Technical Support goes way beyond just a team here at Freedom Heat Pumps. Technical support is a core part of Freedom Heat Pumps foundations; It’s what we believe has made us the fantastic heat pump-centred business we are today.

Freedom Heat Pumps is not just a heat pump supplier. Freedom Heat Pumps is here to provide service and support to our customers. We are here to assist you from when the heat pump lands on-site through to a successful installation and beyond. Since 2010, we have had our very own passionate technical support team who collectively have over 20 years of knowledge and experience behind them.

Who can we help?

We offer help and assistance to installation engineers, architects, developers, consultants, housing associations, and merchants.

What will our technical support team help you with?

We have created our technical support team to offer the highest level of support we can. This is why we offer everything from training to after-sales telephone support, so you can build a great relationship with our team to ensure the best heat pump experience for your customer.

Training

Freedom Heat Pumps first started offering training in 2010. Our training experience spans 12 years and has adapted to the industry to provide the most informative, straightforward course for our attendees.

Over the years, we have been trusted by a number of global manufacturers (such as Samsung, Hitachi and Midea) to run accredited training on their behalf. Our hope is that this trust provides a level of confidence in how comprehensive yet, more importantly, accessible our training is.

As the exclusive distributor of the Midea range of air source heat pumps, we currently offer a Midea training course per week at either our Southampton or Chorley, Lancashire training centres. As part of the training, you will gain Midea-trained accreditation that provides you with a Mi Pro Partnership status and gives you access to Midea’s extended warranty of up to 10 years.

What does the training cover?

• How a heat pump works
• Why you should install heat pumps
• How to install and commission the Midea range of heat pumps
• The key selling points of the unit (to help assist with enquiries from prospective consumers)
• How to maintain and service a Midea Heat Pump
• How to diagnose and fault find on a Midea heat pump

Our Midea Heat Pump training course will provide you with the knowledge and skills required for a successful heat pump installation. Our course is available online (this will provide you with Mi Pro status)  or in-person  (providing Mi Pro Elite Status once you have installed 10 x Midea Heat Pumps ).

After Sales Support

Sometimes, things go wrong, or you may feel like you need more clarity around a particular aspect of the installation. Freedom Heat Pumps will always be here to help in those instances. To give you an insight into our technical support team mentality, here is a quote from Samuel Powell, our head of technical: “It really annoys me when someone asks me a question that I don’t know the answer to, so if I don’t know the answer to your question, I will endeavour to find the answer out and get it back to you.”

Our technical support team aims to respond to all calls that come through within 60 minutes, giving you peace of mind that you will never be waiting days for a callback. We can offer this call-back response as we have a team of in-house experts and incredibly strong relationships with our manufacturer partners.

You’ll never hear our team say that your question is a silly one; over the years, we have answered 1000’s of questions and queries and always provided best-case solutions. Here are some examples of over-the-phone support we have provided:

• We have talked customers through schematics to give them a better understanding as to why elements have been recommended, together with providing assistance on the correct installation location for these components.
• We have advised how our heat pumps will behave in different environments and applications. In these situations, we can discuss best practices to achieve optimum performance from the heat pump in these circumstances.
• We have provided help with set-up and commissioning by talking our customers through the process over the phone, step-by-step. We also have Freedom Heat Pumps quick start guides for all of our heat pump ranges that provide you with a simple guide on how to install, set up, commission and maintain the heat pump.
• We have provided help with fault diagnosis and spare parts ordering if and when required. Here at Freedom Heat Pumps, we keep a large stock of spare parts, many of which are available for next-day delivery. Our team’s sole mission is to solve your issues and get your customer’s heat pumps back up and running as quickly as possible.
• During over-the-phone commissioning, we will provide helpful guidance on how to set up test runs together with function testing.

Warranty Support

Our dedicated warranty support advisor is here to help you with all your warranty registrations.  We can also advise you on how you can receive extended warranties with each manufacturer, providing you with the correct links and courses.

Our dedicated warranty support advisor is here to help you when equipment issues arise. They can send spare parts to the site and help you process your warranty claims, including any labour contribution claims that may be relevant within your warranty period.

Moreover, when you are a customer of Freedom Heat Pumps, you will receive ongoing support. Our technical support team is intended to be with you for the life of any heat pump system to offer advice and support if ever required to help you keep your customer’s heat pump performing as it should.

