With the growing interest in ecological and energy-saving solutions ensuring comfortable heating of the house and domestic water with low energy consumption, heat pumps with buffer exchangers and buffer tanks have become a natural choice when designing modern heating systems. Hence, the selection of appropriate hot water heat exchangers and buffer tanks is crucial for the effectiveness and efficiency of the heat pump system. What should you pay attention to when purchasing this type of tanks and buffer exchangers? This question is answered by Arkadiusz Świerad, an expert from KOSPEL .
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Why is it worth installing a heat exchanger and a buffer tank?
Installing a heat exchanger for domestic water (DHW) and a buffer tank for central heating (CH) connected to a heat pump has many benefits. First of all, it increases the efficiency of the entire heating system. The heat exchanger allows for effective heat exchange between the heating fluid and utility water, which translates into faster and more effective water heating.
Additionally, the buffer tank plays a key role in maintaining a constant temperature in the central heating. The buffer then acts as a heat store, collecting excess energy when the heat pump is operating at full capacity. Later, when the demand for heat is greater, the buffer tank releases the stored energy, ensuring stable and comfortable heating.
It should also be emphasized that the installation of a buffer and heat exchanger supports the heat pump, which results in energy savings. Thanks to the improved efficiency of the heating system, the heat pump works more efficiently, which leads to lower energy consumption and lower heating bills.
How to choose a heat exchanger?
The choice of the appropriate hot water exchanger depends on the individual needs and conditions of each heating system. However, heat pumps are low-temperature heating sources, therefore all devices cooperating with them, including the buffer exchanger, should have a large heat exchange surface. And in the case of hot water exchangers, this will be the surface of the coil. The large heating surface of the coil guarantees that a given exchanger is the best for a heat pump. This enables more efficient heat transfer, which translates into greater efficiency and energy savings.
It should be remembered that these devices come in various sizes and configurations, which allows them to be adapted to the needs and number of people in the household. An interesting solution here will be the Kospel SWPC-300 series of heat exchangers , which has a capacity of 305 l and a set of parallel connected coils with a total area of 4.22 sq m, which makes it ideal for heat pumps - says Arkadiusz Świerad, an expert at the company KOSPEL.
How to choose the right buffer tank?
In turn, the buffer tank supports the operation of the heat pump, operating on the principle of a hydraulic clutch, also supporting room cooling and the defrost function of the pump we have selected. For this reason, it is worth taking into account the appropriate insulation of the buffer tank, the capacity recommended by the heat pump manufacturer, the compactness and the connection possibilities of the tank to the heat pump.
A perfect example is the KOSPEL SVK-100L buffer . This buffer was created to work with a heat pump, and has energy class A. Thanks to the connections pointing upwards, the tank can be easily installed under the internal unit of the heat pump or an electric boiler. Importantly, the buffer tank, in cooperation with a heat pump, can operate in a heating or heating and cooling system.
Check out the KOSPEL SVK-100L buffer tank at the Onninen wholesaler
When to choose a heat pump set with a heat exchanger and a buffer tank?
If you are not yet using a heat pump, it is best to purchase a full set of devices included in the heating installation, together with a heat exchanger and a buffer. For this reason, KOSPEL has created a complete heating system with the HPM2 heat pump, which includes an HPMO2 outdoor unit and an HPMI2 indoor unit, as well as an SVK buffer tank and an SWPC heat exchanger. By choosing a complete set, you have to worry about additional selection of the best devices compatible with the heat pump. A compact solution is a hot water exchanger and a buffer in one housing - a heat pump tank with a hot water exchanger Kospel SWVPC-250/60 . Its compact design and capacity - 250/60 l - provide access to water for 5 people and save space in the boiler room. The device enables optimization of cooperation with the heat pump thanks to the use of a set of coils connected in parallel into one heat exchanger, which ensures the most effective cooperation with the HPM2 set.
The buffer tank ensures safe and effective operation of the heat pump and also supports the heat pump's defrost function. The partition in the buffer tank effectively prevents the mixing of hot water supplied by the central heating buffer tank and cold water returning from the installation - sums up Arkadiusz Świerad, an expert at KOSPEL. Importantly, the device casing is made of ABS plastic, making it durable and protecting the tank against mechanical damage, and the material does not age during many years of use. In addition, high-class PUR insulation minimizes standing heat losses in the tank. In the face of the growing interest in modern and ecological solutions for home heating and domestic water heating, heat pumps have become the natural choice of many investors. However, in order to achieve maximum efficiency, it was crucial to match the appropriate components - such as the hot water exchanger and the central heating buffer tank - helping to achieve optimal efficiency, comfort and energy savings of the entire system.
Professional advice on buffer tanks and heat exchangers from Kospel
When purchasing buffers, heat exchangers or the entire heating system with a heat pump, it is also worth consulting specialists from KOSPEL, who will answer questions about the proper choice and optimal functioning of this technology. If you want to learn more about Kospel heat pumps, buffers or exchangers, please visit www.pompylepszakospel.pl . After completing the form on the website, Kospel will select the appropriate solution for your home and will put you in touch with an authorized Kospel heat pump installer in your area.