Air Source Heat Pump Engineers in Newlyn (1)

The basic concept of an air source heat pump is simple – it draws warmth from the air outside and transfers it into your home to heat it up.

Here’s a brief overview of how an air source heat pump works:

1. Air from outside your home is drawn in through a network of tubes filled with refrigerant gas, which is circulated at -28°c in order to extract heat energy from the air outside

2. The refrigerant gas passes through the heat pump compressor which increases the pressure and temperature causing it to change from a cold gas to a hot liquid

3. The hot liquid passes into the heat exchanger, which then heats water for both your radiator heating circuit and your taps

4. The refrigerant turns back into a cold gas and the cycle starts over again

Air source heat pumps are designed to operate at relatively low temperatures and be used over long periods of time to gently warm your home, compared to traditional boilers that use higher temperatures and typically heat in short bursts.

There are indeed, you can actually get three different types of air source heat pump:

• Air-to-water air source heat pumps – This type of air source heat pump transfers heat from the air into a ‘wet’ heating system to give you hot water and heat your home (similar to a traditional radiator central heating system). Only air to water air source heat pumps qualify for the UK’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme

• Air-to-air air source heat pumps – With an air-to-air heat pump, it quite simply transfers heat directly from outside into the air in your rooms but doesn't offer hot water for your home. Air conditioning units are air-to-air air source heat pumps

• Hybrid air source heat pumps – A hybrid heat pump system combines a heat pump with a traditional boiler. The two work together to provide hot water and heating and for your home

Air source heat pumps are generally considered to be a reliable type of heating system, with an average lifespan ranging from 15 - 25 years.

As with any piece of technical equipment, heat pumps come with their own pros and cons but when it comes to reliability they score pretty highly and typically require minimal maintenance.

Advantages of an air source heat pump

• Air source heat pumps can be roughly 3 to 4 times more efficient than a gas boiler

• They’re a low carbon source of energy

• You’ll notice low long-term running costs

• You may be eligible for a grant to help you with the cost of installing an air source heat pump in your home (£7,500 from the Boiler Upgrade Scheme

• They have a long lifespan and generally need a low level of maintenance

Disadvantages of an air source heat pump

• Installation costs for a heat pump are a lot higher than traditional boilers and, even with government initiatives, a heat pump costs more than other heating systems

• You may need to upgrade your home’s insulation before you can install an air source heat pump

• You whole process of buying and installing an air source pump can take around 12 weeks

• You'll need outdoor space for your heat pump unit and indoor space for the water storage tank

Although you might think they’re different pieces of equipment, an air conditioner unit is basically the same as an air source heat pump. The only difference is that an air source heat pump can heat and cool the air, whereas an air conditioner only cools the air.

Both systems use the same principle of transferring heat to change the temperature of the room in your home – whether they’re increasing or decreasing the temperature.

An air source heat pump will typically transfer heat into your home to warm it up (although it can also cool it, if needed), and an air conditioner will transfer heat out of your home to cool the air inside.

Do I need an air source heat pump or an air conditioner?

The answer depends on what you’re looking to achieve. If you’re looking for a system that can both heat and cool your home, it’s probably going to be an air source heat pump that you need.

If you’re looking to just cool your home in warmer weather, an air conditioner will do the job perfectly. And there are actually some models of air conditioner unit that offer a heating feature – in which case, you could install an air conditioner that will be able to heat your home as well

That said, if you’re looking for the most versatile, energy-efficient way to manage the temperature in your home then you should definitely look into air-to-air heat pumps.

If you want to know more about air source heat pumps, a good first step is to contact local air source heat pump engineers to get their professional advice and recommendations.

With our quick and easy online search you can find the best local air source heat pump engineers in your area and reach out to them yourself.

We also have our very handy request a quote tool that allows you to reach out to multiple local tradespeople at once – because we’ll do the legwork for you. All you need to do is post details about what you need help with and we’ll reach out to multiple air source heat pump experts near you and get them to contact you directly.

In a word, yes. Air source heat pumps can work well with radiators. However, if you have an existing boiler system with radiators in your home, there’s a chance you might need to upgrade your radiators to ensure the maximum efficiency of an air source heat pump system.

Also, it’s worth noting that air source heat pumps work at a lower temperature than a traditional gas or oil boiler, so you’ll notice that your radiators don’t feel as warm with a heat pump.

That’s totally normal because heat pump systems are more efficient and so they don't need to be as hot as a boiler system.

As a result, with an air source heat pump you’ll generate more gentle heating over longer periods of time rather than a boiler system that typically provides short bursts of heat on demand.

What size radiators do I need for an air source heat pump?

The size of radiators that you need will depend on the flow temperature of your air source heat pump – as they’ll need to reflect the same heat setting. The lower the flow temperature, the more effective your heat pump will be.

In order to work out what size radiators you need for your heat pump system, your radiator supplier or heat pump engineer will need to know how much heat you need to generate from your radiators.

If in doubt, we recommend speaking to local air source heat pump engineers to get their professional advice. If needed, they can come and carry out an inspection of your home to understand the specification of your heat pump system and what radiators you’ll need to achieve maximum performance.

No, an air source heat pump shouldn’t be installed in a garage. That’s because it needs a reliable source of fresh air flow to work properly, which it won’t get if it’s enclosed in a garage - or any indoor space for that matter.

Ideally, an air source heat pump should be positioned outside so that it has a constant source of fresh air to draw heat from.

You can install an air source heat pump indoors but it would need to be sufficiently ducted to allow it to draw in fresh air from outside and expel it – so it’s just a lot easier if the heat pump is installed outside.

Your air source heat pump engineer should advise on the best location to install your heat pump unit, but here are some tips for where that location should be:

• Ideally it should be on the floor beside your property – This keeps pipework to a minimum and also makes it easier to access for servicing or regular maintenance work. If it can’t be fitted on the ground then it should be installed with brackets at head-height to ensure it’s still easily accessible

• Keep it free from covers and blockages – You might be tempted to build a little shed or other covering to hide your heat pump unit, but that can seriously impact the performance of the heat pump itself. It needs to be out in the open so that it can draw plenty of fresh air through the sides and back (and expel cold air back out the front)

• Outdoors is best – As mentioned, your air source heat pump needs constant access to fresh air flow and that means being outside your home is the best place for it. Plus, having your heat pump unit indoors could effectively turn the room into a fridge because of the cool air the unit will expel

• Pay attention to permitted development criteria – To avoid having to seek planning permission for your heat pump, you’ll need to comply with all the requirements for it to fall under permitted developments