Online technical support material

For any times outside of office hours when you require support, we have created digital material to help support you when we aren’t here. If you are a Freedom Heat Pumps customer, you can access everything from data sheets, general schematics and fault-finding videos through our website.

If you create an online account on freedomhp.co.uk, you will have access to our downloads section. Within this section, there is a wide variety of content from our technical support team to help you while we are out of the office.

Ways to contact our Support Team

Do you think our technical support team is something you may benefit from? Why don’t you give us a try and put your trust in Freedom Heat Pumps for your next heat pump project? Click here to submit a request to work with us.

We look forward to getting to know you and establishing a solid relationship with you whilst supporting you through all your heat pump project successes!

Account managers are such a big part of what makes Freedom Heat Pumps unique, but it isn’t really something we talk about that often (shame on us 😊). In a world trying to find ways to automate and digitise as much as possible, sometimes it can be nice to know that there is a human to speak to. 

At Freedom Heat Pumps, we see our account managers as an extension of your business; almost like an outsourced pre-sales and technical department. So, think of our team as your in-house… outsourced… heat pump sales support.  

What are the benefits of having an account manager? 

Gone are the days of calling a general phone number and speaking to several people. Here at Freedom Heat Pumps, you will have a dedicated account manager and be provided with their direct line and a personal email. Our account managers thrive on getting to know you and your business needs to help build an excellent relationship, ensuring everything runs smoothly.  

How our account managers get to know your business and provide successful results: 

• We will take the time to get to know your company, understanding what brand of heat pumps you prefer to install and why. We also take the time to understand what type of projects your company generally undertakes to best advise you on heat pump selections. 
• We will build you specific install accessory packs to match your install requirements. For example, if you are installing a hybrid system, we will build this pack around the schematic that our technical team will provide. This approach will give you the most suitable products to help you achieve a smooth and successful installation.  
• We will always update you on any new products we bring into our portfolio by providing you with all the information you could require including technical datasheets and marketing literature.  
• The heat pump industry is constantly changing so trust us to keep you informed on new developments 

No question is ever a silly question. Our account managers have been trained on our entire product range, and in a lot of cases manufacturers have provided our team with training directly in-house, to help improve their knowledge. So, if you want to know the fine detail about how our glycol improves the lifespan of your heat pump or why our 2 port valves help provide a lower pressure loss than others on the market, just give us a shout. 

What can our account managers help you with? 

1. While we can check stock levels for you, we can also request more stock if you have a larger project (naturally, we’ll provide you with a lead time for this).  
2. If you require a quote, don’t worry; we have you covered. Here at Freedom Heat Pumps, we provide project quotations and personalised suggestions based on your projects heat loss and our schematics so that you can achieve a smooth and successful installation. We’ll walk you through the equipment list and offer solutions for the most challenging projects.  
3. Need a heat loss calculation sorting? If you send us your plans, EPC or SAP report, we will forward them to our tech sales department to have them turned into a heat loss calculation as soon as humanly possible. Once the heat loss has been completed, our technical department will send us a detailed breakdown so we have a complete understanding of the project requirements and be able to arrange a call to discuss the best equipment fit for your installation. At this point, you can ask me any questions so we can provide you with a quotation that delivers exactly what you need. 
4. Do you simply want someone to vent to? We are here for you! Need to vent because the 150kg heat pump has been delivered, but the only way it’s getting to the backyard is through the house via lifting strap-based brute strength or magical levitation (and you’ve left your wand at home)? We may not always be able to provide a direct solution, but it’s always good to know you have someone to talk to because a problem shared is a problem halved! 

Freedom Heat Pumps Account Managers Values 

At Freedom Heat Pumps, Our Account Managers live by our core value:  

“Going above and beyond to offer the best service and support.” 

Our account managers see this as a vital aspect of meeting customers’ expectations and needs. Freedom heat pump account managers care about their relationships with their customers. It’s within the heart and soul of an account manager to show how they are willing to go above and beyond.  

Don’t just take our word for it. Here is quote from Nazeing Heating Ltd (one of Steph’s Customers)  

“ I would always come to Freedom. I think you are really great, and I am super grateful for all the support Freedom Heat Pumps provide. I have learnt a lot from the team, and I’m really pleased with the whole process”.  

