Heat pumps are modern and environmentally friendly heating devices that obtain energy from renewable sources such as air, ground or water. Their use helps save fossil fuels and reduces air pollution in the area. In this text, we explain why it is still worth choosing a heat pump.
From this article you will learn:
- what are air-water heat pumps,
- what are brine heat pumps,
- why replacing an old heating device with a heat pump is a good solution.
Heat pumps are devices that extract energy from the immediate surroundings of the building and use it to heat the house and prepare hot water. The amount of free renewable energy taken from the environment is several times higher than the amount of electricity needed to power the pump and transport energy, so its use is very profitable. When choosing a heat pump, it is worth choosing a device from a reputable manufacturer, with an established reputation on the installation market. However, the first step is to choose the appropriate technology.
Air-water heat pumps
Air-to-water heat pumps use atmospheric air as an energy source. Due to their simple and quick installation, air heat pumps are currently the most dynamically developing sector of heating devices . An air heat pump system usually consists of two devices:
- an external unit responsible for extracting energy from the atmospheric air and delivering it to the building,
- indoor unit , responsible for distributing energy to the heating installation and preparing domestic hot water.
If you decide to modernize your heating installation using an air heat pump, a good solution is to use the Vaillant aroTHERM plus device. It is a monoblock heat pump using the ecological R290 refrigerant. Monoblock heat pumps, unlike split pumps, are characterized by the fact that the entire refrigerant circulation system of these devices is factory-enclosed in the external unit. Thanks to the use of the R290 refrigerant, aroTHERM plus pumps achieve parameters that allow them to power most traditional, existing radiator installations , which is very important in the case of buildings being modernized and already equipped with such an installation.
Check out air heat pumps at the Onninen wholesaler
Brine heat pumps
Brine-water heat pumps, e.g. Vaillant flexoTHERM or Vaillant flexoCOMPACT exclusive, draw energy from the ground or water. These sources have a stable average annual temperature, unlike atmospheric air, the temperature of which is constantly changing. Thanks to the use of stable energy, brine heat pumps are characterized by higher energy efficiency throughout the year. However, the use of a brine pump requires the so-called lower source. Energy from the ground is transferred through collectors placed in vertical wells or in the plane below the frost zone, i.e. the distance between the ground surface and the level to which negative temperatures reach. Water energy can be collected from groundwater via wells or from surface water via collectors installed at the bottom of a pond or river. The most popular solution is to use vertical wells (80-100 m deep) in the ground. The energy collected is transferred to the heat pump via a non-freezing liquid (brine) flowing through the collector from the ground source. As with all heat pumps, including brine pumps, the most favorable operating conditions are achieved at relatively low supply temperatures. The ideal solution in this configuration is to use surface heating, e.g. underfloor heating . The flexoTHERM heat pump will also successfully power the radiator installation and prepare hot water.
Check out the Vaillant brand zone in the Onninen wholesaler
Why is it worth replacing your old heating device with a heat pump?
Both air and ground heat pumps are an environmentally friendly, efficient heat source. Installing a brine heat pump involves a higher investment due to the need to install a ground source. However, thanks to its higher average annual efficiency, it will be cheaper to operate than an air pump. It is also important that stable operating conditions translate into a longer service life of brine pumps . Air-source heat pumps, on the other hand, are cheaper to purchase and faster to install. They also do not require the development of additional plot area for a ground source. Choose a solution that will be more efficient for your home and read the details of the Clean Air program, thanks to which you can obtain funding for replacing your old heating installation with a new one that is more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly. By using a heat pump, you not only reduce your carbon footprint and energy bills. You also gain a modern, non-polluting and completely maintenance-free device that will ensure thermal comfort in your home.