Heat pumps are a modern solution that is constantly gaining popularity. Depending on the type, they use free energy stored in the air, water or ground. This makes them an exceptionally economical and ecological source of heat. Due to their numerous advantages, it is worth replacing traditional combustion heating systems with them. Read the most important information about heat pumps!
In this article you will learn:
- what are the advantages of heat pumps,
- what types of heat pumps do we distinguish,
- which heat pump to choose for heating your home.
Heat pumps for home heating
A heat pump is one of the alternative sources of heat energy that has a number of advantages. Why is it worth using them in a home heating system?
- Energy drawn from the ground, water or air is completely free.
- The device does not emit exhaust fumes or other harmful substances into the environment.
- Heat pumps maintain their efficiency even at very low outside temperatures.
- This system can be combined with underfloor heating or low-temperature radiators.
- Heat pumps are characterized by a very long service life.
- The user does not have to purchase and store any fuel.
- This type of solution eliminates the need to build a chimney.
- Operating the device is very simple and comes down to setting the appropriate operating parameters.
- The pump does not generate ash and does not require regular cleaning or maintenance.
Check out Vaillant heat pumps at the Onninen wholesaler
Installing a heat pump seems to be the ideal solution for a home heating system. However, it is worth considering where all the advantages of this device come from. What is its operating principle?
Vaillant heat pumps in the wholesale offer
The heat pump consists of, among others:
- an exchanger that extracts heat from water, ground or air,
- compressors,
- heat exchanger,
- expanded valve.
The unit processes and transfers energy from the lower heat source to the upper heat source, i.e. the heat distribution system in the building. The mechanism of operation of each pump is based on a similar principle - when the gas is compressed, its temperature increases, and at the moment of expansion, a large amount of heat is absorbed from the environment. Thanks to the work of the key element of the device, i.e. the compressor, the heating medium circulates inside the pump. When the gas evaporates, it receives heat and condenses, transferring it to the installation. To sum up, we can say that the pump forces the flow of thermal energy from a lower temperature environment to a higher temperature environment.
Check out Vaillant heat pumps at the Onninen wholesaler
It is worth remembering that heat pumps need an external power supply that will allow them to process the energy obtained from the source. For this purpose, they are connected to the electricity grid. Although the share of electricity in heating the building and preparing domestic hot water is only about 20%, during the heating season some pumps can use a lot of it. For this reason, experts recommend combining them with photovoltaic installations, which guarantee free electricity.
Types of heat pumps
Heat pumps are classified primarily by the source from which they obtain energy. The key division of this type of device includes air, water and ground pumps.
Air source heat pump
The undoubted advantage of air heat pumps is the relatively low cost of their installation. In this case, the source of energy is air taken from outside. The smaller the difference between its temperature and the supply temperature of the heating system, the greater the efficiency of the device and the lower the power consumption. Depending on the method of transporting thermal energy, we can distinguish:
- air-to-water heat pumps – the energy is transferred to the heating circuit and the hot water tank,
- air-to-air heat pumps – heat is transferred directly to the interior of the building.
Importantly, an air heat pump can be used in all conditions. However, due to limited efficiency (especially in the case of very low outside temperatures), the building should be equipped with an additional heating source. The best combinations are with low-temperature systems, such as underfloor heating.
Ground source heat pump
The ground pump is characterized by very high work efficiency, thanks to which this type of device can be the only source of heat in the building. Although this solution enjoys great interest, investors often give up on it due to the very high installation costs. In the case of using a vertical exchanger, it is necessary to make deep boreholes, reaching even 100 meters. Horizontal exchangers, on the other hand, require a large area for their installation.
In the case of ground-source pumps, the lower heat source is – as you might guess – the ground temperature. The energy can be transported both to the heating circuit and to the hot water tank.
Water heat pump
The water pump is characterized by even higher energy efficiency than the ground pump. In this case, the heat energy is collected from flowing groundwater. Although the device can be the only source of heating in the building, for many users the investment costs will again be a problem. The external power source of the pump is electricity, oil or gas.
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Heat pumps in the Onninen offer
Are you looking for efficient heat pumps for your customers? Be sure to check out the Vaillant brand, available in our online wholesale offer. On the international market, this manufacturer is the undisputed leader in the field of energy-efficient heating and ventilation systems, which primarily use renewable energy sources. It specializes in heating, cooling, photovoltaic and recuperation systems.
Vaillant offers a wide range of heat pumps, which you can find on the Onninen website:
- Split air-water pump – a set consisting of a VWL 77/5IS wall module, a VIH RW 300/3BR tank and a sensoCOMFORT 720 controller. As it is a split device, it is subject to the F-gas act. This means that its installation must be performed by a person with appropriate qualifications.
- Package VWL 75/5AS+VWL 78/5IS+VRC720 – this is also a split set, with similar specifications to the model described above. However, it is distinguished by the lack of a domestic hot water tank.
- Monoblock air-to-water pump – the product consists of the uniTOWER VIH QW 190/6E heating unit, the VPS R 100/1M buffer and the sensoCOMFORT 720 controller. The aroTHERM plus VWL 125/6A model is a hermetic device, therefore, its installation does not require F-gas authorisation.
- Compact air-to-water pump – this is another monoblock from the Vaillant offer, which is characterized by significantly smaller dimensions than the one described above. It has the form of a lightweight wall module MEH 97/6 and is also equipped with a sensoCOMFORT 720 controller.
Vaillant's wide selection of heat pumps will undoubtedly allow you to choose a device that is ideally suited to the needs of your customers. It is worth encouraging them to invest in such solutions, because they are not only good for their wallets, but also for the environment.
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