We strive to uphold this quality of service to all our present and future accounts, and we will always look forward and adapt to ensure we are always meeting yours and the industry’s needs! 

How do you contact our Account Management team?  

Do you think having an account manager is something you may benefit from? Please feel free to book a call with our team today using this link: Click Here

They look forward to getting to know you and establishing a strong relationship with you whilst supporting you through all your heat pump project successes! 

The UK government implemented the boiler upgrade scheme (BUS) to help support the decarbonisation of heating in buildings by helping people replace their boilers with an eco-friendly solution such as air source heat pumps. The BUS provides grants to support the installation of heat pumps in homes across England and Wales.  

As of Monday, 23rd October 2023, installers can apply for the newly increased grant amounts on behalf of their customers.  

How has the update impacted the Boiler Upgrade Scheme? 

With the BUS scheme, an MCS-certified installer can apply for one grant per property on behalf of the homeowner. The Grants that are currently available are:  

• £7500 towards an air source heat pump (was £5000). 
• £7500 towards a ground source heat pump (was £6000). 

The scheme operates on a first-come, first-served basis. £450m of grant funding is available over the three years from 2022 to 2025. As of August 2023, there had been a total of 22,857 BUS vouchers redeemed; 96% of these grants were towards air source heat pumps.  

So, who IS ELIGIBLE for the BUS grant? 

• Homeowners 

• Private Landlords  

All applicants must have a valid energy performance certificate issued within the last ten years and no outstanding loft or cavity wall insulation recommendations (homeowners can find their Energy Performance Certificates here –  https://www.gov.uk/find-energy-certificate. 

Criteria that are NOT ELIGIBLE for the BUS grant?  

• New build properties which the developer is still building 

• Social Housing  
• A Property that has already been given government funding for a heat pump (e.g., ECO4)  
• Hybrid systems (Those utilising both a heat pump and fossil fuel boiler) 
• If the heat pump system capacity required for the project is over 45kWh  

How to apply for the boiler upgrade scheme?  

You can advise the homeowner to take these steps if interested in applying for the boiler upgrade scheme. The process is straightforward:  

1. You will provide a quote for the heat pump installation if you are an MCS installer; if you are not, you can advise them to find an MCS installer here – Find a Contractor – MCS (mcscertified.com). To help you understand the style of heat pumps the homeowner would like, you can advise them to browse our range, as all our product range is MCS-approved. Please browse our range here: UK Heat Pump Distributor for Leading Brands | Freedom HP 

1. Once the homeowner has chosen you as their MCS-certified installer, you will advise if they are eligible for the scheme. 

1. The homeowner can then agree to the quote and let the project begin.  

To give the homeowner peace of mind, you can advise Ofgem will ALWAYS contact them to confirm you the installer has applied for the grant and is acting on behalf of them to implement the scheme. Once approved, the grant amount will be taken off the amount the homeowner pays for the installation.  

What are the benefits of an MCS installer working with Freedom Heat Pumps on BUS projects?  

As the UK’s leading heat pump distributor, we have geared up to support you, the installer. We have worked with accredited MCS installers for years; therefore, we understand your needs and have implemented operations that help provide a seamless installation. 

Our head of technical has created our Heat Loss calculator, which has been made to simplify the design process as it pre-populates the information for you and gives you an MCS compliance certificate. We offer technical advice, product and installation packs, product-specific training, and after-sales support.  

Our technical sales and support team can help you with the following: 

– Tenders and quotes 

– Bespoke solutions to complex installations 

– Heat loss calculations (both floor by floor and room by room) 

– Recommendations for radiator sizing 

– Ordering and delivery of MCS Certified heat pumps from global brands such as Midea, Samsung and Hitachi 

– Product-specific training (online or at our training sites in Chorley and Southampton) 

– Full installation accessory packs (including circulation pumps, buffer tanks, feet, flow meter, etc) 

– 24-hour delivery to site/warehouse 

– After-sales support 

With more than 13 years of independent distribution, our experienced team has supported thousands of installs across the UK. Our technical team includes brand specialists who have come from installer backgrounds. Therefore, understand the issues you may face whilst on site and can provide the quickest, most effective solutions for you and your team.  

So, why is MCS accreditation important?

Perhaps we could look at this from a slightly broader viewpoint and ask why any accreditation is important.

Does accreditation guarantee that a heat pump will better than a heat pump which hasn’t been submitted for approval?

