The Ultimate Guide to Heat Pumps [2022]

Heat pumps will be much more affordable for homeowners thanks to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. The government plan will reduce the cost of air source heat pumps by £5,000 and ground source heat pumps by £6,000 between April 2022 and April 2025. 

You won't have to fill out a lengthy application either; if you let a ground source or air source heat pump installer know you're interested, they can apply on your behalf and apply the discount to your purchase. 

This is a start in the right direction, but what exactly are heat pumps? How do heat pumps work? What are the different types of heat pumps? We have given our ultimate guide to heat pumps below!

Need a reputable heating engineer in Ringmer, Eastbourne or Lewes to give advice or a quote for air source heat pump installation get in touch today on  07725 520980 or check out our air source heat pump page for more information. 

air source heat pump

What are heat pumps?

A heat pump is a device that takes heat from the outside and transfers it into your home. It does so by using energy, but the amount of heat provided to your home is far more than the amount of electricity necessary to operate the system. 

A heat pump does not consume any fuel and hence releases no carbon dioxide since it captures heat that is already present in the environment.

How does a heat pump work?

Thermal energy – or heat – is present in everything around us. Heat naturally moves from a warmer to a colder environment. We need heat to move in the other direction – from a colder place to a warmer place – to produce heat energy in a home when exterior temperatures are colder. But how does it accomplish this? 

A gas is known as a refrigerant is used, and a heat pump compresses it with electricity, increasing the pressure and thus the temperature. As the heat from the refrigerant is transported to your home via the heat exchanger, it cools slightly. After that, the refrigerant is allowed to expand and chill even further. 

It's now cold enough outside to absorb more heat and restart the process. The heat then delivered to the heat exchanger can then be used to heat your home. 

Types of heat pumps 

generally, heat pumps fall into two categories either air source heat pumps or ground source heat pumps 

 Air Source Heat Pumps

The cold refrigerant begins its journey in the exterior unit of an air source heat pump (ASHP) (called an evaporator). It uses fans to collect heat energy from air blown across a heat exchanger. Because of the vast volume of air that flows over the heat exchanger, even though the air is cool in the winter, there is plenty of energy available. Air source heat pumps also tend to be smaller and therefore better suited to smaller properties with less garden space. 

 Ground Source Heat Pumps

The thermal energy for a ground source heat pump (GSHP) is collected from water circulating in subsurface pipes and pumped to a heat exchanger within the house. The 'brine,' which is cool water combined with antifreeze, goes through the heat exchanger, transferring heat to the refrigerant, which continues its journey around the compressor circuit. Ground source heat pumps tend to be best suited for larger properties with a large garden space due to the size of the units.

If you need any advice or a quote for air source heat pumps then get in touch with our qualified, experienced & reputable team of heating engineers in Ringmer, Eastbourne & Lewes. 

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