildings and their surroundings as a result of mechanical and passive ventilation and infiltration through the building envelope. The rate at which air is exchanged is an...
Similar to the air heat pump, but working off a temperature difference far greater.
If I understand the technology correctly that installation requires quite an intensive upheaval and movement of a large amount of Soil over a large area of land. That although desirable , is not possible in this scenario.
just a thought ...
www.thegreenage.co.uk
Micro Hydroelectric Power - TheGreenAge
Hydroelectric power on a residential scale It is well known that energy is generated by building dams over giant underwater turbines; however it is possible to use micro hydro generators (
www.thegreenage.co.uk
just a thought ...
Micro Hydroelectric Power - TheGreenAge
Hydroelectric power on a residential scale It is well known that energy is generated by building dams over giant underwater turbines; however it is possible to use micro hydro generators (
I DO ( So DO !!!!! ) like that idea and will look into it. Unfortunately I neither own the stream nor the River that runs beside the property. Which is a Bummer.
However I will look into that for purely hypothetical purposes.
I do not think it requires all that much. But there are many different types.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geothermal_heat_pump#:~:text=Geothermal heat pump 1 Differing terms and definitions.,Installation. ... 10 See also More items...
AWADUKT THERMO 200mm
AWADUKT THERMO 200mm - AWADUKT THERMO 200mmIndividual parts for domestic systems to adapt or extend Domestic Packages
www.phstore.co.uk
But if you can do the heat air exchanger in the earlier post, 95 percent energy recoup on your vented air for minimal electric.
Gets kind of complicated. There are primary sources of energy and there are ways to recover it.
Air to air heat pump minimizes the expenditure on infrastructure but earth or water source is offering a near constant temp source which means that the pump can be optimized for that temp difference BUT it often requires a lot of tubing to gather the heat and glycol and pumps to circulate.
There are several ways to recover heat from ventilation, heat pump is one, not particularly effective way if direct exchange is used, good for storage though.
About 20 years ago a Finnish semigovernmental agency measured the energy expenditure of several families in at the time fully building code compliant houses. In many case more energy was used to heat water than to heat the house. From that some bureaucrat deduced that if one can insulate the house well enough one can make a "zero energy house". Well, that can be done but one would still be heating the house with lighting, warm water, kitchen appliances etc. but no energy used for direct heating. Made the bureaucrat happy but did not make much sense otherwise. About 400 mm wal insulation, 600 mm under the roof, small windows with blody expensive Argon filled heat selective glazing (Ar diffuses out in about 10 years, selective coating stays on). Looked like a bunker.
Rant over.
So, I have found air to air heat pump a good investment.
Air to air heat pump minimizes the expenditure on infrastructure but earth or water source is offering a near constant temp source which means that the pump can be optimized for that temp difference BUT it often requires a lot of tubing to gather the heat and glycol and pumps to circulate.
There are several ways to recover heat from ventilation, heat pump is one, not particularly effective way if direct exchange is used, good for storage though.
About 20 years ago a Finnish semigovernmental agency measured the energy expenditure of several families in at the time fully building code compliant houses. In many case more energy was used to heat water than to heat the house. From that some bureaucrat deduced that if one can insulate the house well enough one can make a "zero energy house". Well, that can be done but one would still be heating the house with lighting, warm water, kitchen appliances etc. but no energy used for direct heating. Made the bureaucrat happy but did not make much sense otherwise. About 400 mm wal insulation, 600 mm under the roof, small windows with blody expensive Argon filled heat selective glazing (Ar diffuses out in about 10 years, selective coating stays on). Looked like a bunker.
Rant over.
So, I have found air to air heat pump a good investment.
One good idea here was a floor drain that had a copper coil in it. The cold water to shower went through the coil and recovered a fairly good portion of heat wasted otherwise. It used the heat control in the tap to keep shower temp constant. One of the larger companies in the field bought it and buried it. So much for good working energy saving ideas.
Smart!
Drain-Water Heat Recovery
Did you know that you can use heat from water that you've already used to preheat more hot water -- and reduce your water heating costs?
The point pretty much was to use the tap's thermostat for temp control, they are almost universal here now. That is the same idea but not taken as far.