No. In the same way that a sprinter who their race may be viewed as the fastest runner, it doesn’t mean that there isn’t another runner out of the 7.8 billion other human beings on the planet who may be quicker.

What accreditation (and in particular MCS) provides us, is a set of standards that equipment needs to comply with to receive almost all government incentives and industry insurance schemes. There is also a level of comfort to be gained, as both an installer and an end user, from choosing heat pump equipment which has met the same stringent accreditation’s that other equipment from major manufacturers has met. Neatly, accreditation, which on the face of it may appear onerous, enables market access for much less well-known brands, who can prove a level of measured performance that may be difficult for them to illustrate as they are new to the market.

Cost

What was it Benjamin Franklin was credited with saying?

“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of a low price is forgotten”. This is just as true with heat pumps, as it is with many other things. A good heat pump doesn’t have to be expensive, and an expensive heat pump doesn’t have to be good. There is no denying that in a lot of cases, cost of equipment will form part of the decision process. Two good examples of heat pumps which are at different ends of the cost scale would be the Midea MHC range (excellent value) and the Clausius range of air source heat pumps (premium or high end of the market).

Refrigerant type

15 years ago, when Freedom Heat Pumps was first founded, most air source heat pumps in the UK market, used R410A or R407C refrigerant. R407C as a refrigerant was good at temperatures up to around 65°C but hasn’t been seen in the mainstream for a good few years. For many years, R410A was the de facto standard refrigerant for domestic heat pumps installed in the UK. Over the past couple of years, though, we have seen a shift towards more environmentally friendly refrigerants such as R32 and R290. So, what factors determine which refrigerant you will use? We would argue that there are 2 main factors: environmental impact and application/flow temperature.

When we talk about environmental impact, we are referring to the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of the refrigerant. In basic terms, the GWP refers to the increased harm 1kg of a refrigerant would do in comparison to 1kg of carbon. So, looking at the refrigerants mentioned above, from worst to best, here is how they compare:

R410A – GWP 2,088

R407C – GWP 1,732

R134a – GWP 1,300

R32 – GWP 675

R290 (Propane) – GWP 3

R744 (CO2) – GWP 1

So, from a purely environmental standpoint, a move towards R744 or R290 would make the most sense, but this is only one of the 3 selection criteria.

What do we mean by application/flow temperature? We mean is, what is the maximum temperature the chosen system is designed to? For a domestic retrofit using cast iron radiators, R744 or R134a would make sense as those are both capable of delivering very high temperatures (up to 80°C). R744 has the downside of needing a wide temperature difference between flow and return (between 35 and 60°C temperature difference), which limit its viability in domestic installs, and R134a needs to operate within a cascade refrigerant system and so will be a split heat pump system. If very high temperature is a must-have, then we would tend to err towards R134a. For a “standard” domestic retrofit or new build, R32 (and perhaps less mainstream R290) has become the go to refrigerant of choice with its 60-65°C maximum flow temperature and 5°C Delta T. It slots quite neatly into the place left by R410A by providing higher temperatures, better efficiencies and a lower GWP.

Flow Temperature

As far as our industry is concerned, there are 3 designations of heat pump flow temperature: medium temperature, high temperature and very high temperature. Medium temperature classically has a flow temperature which doesn’t exceed 55°C.

High temperature tops out between 60 & 65°C and very high temperature sits around the 80°C mark. As far as what determines the flow temperature, this is all dependent on the application. Commercial hot water systems may have a specific requirement for a stored temperature of 60-65°C, so while on the face of it a high temperature heat pump sounds like it may tick the box, I’d be inclined to specify a very high temperature heat pump to ensure that any losses in the cylinder heat exchanger / coil don’t end up causing the stored temperature to be less than designed.

Commercial hot water systems aside, 99% of UK heat pumps will provide domestic hot water with no problem (provided they are coupled to a heat pump specific hot water cylinder or similar), so the key determining factor regarding flow temperature will be the emitter (heating) circuit. Chances are, if your project has a heat pump specified underfloor throughout, the maximum designed flow temperature will be no more than 40°C and so a medium temperature heat pump will do. If the project is the typical new build radiators upstairs and underfloor down, then your flow temperature is determined by the radiators, so this should be no more than 50°C mean water temp, again meaning a medium temperature heat pump will suffice. An example of a medium temperature heat pump would be the Hitachi Yutaki RASM4.

