RENEWABLE - RELIABLE - ALTERNATIVE
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AIR-SOURCE HEAT PUMPS
The best way to explain how a heat pump works is think how a fridge works. All the components of a heat pump are almost the same as a refrigerator, as they carry out the same functions. The main difference is a heat pump works in reverse to a fridge.
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An air source heat pump works much like a fridge operating in reverse to heat your home. Outside air is blown over a network of tubes filled with a refrigerant. This warms up the refrigerant, and it turns from a liquid into a gas.
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This gas then passes through a compressor, which increases the pressure. Compression also adds more heat – similar to how the air hose warms up when you top up the air pressure in your cars tyre's. These compressed, hot gases now pass into a heat exchanger, surrounded by cool air or water. The refrigerant transfers its heat to this cool air or water, making it warm. And this is circulated around your home to provide heating. Meanwhile, the refrigerant condenses back into a cool liquid and starts the cycle all over again
Quite simply every 1 kilowatt of energy that is used by the heat pump it creates between 2-5 kilowatts. A kilowatt is a unit of energy, therefore a heat pump creates its own energy.
This can makes air source heat pumps up to 300% efficient whereas a gas boiler is between 88-92 % efficient. Not only do you save on your bills but if your heat pump is installed before the end of march 2022 the government will reward you with the renewable heat incentive. Therefore if your system is installed correctly (by an MCS accredited installer) you could receive back up to £10,000 over 7 years.
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Don't hesitate to get in touch if you have and questions or need some advice with what you are planning. We are always happy to have a no obligation chat to discuss how we can help you with your switch-over to renewable energy.
Installing an air source heat pump is a big decision. So you need to weigh up whether it’s the right fit for your home.
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Air source heat pumps offer a low-carbon alternative to gas or oil-fired central heating. And while they’re comparatively expensive to install, this may be offset by grants and lower running costs.
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They’re best suited to well-insulated modern homes – working alongside technologies like underfloor heating. But they’re just as effective in older properties as part of a hybrid heat pump system to reduce costs and emissions. And it’s likely we’ll see many more installations as we shift to low-carbon heating systems to help Britain achieve Net Zero by 2050.
