What is a heat pump?

Are you familiar with the concept of a heat pump? A heat pump is a heating system that works by injecting energy into the home. A heat pump generally transmits this heat into the home via connection to a radiator, underfloor heating or fan heating system that is installed in the home. Heat pumps come in various varieties, including geothermal, aerothermal, air-water and air-to-air options.

How does a heat pump operate?

Whatever variety of heat pump you opt for (geothermal, aerothermal, air-water or air-to-air, for example), a heat pump is always a thermodynamic heating device. Essentially, a heat pump works by capturing heat that is found naturally in the air, in water and, sometimes but more rarely, in the earth.

This energy from the air, water or earth is then transferred into the home via the heat pump, eventually heating the home. A heat pump is not entirely environmentally friendly and clean to operate, as it does require electricity to run. However, a heat pump will consume less energy than it produces, making it an economical choice.

A heat pump is most often used to heat the home (or to cool the home, too, if it’s a heat pump with reversible functions). However, a heat pump can also be used to provide hot water for the home.

A heat pump is a great way to reduce your energy bill at home. Once you’ve got your heat pump up and running, why not install a Netatmo Smart Thermostat? This smart, easy to install device allows you to remotely adjust and program your home heat setup from your smartphone and tablet wherever you are, whenever you want. With a Netatmo Smart Thermostat, you can reduce your home energy consumption and optimise your heat levels!

The air-water heat pump

An air-water heat pump is a heat pump that captures heat energy from the air outside the home and transmits it into the water within your water-based heating systems inside the home.

The main plus point of this type of heat pump is that it can be connected up to your existing home heating system.

In winter, you might like to use an additional heat pump to boost the efficiency of your home heating setup. An air-water heat pump is a frequent sight in new build homes these days for a variety of reasons.

An air-water heat pump is based on renewable energy, recapturing energy from the air around the home and transferring this thermal energy into the water within your home central heating. Plus, the energy efficiency boost of the air-water heat pump contributes to bringing down heating bills for the home.

But there are further advantages to the air-water heat pump. This type of heat pump offers excellent levels of thermal comfort in the home, as well as being easy to install, connecting up to your existing home heating system.

There’s no need to factor in storage space for fuel in your home - as the heat pump doesn’t need any - and the heat pump itself can be used to contribute to your home heating and to generate hot water for your home.

Yet, there are some drawbacks to the air-water heat pump. First up, this type of heat pump can be noisy and take up a significant amount of space in the home. Second, the heat pump may not be strong enough to provide heating and hot water for the entire home, especially in winter. In fact, you might need to use the heat pump just as an additional heating and hot water boost.

While a standard air-water heat pump is an ecological option that uses renewable energy (albeit with electrical energy, too, to enable the pump to run), a reversible air-water heat pump is a less environmentally friendly option.

Air-to-air heat pump for affordable heating

What is an air-to-air heat pump and how does this type of heat pump differ from an air-water heat pump? This variety of heat pump is also known as an aerothermal heat pump. Basically, an air-to-air heat pump uses the energy found in the air outside the home to generate hot air to heat your home.

With this type of heat pump, you can make significant energy savings while protecting the environment. This is due to the fact that the air-to-air heat pump is a relatively clean option for home heating.

It’s important to note that, if you choose to go for an air-to-air heat pump, you’ll need a professional to install the pump in your home.

If you’re looking to bring down the costs of your home heating, an air-to-air heat pump is a great option for your home. Air-to-air heat pumps use renewable energy (the thermal energy found in the air). This thermal energy is also, of course, free of charge.

Remember, though, that while air-to-air heat pumps are a mostly clean source of heating for your home, they do still need some electrical energy to run. Therefore, they still do produce minimal carbon emissions.

There are also reversible air-to-air heat pump models out there, which can cool as well as heat your home. On the whole, the air-to-air heat pump is a cost friendly option for home heating!

Watch out though: an air-to-air heat pump can, in fact, stop working below very low temperatures. So, you won’t want to rely on an air-to-air heat pump for your entire home heating system.

The geothermal heat pump

The geothermal heat pump is the final type of heat pump that we’ll look at in this article. The most efficient of all the heat pump varieties, this type captures thermal energy from the earth, to transmit this heating energy into the home.

This type of heat pump is most often installed during the construction or significant renovation of a home, as the pump itself requires a large amount of installation work.

Overall, a heat pump is an excellent option for home heating that emits low levels of pollution and keeps energy costs low!