So, when would you need higher temperatures? Retrofit. Most high temperature heat pumps in the UK are monoblock and operate with either R290 or R32 refrigerant. High temperature heat pumps potentially allow you to reuse some if not all the radiators on your customer’s property. Please approach this with caution though, and make sure you speak to your radiator supplier to understand what effect a 60°C mean water temp would have on the output of the radiator.

An example of a high-temperature heat pump would be the Midea MHC-V16.

In the case of cast iron rads, single panel rads, or properties where increasing the size of or number of radiators in a particular room would be unfeasible, then very high temperature heat pumps are a brilliant choice, with their 80°C flow temperature. Traditionally all very high temperature heat pumps were split-type systems with an R410A refrigerant outdoor unit linked with refrigerant pipework through to an R134A refrigerant indoor unit. An example of a very high temperature heat pump would be the Hitachi Yutaki-S80. Nowadays, we also have CO2 refrigerant units which can provide the same very high temperatures but in a monoblock construction. CO2 (R744) air source heat pumps have their own specific requirements for efficient operation, so careful design is required when looking to use the current range of small CO2 units on domestic properties.

By Chris Higgs

Electrical loading in the context of a heat pump, is referred to as the fuse / breaker size that needs to be in place to ensure safe operation of the heat pump. Most heat pumps are split in to 3 breaker sizes: 16amp, 20amp and 32amp, with the breaker size determining the kW output / size of the heat pump. The larger the circuit breaker, the larger the heat pump. Please note that in almost all instances, this circuit breaker size will not take into account the domestic hot water cylinder immersion (if one is fitted), as it would be expected that the immersion would be fed off its own electrical circuit and so would have its own circuit protection.

Now we know what we mean when we refer to electrical loading, why is it important in selecting a heat pump? If you were to survey an older property, you may calculate that it has a 12kW heat load, and so requires a heat pump that requires at least a 32amp supply. If this older property has a 60amp main fuse, you may find that you struggle to use such a large heat pump on this property. Taking the 60amp fuse, we need to subtract 32amps for the supply to the heat pump, then perhaps 16amps for the supply to the 3kW immersion heater for the domestic hot water cylinder, and power for circulation pumps and 2 port valves etc. Quite quickly, we have reduced the 60amp main fuse down to 12amps of current draw left. If the owner has a 3kW kettle, which will require a 13amp fuse, when heat pump, immersion heater and kettle are all running at once, then the property will technically be in a negative amp’s scenario. In this case, either an increase in property insulation (to allow a smaller heat pump), an upgrade to the homes main fuse (to perhaps 100A), or a hybrid heat pump and fossil fuel boiler (to allow a smaller heat pump to tackle most of the heating demand) may all be relevant solutions.

If we contrast this against a new, well insulated property, we can see that this isn’t so much of a problem. Assuming a 5kW load (16amp supply), plus immersion heater in domestic hot water cylinder (16A) plus circulation pumps etc. (3A) = 35Amps. New homes tend to have 100A main fuses, so the 35A required for the heat pump system leaves lots of additional capacity in the remainder of the 100A main fuse (65A in this case).

When we talk about efficiency in the context of a heat pump, we are talking about how much thermal energy can be delivered from the heat pump, for a given electrical input. Divide the former by the latter, and you get the efficiency i.e., 5kW of thermal energy out for 1.5kW of electrical energy in equals an efficiency of 330%.

How we refer to efficiency has evolved over the years. Many moons ago in the early days of heat pumps, we had COP (Coefficient of Performance). Effectively, this was a snapshot of the efficiency of a heat pump at a specific ambient temperature and flow temperature i.e., 7°C Outside Temperature with a 35°C Flow Temperature would give you an efficiency of 500% or 5. While this was useful in the early days to compare different heat pumps with a known baseline figure, it wasn’t particularly useful when attempting to understand the efficiency of a heat pump over a year.

Next came SPF (Seasonal Performance Factors). As they weren’t outside / ambient temperature specific, they were good for giving an indication as to the efficiency of a heat pump at a specific flow temperature i.e., 45°C Heating circuit flow temperature would equate to a likely space heating SPF of 3 for an air source heat pump. Unfortunately, as they weren’t manufacturer specific, their usefulness extended only so far.

