Heat pumps seem to be all the rage at the moment. Given that they seem to be almost mysteriously magic in the way they run, requiring no gas or other hydrocarbons to operate, there’s good reason behind that steep rise in popularity.
That being said, they’re not actually magic, and they do have some drawbacks. Here, we take a more measured look at how efficient heat pumps can be for homeowners.
Exploring both how they work and which conditions are necessary for them to be an effective solution, by the end, you should have a clearer understanding of whether a heat pump might be the right option for you.
How do heat pumps work?
In short, heat pumps work by transferring heat from the surrounding environment – typically the air or the ground – and transferring it into your home. This isn’t just done using some kind of witchcraft – it requires a complex process of heat exchange, using refrigerant and electricity – and it won’t work in all situations.
It’s essentially an air conditioner that works backwards; instead of transferring heat to a cold environment, to reduce the temperature in a building, it does the inverse. Some heat pumps will transfer that heat into your home in the form of hot air, while others will heat liquid which can then be pumped into your radiators.
What conditions are necessary for heat pumps to function?
Heat pumps won’t work in all situations, and it’s crucial to thoroughly assess whether your home is suitable before getting one installed. There are services like Thermly that make that process a lot easier, but it’s also helpful to understand the basics yourself.
Relative temperature differences
For a heat pump to function, there has to be at least some heat in the surrounding environment to extract. That being said, they do still work at temperatures below freezing, working all the way down to around -28 degrees centigrade.
What does change is how efficiently they operate. At -15c, the coefficient of performance measurements (COP) drops down to 2, compared to 3.5 at 5c. This does mean that a heat pump still puts out 2x more energy than is put in when operating at -15c, making it a lot more efficient than gas alternatives.
Size of the property that needs heating
Larger properties typically require more energy to heat them compared to their smaller counterparts. While this becomes less important if your larger home is excellently insulated, you still want to think about how much space there is that you need to heat up.
Thermal efficiency of the home
When you have a heating system that can only put out a limited amount of energy, you need to make sure that your home isn’t losing too much heat. You can have a survey carried out and, based on the results, may need to make some adjustments to your insulation.
This has only begun to touch the heart of a complex issue, and it’s important that you seek further advice before making a decision. Heat pumps can be an excellent investment, and it’s well worth taking the time to see if they could be suitable for your home.
