A few months ago, the government started to push the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, encouraging those who were eligible to have an air source heat pump fitted in their home, rather than a gas or electric boiler. Before you call out an air source heat pump installer, you’ll need to know whether or not your home is the right place for a heat pump. Use this article to find out!
Is your home insulated?
If your home is insulated, it is ideal for an air source heat pump. To get the best out of your air source heat pump, your home needs to be able to retain heat well. To keep your heat pump working effectively, it can’t be working overtime. If your home does not have insulation, you need to consider having this installed before you consider an air source heat pump installation. The best insulation to consider installing is external wall or cavity wall insulation, and the Energy Saving Trust have explained exactly how you know which you should install.
Do you have outdoor space?
In order to install an air source heat pump at your home, you need to have plenty of outdoor space available. As an air source heat pump works by taking air from the outdoors and heating that up, then pumping it into your home, you need to have space to store the unit outside of your home. Some pumps do come with two separate systems, one of which would be kept in the house, but irrespective of which one you choose, you must have the outdoor space to accommodate the outdoor system.
How big is your home?
The size of your home won’t rule out whether or not you can get an air source heat pump, but it will dictate how effective it will be, therefore showing you how big a size you need to get. The Boiler Guide put together this handy guide to help you understand what size pump you need, according to the number of bedrooms in your house.
What’s your current heating system like?
The home that is ideal for an air source heat pump is one that has either underfloor heating or large radiators. A large radiator is a radiator that is considered two and half times the size of a standard radiator, in order to generate the same heat output. Of course, you can always install underfloor heating, but this can be quite expensive, especially given that you will have to continue to pay for that heating system, as well as your air source heat pump.
Hopefully, you now understand exactly what a home needs to be able to effectively use an air source heat pump as the main heating system. Of course, there are plenty of other, just as effective heating options if this renewable energy source isn’t the one for you. Consider a solar PV system, and create your own electricity to power your lights and your heating system!