Nowadays, we have SCOP (Seasonal Coefficient of Performance). The SCOP is probably best described as an annualised COP (Coefficient of Performance). While the COP is at a specific outdoor/ambient and flow temperature, SCOP takes in to account more factors, in line with the European standard EN14511. This gives arguably the most accurate way to compare the different efficiencies of air source heat pumps. You can find SCOP data for every MCS accredited heat pump on the MCS accredited website.

To truly understand the difference between COP and SCOP, you could describe them in terms of car mpg. You could very broadly look at COP as either motorway driving, or alternatively around town driving. Neither type of driving will necessary be reflective of the efficiency you may see over a year, as you may have a mix of both types of driving. SCOP on the other hand takes a bit from motorway driving and a bit from around town driving, so you get a much closer reflection as to the efficiency or MPG you may expect to see.

It may surprise you to learn that what was held up as the superstar for a very high COP 10 years ago, is now a figure we are starting to see increasingly as a SCOP / annualised efficiency. A very high COP 10 years ago for air source heat pumps may have been 500% or 5. Within the past 12 months, we have seen equipment such as the M-Thermal range from Midea deliver SCOPs of 5.03 or 503% at a 35°C flow temperature. SCOPs such as this are a massive leap forward regarding closing the gap between air source and ground source heat pumps.

By Chris Higgs

The heat pump must be sized accurately for the unit to work effectively within a property. A heat loss calculation must be completed to industry standards to size a heat pump correctly. Freedom Heat Pump Heat loss calculator has been produced in line with industry standards BS EN12831 & MCS MIS3005.

A heat loss calculation should be the first thing that comes to mind when starting the design process for installing a heat pump. A heat loss calculation determines the amount of heat lost from a building, which will tell you how much is required to maintain a desired comfortable temperature within the property at your design conditions.

An accurate heat loss calculation is the most essential step of the design process to ensure the heat pump has the capacity to support the heating & hot water demand of the property. Undersizing the heat pump system will result in the house not reaching a comfortable temperature for the homeowner when the ambient temperature falls; it will also result in excessive running hours, and overworking the heat pump components, causing higher energy bills and a shorter life span of the heat pump. Oversizing the heat pump system can cause the unit to short-cycle, resulting in wasted energy, increased energy bills, reduced system efficiency and a shorter unit life span.

There are two types of heat loss calculations you can undertake:

1. Floor-by-floor
2. Room-by-room

A floor-by-floor can be used to get a rough, quick idea of the heat loss within the property for an indicative of what type of heat pump kW output may be required for the ‘tender stage’ of the project. However, we do not recommend using this calculation for anything other than the initial quote, and this should always be followed up with a room-by-room when the installer has won the project.

A room-by-room Heat loss calculation will provide the most accurate and detailed overview of the property’s total heat loss in kW, providing the installer with the correct specification of the project’s required heat pump. The calculator will detail the outputs needed for the heating in each room whilst running at the desired flow temperature. This allows you to size correctly size the heat emitters within the property.

Larger heat emitters will allow you to lower the design flow temperature of a heat pump system. Reducing the heat pump flow temperature target will increase the SCOP (efficiency) and lead to even cheaper heating bills.

A floor-by-floor from Freedom heat pumps is entirely FREE, and a room-by-room will cost you £100+VAT; however, this will be deducted from your order once placed.

If you would like Freedom Heat Pumps to complete a heat loss calculation for your project, submit a request today by clicking here. For more information, please email hello@freedomhp.co.uk.

We are all familiar with open loop system when fitting ground source heat pumps, in fact it has been suggested to be the most efficient option when fitting a ground source heat  pumps.  We will be discussing if Open loop systems would be possible on Air Source Heat Pumps and will this be the future for way in which we install Heat Pumps all together. 

As a country, we are seeking to reduce our output of greenhouse gasses by increasing renewable energy sources. As a company, it is important that we are offering the best support to our installer base to ensure this transition happens as smoothly and easily as possible. Exploring ways to make the installation easier for the installer is forefront to Freedom Heat Pumps.

How does an open loop system work?

The idea behind an open loop heating system is to try and make sure the whole house is being maintained at roughly the same temperature, and to have as few zones (or microzones) as possible. In an ideal scenario, this would mean there’s only one room temperature controller for your whole house, rather than splitting the house up into “zones” using zone valves, UFH actuator heads, and TRVs. As we are all aware, the lower the flow temperature you run your heat pump at, the better the efficiency (COP).

