Checklist before buying a heat pump

A number of questions should be addressed before you consider buying a heat pump. Please consider our guide and hopefully all should become clearer and perhaps a little easier to decide: 

Is it a new build/renovation/barn conversion?

If Oil or Bottled Gas are your only alternatives a heat pump is a particularly attractive investment. Assuming the construction is to Part L Building Regulation compliant then the watts/m2 will be sufficiently low as to allow the use of an energy efficient system like a heat pump. Underfloor heating systems offer a higher efficiency but radiators when correctly sized provide an acceptable compromise.

Do I have enough land?

Roughly speaking you need between 1 and 5 times the total floor area depending on the condition of the ground. If a ground source heat pump is not practical many customers are now fitting air source heat pumps as they still offer a very efficient solution.

What is your present heating supply?

Oil Fired Boiler / Electric Heating / Bottled Gas Heating / Solid Fuel.. Are you happy with its efficiency and cost to run? Is your bulky boiler failing? Or, fed up with endless wood/coal handling and ash dust clearing? A professionally installed heat pump should offer you security, comfort, total economical efficiency and a low carbon solution. Mains gas, Bottled gas, Oil, Gas and Coal are becoming scarce and the cost trend is upwards. Electricity is efficient but on a conventional underfloor system it is expensive to run.

How much electricity will I need/use?

Because Heat Pumps replace your existing energy source with electricity, your electricity usage will rise. A rough guide would be to divide your oil/LPG usage by 1/3 and this will give an indication of the additional cost of your electricity.

Is my electricity supply sufficient?

A heat pump will draw current appropriate to its size. If your supply is insufficient it is often possible to upgrade your main fuse by contacting your power company and explaining your requirements. If not, it may be necessary to install a smaller heat pump supported by a combustion boiler for peak times. This will still provide significant savings. In addition, a heat pump draws a surge of current when it starts and this needs to be managed by an appropriate supply and breaker.

How old is the system?

How efficient is it and how many years before it needs replacing? It may not need replacing, but if it is running inefficiently this is counter productive and costly. An average combustion boiler systems run at 80% efficiency when properly maintained and as the efficiency of combustion systems decreases over their lifetime and between services, you could find your system wastes up to 50% of the energy consumed.

How much space does it take up?

A heat pump uses roughly half a square meter of floor space; this could free an area which was previously occupied by a tank? If you are replacing your boiler a Heatpump can probably can fit inside the footprint of your existing machine No Oil tank or gas bottles in the garden and no risk of oil theft!)

What are your current energy costs?

A heat pump could save two thirds of your energy costs and typically on an Oil /LPG system provide a investment recovery period of five to six years. If you are spending £1000 p/a on oil you would save £750 p/a by using a professionally designed and installed heat pump.

Can I use my existing heating system?

Very possibly, the following frequently asked questions may help..

Is your system a single pipe system or microbore? Systems, which run a single pipe from radiator to radiator or use small-bore pipe are unsuited to a heat pumps.

Are the radiators big and efficient? Radiators are commonly oversized and this may be sufficient to allow the heat into the rooms. If not larger replacement radiators will be required. Radiators with multiple layers of paint or radiator covers over them may require replacement.

Is your existing system 22mm core copper pipe with 15mm copper tails to the radiators? You would need this as a minimum to facilitate the flow needs of a heat pump system.

Is in good working order, with good circulation and sound joints? An old system with poor circulation and vulnerable joints may be inefficient and fail under the pressure of a new system.

Can I leave my existing oil tank/boiler/oil cooker in? Very probably, we have the experience and understanding to combine your existing boiler with our heat pump. This is often a practical solution to a home where the heat losses from the house on a very cold day are too great for a heat pump to support and the boiler supplements the heating. This allows us to size a smaller pump which will manage the vast majority of the heating requirements and hot water at a significant saving.