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Air to Water Heatpumps

  • 02-10-2010 2:58pm
    #1
    jupiter00
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 77 ✭✭


    We were thinking of installing air to water heat pump to run our underfloor heating system.
    We are using our oil fired boiler at present and we wanted to know if anyone has experience of having installed a heat pump (retro fit) and how it is working. Could anyone reccommend a company/person in the Cork or Munster area who does this?


Comments

  • #2
    heinbloed
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,632 ✭✭✭heinbloed


    Engage an energy advisor. HPs are advertised as efficient but the heating systems working with HPs usually aren't. Most fail in economical efficiency as well as in the ecological sense.
    If smoene claims anything else ask for a written guarantee concerning future energy demand of the heating system and anual costs incl. maintenance.
    ESP. the air-to-water HPs are the bottom line of economics.

    See also here:

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/sep/08/heat-pumps-green-heating

    Or for a more detailed field test including brands and manufacturers (in German language only):

    http://www.agenda-energie-lahr.de/

    Always insist on a signed guarantee concerning electricity usage of the entire installed heating system, incl. the pumps and valves and controls, defrosting, domestic hot water etc...


  • #3
    JohnnieK
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,526 ✭✭✭JohnnieK


    Heat pumps work best with underfloor heating but be very carefull, it must be sized correctly especially on a retro fit. Also a secondary heat source will have to be considered for the domestic hot water store like an electric immersion to bring the temp of the water up to the recomended 60oC storage temp, if the heat pump is to be used to bring the hot water to this temp it will be inefficient. If you are going down this road make sure you choose a unit with a high COP although this usually means it will be more expensive. COP basically means for every 1kW of energy used you will get a certain amount of heat energy from the unit eg, A unit with a COP of 3.4 would mean for every 1kW of energy used you will get 3.4kW of heat energy from the unit.
    Have you considered a condensing oil boiler to replace your existing one? Chances arte the boiler you have there is over sized anyway.


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