Air to water heat pumps (also referred to as air source heat pumps) convert electricity into
thermal energy that is then used for heating radiators, underfloor systems or wet central
heating systems. They can deliver one and a half to three times more heat than what their
electric bill covers.
Air to water heat pumps utilise a heat exchanger, refrigerant and electricity to produce far
more thermal energy than they consume in electricity costs. As such, they are highly
effective and cost-efficient – performing strongly all year round.
This type of system comes in two varieties – split and monobloc heat pumps. A split heat pump
features an outdoor fan unit connected by two pipes containing refrigerant that connects
directly to an indoor unit that houses both heat exchanger and main controller components.
Air to water heat pumps harvest low-temperature heating energy from outside and distribute it
through a hydronic (warm water) distribution system in the home for use heating radiators
and underfloor systems, or acting as reverse cycle air conditioners to cool your property
with ease. They’re often installed when building or expanding, as installing underfloor
heating at this stage is generally less expensive than retrofitting later.
An air to water heat pump offers high thermal efficiencies that enable it to take the place
of boilers, providing heat without the use of gas. Differing from both ductless minisplits
and geoexchange systems, monoblock air to water heat pumps often combine the outdoor
condenser and indoor hydrobox into one unit, with flow between zones being controlled via
variable-speed pressure-regulated circulators. They can provide zoned heating via radiant
floors or panel radiators while cooling/dehumidifying fans can be configured to cool airflow
over small fan-coil convectors; additionally they can supply most or all of the energy
necessary for domestic hot water production.
Air to water heat pumps offer an environmentally-friendly alternative to
combustion heating systems. There are no harmful emissions produced, and their
refrigerant (R290) is climate-friendly replacement for previous systems that used potent
greenhouse gases like HFCs. Furthermore, modern inverter models of these heat pumps allow
homeowners to select only as much heating output at any given time – thus cutting energy
consumption and heating costs significantly.
Air-to-water heat pumps also offer cooling advantages, operating similarly to standard split
system air conditioners but cooling the incoming water instead. Furthermore, they can be
connected to low temperature hydronic delivery systems like underfloor or radiator heating –
providing greater flexibility than traditional heating systems in hybrid applications.
As previously noted, solar thermal panels offer one to three times more thermal energy than
they consume in electricity consumption, providing extremely low operating costs that make
them an appealing solution for homeowners and businesses looking to reduce their carbon
footprint.