3 Types of Heat Pump You Could Use to Heat Your Home

If you’re considering different ways to heat your home, 3 systems probably spring to mind: oil boilers, gas boilers and electric heaters. But have you thought about heat pumps? They’re use electricity but extract heat out of the air and ground to heat your home.

If you’re looking for new ways to heat your home, it’s a good idea to find out more about heat pumps. Read on to learn more about the 3 different types of heat pump you can use to heat your home.

Typically the cost of a heat pump is more than a gas boiler but with the government grants and the reduced running costs they can workout to be a cost effective upgrade.

Ground source heat pump

Average cost: £10,000-£18,000
Best benefit: Could reduce your heating bills and earn you money through the RHI
Main drawback: Expensive and can be difficult to install

Ground source heat pumps have been available for a while but not everyone knows how they work. They’re made up of pipes buried in the ground. These contain a combination of water and antifreeze and absorb heat from the ground. The antifreeze and water then pass through a heat exchanger and into a heat pump, which powers your water and home heating.

Ground source pumps aren’t particularly common, partly because of the way they have to be installed. The pipes need to sit approximately 2 metres deep into the ground, although they can be laid deeper and vertically instead. If you want to get a ground source heat pump, you’ll need an outdoor area that can be easily accessed by excavating machinery.

heat your homeIf a ground source heat pumps sounds like a good way to heat your home, you’ll have to ensure that it’s suitable for your property. A ground source heat pump works best with a wet underfloor heating system, as this needs cooler water than other water heating systems. But it is also compatible with radiators. It’s also sensible to ensure that your home is well-insulated before installing a heat pump.

You will need sufficient space for a ground source heat pump. A ground source heat pump can be complicated to install, but it can be less expensive and more efficient than your current system.

Air source heat pump

Average cost: £6,000-£8,000
Best benefit: Cheaper than a ground source heat pump. Can also reduce your bills and earn you money through the RHI
Main drawback: You’ll probably need a different system to heat your hot water supply

Air source heat pumps use energy from the air to heat your home. You don’t have to have much space for an air source heat pump, only some exterior wall or ground space with good air circulation. So they’re much easier to install than ground source heat pumps and are more likely to be suitable for your home.

There are two kinds of air source heat pump:

Air-to-water air source heat pumps

Air-to-water air source heat pumps heat water, which heats your property. These function best with wet underfloor heating systems. You can use an air-to-water air source heat pump to heat your hot water supply, but other heating systems are often more effective.

Air-to-air air source heat pumps

Air-to-air air source heat pumps heat air, which fans disperse around your property.You can’t use an air-to-air heat pump to heat water, but you can use it to distribute cold air around your property in warm weather.

Air source heat pumps aren’t usually a great way to heat your hot water supply. However, they can be a less expensive way to heat your home than your current system.

So if you’re considering getting a heat pump to heat your home, you’ve got 3 different choices. If you’re planning on installing one or need advice, click ‘Start my project‘ and fill in our online form. We’ll connect you with up to 4 heat pump professionals.