Do heat pumps work.

Heat pumps are being sold to consumers as an Eco-Friendly way of heating their homes, but are they suitable for older or larger homes?

A heat pump is an electric-powered system that uses heat from the air or ground for hot water or heating.

some consumers remain unsure about taking the plunge as there is a substantial upfront cost associated with heat pumps, however, there is also a £7,500 Government grant available.

Experts do however feel that heat pumps can work, even where a gas boiler might have struggled.

The Energy Systems Catapult (ESC) an independent research and technology organization, found heat pumps could be successfully installed in all types of homes. “If a trained installer says that your house could have a heat pump, and installs it correctly, it should perform well regardless of the type or age”

There may be upgrades that are required such as double-glazing, underfloor insulation, replacement radiators and zoning the heating system but combined with these it is still worth investigating. Of course sometimes it’s just not the right thing but, typically, even in a solid wall house, so long as they have double glazing and good loft insulation a heat pump can be installed.

It is advisable to keep the heating on at a constant temperature throughout the year to enable your home to store warmth in the walls and enable the heat pump to run efficiently. With this approach the heat pump works hardest overnight, when variable tariffs help keep utility bills down.

So long as your engineer understands how to calculate the heating requirements and design the system, with correctly-sized radiators, etc., energy efficiency improvements can be achieved.

It is essential to get a heat-loss calculation assessment as a starting point, to conduct heat loss assessments and tests (for draughts that can be easily fixed) This will allow your engineer to design your system for maximum results. Once installed, do expect your engineers need to return to adjust the system to ensure it is working efficiently.

You will then be able to run the system all day and research shows it shouldn’t cost you any more to run than your gas boiler.

If you found this article useful please check out the other articles on my blog and if you need any assistance with a planning application, etc, please get in touch.

Any feedback is always welcome.