Heat pumps use the same principal to transfer heat that fridges use. Fridges keep cool by pumping heat away from food and drink to the metal grid on the back; heat pumps extract heat from the renewable source and pump it into buildings. A refrigeration cycle uses the renewable heat that is extracted from the air, ground or water to boil a liquid refrigerant into a gas, which is then compressed to increase its temperature.

They are the most efficient way to heat a building. Each unit of electricity used to power the system generates around four units of heat i.e. 400% efficient!

Cost savings of up to 60% on Ground Source and  40% on Air Source (depending on heat loss and insulation levels).

Ground Source Heat Pumps collect heat from the ground using a network of pipes buried either horizontally in trenches or vertically in boreholes.

Air source heat pumps collect heat from the air so there is no need to install an extensive ground loop (ground heat collector). This allows for a much simpler, quicker installation. Air source units can be sited within, close to, or a distance of up to 50m away from the building.

Installing the heat pump, hot water cylinder and buffer tank usually takes just over a week. Then the system needs filling, clearing of air and debris. As every building is different, optimising for the property it’s in can take a couple of days or a couple of weeks.

Boreholes typically take 2 days per hole; horizontal pipe work depends on the size of the system, the terrain, weather and the machinery available.

The heating is controlled automatically, and this is set up when the heat pump is installed. If the weather gets colder, then the heating water gets warmer – this is called “weather compensation”. Rooms can be set up as zones and heated to specific temperatures.

Yes. Hot water takes priority so if you have a bath and drain the tank, the heat pump will automatically heat it up again.

This usually depends on the age of the house, how much land or water you have available and what your priorities are.

Modern quality air source heat pumps are very quiet and if installed considerately, will not disturb anybody.

This depends on how good your insulation is, and the output of your radiators at heat pump temperatures i.e. 45 degrees centigrade. As heat pumps tend to run at lower flow temperatures than conventional systems, radiators may need to be larger to achieve the same output. Alternatively, smaller fan assisted radiators can be specified.

In fact underfloor heating systems work the most efficiently with heat pumps, as they are designed for lower flow temperatures. With a conventional boiler, the flow temperature has to be reduced before going into the underfloor pipework or the flooring could melt!

This is the ratio of electricity consumed powering the system to heat produced. The Co-efficient of Performance is a bench test of system efficiency under laboratory conditions. The higher the CoP, the more efficient the system. Generally we would expect the CoP to be around 3.6 – 4.8 for a heat pump running at a 35°C flow temperature.

The heat pump system requires an annual service to make sure that the components, controls and liquids in the system are in the correct range.

A good quality air source heat pump should last around 12 years.

A ground source heat pump should last over 20 years. The ground loops generally have a design life of 50 years but should last a lot longer!

We don’t just install the technology and leave you to it, it is important that your system is maintained and that if you have a problem, you are properly supported.