And the way we achieve the lowest flow temperature is by maximizing the surface areas of our heat emitters. If we take this example of a 4 room “house”, with heat loss in each room of 1kW, 4kW total heat loss at -2C maintaining 21C in all four rooms. Using DT25 radiators to heat these rooms. 4000W heat load total with a temperature differential of 23K between inside and outside. This means that the amount of heat lost per 1k difference in outside temp is 174W/K.

If you set 2 rooms back by 3C each, to 18C. The mean temperature of the house is now 19.5C which will make our new temperature difference between inside and outside 21.5k. 174W/K multiplied by our new DT of 21.5, means that our total heat load is now 3740W, and energy requirement reduction of around 6.5%. This is only applicable IF your “turned down” rooms actually drop to 18C, which is highly unlikely unless you have little-to-no external wall insulation, and amazing internal wall insulation and sealed internal doors.

This would mean that all of the heat from the rooms will be leaked outside instead of between the rooms of different temperatures also. So let’s say that the two rooms that we have set back only drop to 19C. Our new mean temperature is 20C, which gives us a temperature differential of 22K.

174W/K multiplied by 22K = 3828W, which is actually an energy requirement reduction of 4.3%.

Because of the heat loss between the rooms, your heat loss isn’t as low as you were targeting when you turned those two rooms down. The radiators in those two may be off, but the radiators in the other two rooms are having to work harder to maintain the mean house temperature because of the heat loss between the rooms. Now we’ll revisit the other scenario, where the rooms did in fact drop to 18C. And work out how much heat we’re losing into cooler rooms. Assuming the internal walls were 2.3m by 7m in length with a U value of 1.5W/ m2/K U-value. And the internal doors were 2m2 with a U-value of 4W/m2K.

2.3 x 14 = 32.2 Subtract the 2m2 for the door and you have 30.2 30.2m2 x 2W/m2/K = 60.4W/K 38.4 x 3K temperature differential = 181.2W 2m2 door x 6W/m2/K = 12W/K 24W/K x 3K temperature differential = 72W 181.2W + 72W = 253.2W additional heat loss on each of the two rooms at 21C

So now, our 1000W radiators need to be producing 1253.2W in the two rooms at 21C. So for our total heat loss of 3740W, where we know the two radiators in the room at 21C are producing 1253.2W each, 2506.4W between the two of them. The remaining heat requirement of 1233.6W must be split between the two remaining radiators.

16.8W each That loading could either be reduced by a TRV/actuator restricting the flow, or a zone valve/thermostat bringing the room on and off intermittently. For the 1000W radiator at DT25 to produce our new requirement of 1253.2W, we must increase that heat emitter temperature. But by how much? 1253.2 / 1000 – 1.253. That’s 25% more power required from the radiator. As a rule of thumb, we use 1.3 as a logarithmic curve for radiator conversion factors. So, we must use the reciprocal when converting power increase to DT difference.

1.253 to the power of 0.77 = 1.19 Your radiator must have a 19% higher DT to output 1253.2W. DT25 x 1.19 = 29.75

With a 21C indoor temp, our DT radiators would have had to be running at 46C flow temp to output the 1000W we needed.

Now, it must run a 50.75C flow. this increase in flow temp requirement will lower the COP and therefore, increase the running costs of your system. Let’s put some heat pump numbers in. As an example, I’ll use the smallest R32 Hitachi unit available, the 2.0HP Yutaki S-Split.

If we run the whole house at 21C, we need a flow temperature of 46C which at -2 ambient has a COP of around 2.61. 4000W divided by a COP of 2.61 means 1532W of electrical energy consumed by the heat pump. If we take our house with the two rooms on a setback, running our new required flow temp of 50.75, the COP is roughly 2.22 at –2C ambient conditions. 3740 divided by a COP of 2.2 means 1684.7W of electrical energy used by our heat pump. This means that by reducing our energy requirements by that 6.5%, we’ve increased our electricity consumed and our fuel bill by nearly 10%.

This disparity in run cost would be even worse if the two rooms were shut off completely, with stats or TRVs set to the frost settings. And none of these calculations takes into account the fact that the heat pump could be cycling on/off more frequently if there isn’t enough circulating water volume. Cycling can also lead to higher electricity consumption.

