Air source heat pumps extract free heat from the air outside, surrounding the building, and use this to heat the inside of a building and/or any hot water needs. In principle they work like a fridge in reverse. By using compressors and heat exchangers the heat is extracted from outside and upgraded before being delivered to the water or heating system.
Most modern systems now operate effectively and efficiently at very low outside temperature with -20ºC being common place. Because of the unique way a heat pump operates, it can upgrade the heat extracted from the outside. It is possible to produce up to 4 times the amount of heat energy compared to the electrical energy required to run the system.
Traditionally it has been thought that heat pumps must work with under floor heating. However with modern systems and controls we can offer equipment that can work with radiators. This means that we can retro-fit air source heat pumps on to existing radiator systems.
We have a number of options for heat pumps. This means we can tailor a system exactly to your needs. We assess the area requiring heating, any insulation requirements you may have, whether there is a need for hot water and if this needs to be linked to a solar thermal system. After this we can offer a full supply and installation service for all the items specified. This includes any alterations to electrical requirements, building fabric etc.
Ground source heat pumps extract “free” heat from either the ground or ponds. This is then fed to a buildings heating system via compressors, heat exchangers and pumps. The system in the building can be either traditional or convector radiators or under floor heating.
The heat extracted from the ground or ponds is placed there by the sun. In the UK at a depth of 1.5m the earth is almost constantly at a temperature of 12ºC. There are a number of ways of collecting the heat from the ground.
Ground Loops
a.) Horizontal pipe work can be laid into the ground in an excavation approx 35m long and with a width sized to suit the installation. This single trench has the advantage of being dug quickly.
b.) Slinky trenches. Trenches are dug and coils of pipe work are placed in them. The advantages of trenches is that they can be curved to fit the land available at the property. However they need to be on average 35-50m in length, but the overall area required vs. horizontal pipe work is less.Pond or Lake Loops
For this method pipes are laid just off the bottom of the lake or pond. This area being the warmest place in the winter. A relatively small pond can be utilised for the average sized dwelling.Bore Holes
Where there is not enough room at the property to install ground or pond loops then bore holes can be employed. These are drilled approximately 150mm diameter and can go up to 150m in depth. A flow and return pipe are fed down the bore hole and these extract the heat from the ground.
Because of the unique way in which heat pumps work they upgrade the heat coming from the ground before it is sent to the building heating system. This means that it is possible to generate up to 4 times as much heat energy for every unit of electrical energy used to run the system.
Once the system is specified we can offer a full installation service, including the installation of any trenches etc. Or clients can dig their own trenches or organise bore holes and we will install the heat pump system.
