The unit will replace an existing boiler and can be considered the same as it has a Flow and Return water pipe in the same way as a standard boiler.
However the unit will be sited externally, near to an outside wall usually as close as possible to the cylinder position to minimise heat losses. We tend to use ‘Monobloc’ units where possible where all the equipment is contained in one unit. These units require no specialist Refrigerant Gas plumbing just standard water plumbing.
An air source heat pump can easily cover the heating requirements of a building but due to the lower temperature compared with traditional boilers, it is essential that your home is well insulated, draught proofed and ideally have double glazing. These measures will lower your heat demand and make the system more effective.
ASHPs can be used to heat water that is circulated through radiators but under floor heating is generally more effective due to the lower temperature produced. It may be necessary to replace some of the radiators with larger surface area radiators to comensate for the lower temperatures.
For the generation of hot water, It is not possible to retro-fit heat pump systems into existing cylinders as the surface area of the existing heat exchange coil is not sufficient to heat the water efficiently due to the lower temperatures. We will include in our quote for the supply and installation of a brand new insulated pressurised system cylinder with dedicated specialist Heat Pump coil, guaranteed to work at optimum efficiency with the new system.