OPEN LOOP HEATING SYSTEMS WILL BE AN OPTIMAL WAY TO RUN SOME HEATING SYSTEMS IN THE RIGHT SCENARIOS, ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO REDUCE RUNNING COSTS AND CARBON EMISSIONS IS ALWAYS A BIG PLUS. HAVING SAID THAT, OPEN LOOP HEATING SYSTEMS ARE NOT THE BE-ALL/END-ALL OF HOW A HEATING SYSTEM SHOULD BE DESIGNED. ZONING WILL STILL BE REQUIRED IN MANY APPLICATIONS, FOR EXAMPLE BUILDINGS WITH WEIRD LAYOUTS/SHAPES, OR IN BUILDINGS WITH MULTIPLE DIFFERENT BUILDING FABRICS OR WITH DIFFERENT INSULATION LEVELS THROUGHOUT THE PROPERTY. MY ADVICE WOULD BE TO ALWAYS DO THE MATHS, ALWAYS ENGINEER THE RIGHT SOLUTION ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS.

SAMUEL POWELL

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If you’re looking for ways to lower your heating bills, an air-source heat pump could be the perfect solution. In addition to producing heat and lowering bills, air-source heat pumps also reduce your carbon footprint. This is our guide to air-source heat pumps. 

What is an air source heat pump?

An air source heat pump is an energy-efficient heat source that uses the energy from the outside air (your garden) or ground outside your property for both heating and hot water. Air source heat pumps can store hot water inside of a hot water cylinder, so it’s ready for when you need it.

By using the energy from the outside or the ground and transferring this heat into the house through a wet central heating system, such as underfloor heating or radiators, a heat pump is more efficient than conventional boilers as the output of energy is higher.

There are two types of heat pumps: monobloc and split systems. A monobloc system works by taking the cool air through one component, whereas a split system separates the components between indoor and outdoor units. 

Split systems can be more efficient, but both can make a difference to home heating systems. An installer can advise you on a monobloc or split system for your renewable heating system. 

How do heat pumps work? 

A heat pump is essentially a big fridge or freezer. If we look at your fridge or freezer in detail, it uses a refrigerant inside the pipework to suck the heat out of your food. The compressor or refrigerant pump moves the refrigerant around the system so that it can take all the heat and throw it away using a coil on the back of the fridge. 

For every 1 kWh of energy input, a heat pump can deliver up to more than 4 kWh in energy output. This is an energy efficiency ratio of more than 400%, which is far superior to high-energy-efficient boiler systems. 

Since conventional boiler systems can only reach an efficiency ratio of up to 95%, they consume more energy than they can ever deliver. A heat pump works much more efficiently than conventional heating systems.

What are the benefits of an air-source heat pump? 

Integrating a heat pump system to generate heat and hot water in the home is an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly solution. The most noticeable advantage of the heat pump’s energy efficiency is a sizable reduction in carbon footprint and the potential for low energy bills.

The EU has defined heat pump systems as renewable energy products. Under this classification, end users can apply for government subsidies or tax refunds when installing renewable heat pump systems.

How much is a heat pump system?

Heat pump prices can vary depending on if you require a ground or air-source heat pump. These range between £12,000 – £40,000. This cost is dependent on location and requirements but covers system design and installation costs. 

On average, an air source heat pump will cost anywhere between £8,000 – £14,000, and for a ground source heat pump, it is anywhere between £18,000 – £30,000. The running cost of each heat pump will differ depending on these three factors: the household size, insulation and the quality of the heat pump installation. 

However, there are grants available to reduce the cost significantly. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) is a government grant that will reduce the cost by £5000 – £6000. It provides an upfront capital grant to support the installation of heat pumps in home and non-domestic buildings across England and Wales. 

There is £450 million of grant funding available over three years from 2022 to 2025. You can easily find out if you are eligible for the renewable heat incentive.

Are heat pumps worth it? 

Installing an air source heat pump is a great idea, as it can help to save you money on your energy bills. Generally, the running costs of a heat pump will be slightly lower than another heating system. Take advantage of the government schemes available to help lower your home’s carbon emissions and become more environmentally friendly. 

We hope that our guide to air source heat pumps has been useful. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions, our friendly team are happy to help with air-source heat pumps and ground-source heat pumps.