With modern times comes modern heating and cooling systems, and we should be grateful for the numerous options available. One such system is a heat pump. Installing a heat pump allows houses to be heated and cooled efficiently, with significant savings in terms of electricity bills. Now, in order to buy a pump, you are going to need a professional review. Here are some tips you might find useful when you decide to buy a heat pump.
How Does It Work?
Heat pumps have achieved remarkable diffusion and popularity in recent years, as they are capable of effectively heating and cooling environments while allowing significant energy savings. Similar to an air conditioner, a heat pump uses the principles of cooling rather than the combustion of fuel for heating and cooling.
The operation of a heat pump is very simple: it uses the heat from a natural source (air, water) and transports it inside the premises. From steam to liquid and vice versa, a special refrigerant contained within the pump releases the heat into the house. The heat pump air conditioner can also be used as a cooling system, as it also works well thanks to a good amount of electricity. This is known as the split system heat pump. It has both indoor and outdoor components, which are very useful in energy saving.
For this reason, if you want to completely reduce the cost of your bill, the ideal would be to combine a heat pump with a photovoltaic system. For the installation of the said system, you should contact a professional.
Which Power Source to Choose?
As mentioned, there are three types of heat pumps: air-to-air, water-to-air, and groundwater, depending on the heat source used.
If you have a vegetable garden or a small orchard, you can opt for the installation of a geothermal collector, which is a system that can exploit the subsoil as a heat source, if you want to take advantage of the water as a thermal source. However, it is necessary to carefully analyze the quality of the heat source and the installation conditions, in order to assess the economic feasibility as well.
Hence, in most cases, it will be possible to install a heat pump that exploits the air, so authorization is not required and that means lower installation costs.
Pros and Cons
One of the best reasons to install and use the heat pump is the benefit from the tax deduction of 65% of the costs incurred. In addition, it allows a saving on the bill of approximately 30%, compared to traditional heating systems. Moreover, the latest models can produce domestic hot water, which turned out to be a great substitution for the traditional boilers.
Another great thing is that the maintenance and management costs are lower than those associated with running a traditional boiler.
Speaking of advantages, a modern heat pump reduces the level of humidity in the environment and increases the market value of the property. Isn’t this something we all want to achieve lately?
However, you must be aware of certain features that might not suit you, when it comes to heat pumps.
The main one is that they do not function optimally if they are continuously exposed to freezing temperatures, which causes ice formation on the outdoor unit. So, if you want this kind of heating to work, you can make a cabin, a pantry, or a small utility room for the pump, and thus protect it during harsh winters. This is, of course, after proper evaluating and estimation by the professionals.
Calculate the Required Thermal Power
To choose the most suitable heat pump for each environment, it is essential to know the heat production necessary for heating, expressed in kW.
Calculating the heat requirement necessary to heat the home is not easy because you must take into account factors such as insulation, the presence of insulation on the walls, the amount and type of accessories, and exposure to the sun
Let’s do a rough estimation: for a 100 square meter apartment with 3 meter high ceilings and an average insulation coefficient, the best heat pump should have a heat output of 15 kW (100 x 3 x 0.05).
Another factor to take into account is the coefficient of performance (COP), or the relationship between the thermal energy supplied to the environment to be heated, and the electricity used at the entrance: the higher the COP, the more efficient the machine. That means low consumption.
To sum up, getting the right heat pump for your home is a combination of an exact calculation of the space to be heated (or cooled), taking into account all the characteristics of the home. In addition, you need up-to-date knowledge of the performance specifications of all available makes and models. Once you cover these pieces of information, you are good to choose the pump and enjoy a truly modern heating system.