Air Source Heat Pumps
An air source heat pump is a low-carbon heating source. It uses a refrigeration cycle to move heat from the air outside and transfers it as usable heat in your home.
Air source heat pumps, like boilers, are a heat source, but they deliver lower temperatures than a boiler. As such, they ideally need to be carefully designed into well-insulated, airtight homes to ensure optimum efficiency.
What are the benefits of Air Source Heat Pumps?
There are many benefits to installing an air source heat pump, including:
Unlike a gas boiler, an air source heat pump does not produce carbon when operating.
While they do use electricity, ASHPs can be combined with solar PV panels for clean electricity.
In the right context, air source heat pumps have comparatively low running costs, especially when compared with off-grid fuels such as propane, oil or direct electric heating.
The outdoor unit takes up less space as compared to an above-ground oil or LPG tank.
Are there any drawbacks to installing an air source heat pump?
They are not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution and may not be suitable for every home in the same way as gas boilers are. They’re ideally paired with well-insulated, airtight homes.
Installing an air source heat pump in an existing home is more complex than replacing a gas boiler, it will inevitably take longer and be a bit more disruptive.
Electricity is still needed to power an air source heat pump, so they are not entirely ‘renewable’ unless paired with PV panels
Electricity prices are currently high. Campaigners are asking the government to move environmental levies off of electricity bills with the focus on air source heat pumps, to ensure that it’s always cheaper to run a heat pump than a gas boiler.
The bigger the difference between the outside air and the target temperature (either the indoor room temperature or domestic hot water), the lower the efficiency.
A separate solution may be required for providing hot water for the home.
Is my home suitable for an Air Source Heat Pump?
Air Source Heat Pumps are suitable for your home if:
- You are replacing more expensive heating systems such as electric storage heaters, oil, liquefied petroleum gas or coal
- You have outside space to install the air source heat pump, either at the side or back of your property
- You have good insulation in order to retain the heat generated from an air source heat pump
- You have solar panels or another renewable source, as this will help to further reduce the electricity costs from running the air source heat pump, although this isn’t essential
Frequently Asked Questions
An Air Source Heat Pump extracts heat from the outside air, it is absorbed into a fluid and then passed through a heat exchanger into the heat pump. It then transfers the heat to water and delivers heating and hot water efficiently and cost-effectively (even at very low temperatures) to radiators, underfloor heating and the hot water tank.
Yes, the system performs down to air temperatures of -10°c which means that they are more than suitable for installations within the UK. Hot water and Heating can be provided 365 days a year.
Yes the system we install can help you significantly reduce your CO2 emissions compared to conventional gas, oil or LPG boilers.
No, because it comes as a factory-sealed unit, like a fridge. The lifespan of a typical heat pump system is 20-25 years.
Yes. A correctly designed system would deliver all the water and heat your home requires.
The CoP of a heat pump is a measure of how efficient the heat pump system is. For example a CoP of 4 means that for every unit of electricity provided to the heat pump 4 units of heat are provided.
In some cases you can, depending on the size and condition of your existing radiators, we may replace them for larger ones.
Yes! Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels generate electricity that can be used not only power your home appliances but electric vehicles too. Solar compatible EV Chargers such as the myenergi Zappi , are able to divert your excess solar energy from your Solar PV Panels directly to your plugged in EV. It’s simply, drive off sunshine! If you plan on using off-peak times to charge you car, you’ll need a solar battery to store the solar energy you’ve generated throughout the day.
That depends on the heating system you are replacing. If you currently have an inefficient oil or LPG boiler you will find an ASHP will be more cost effective for you. If you have a gas boiler it will be more expensive to run and ASHP because at current market prices electricity is significantly more expensive per unit than gas. We will always advise to pair an ASHP with solar PV to reduce the cost of your electricity bill and to help make your system even greener. .
Each home is different, but generally 3-5 days, depending on a number of factors.
After we’ve assessed your eligibility for funding, your property will have a retrofit assessment survey and a retrofit coordinator will design a plan for your home. We’re not able to give advice on energy efficiency measures for your home until that assessment has taken place.
