Heat pumps are becoming a great way to heat homes in a more carbon efficient way, becoming high on the list of priorities for potential UK homeowners. Although heat pumps are enticing many across the country, heat pump installation still remains rather unknown.
This article will go over the installation process of both air and ground source heat pumps, explaining also a property’s requirements for installation to be able to take place.
What to consider before installing a heat pump
Before you start any installation process, you need to ensure that your property is suited to a heat pump.
Most importantly, your home needs to be energy efficient in order for your heat pump to be of any value.
Energy efficiency determines how well your home consumes the energy that is produced to heat it, or provide it with hot water. The more efficient a home, the less energy will be required to keep it warm.
Energy efficiency is determined by EPCs (Energy Performance Certificates), which rate buildings from A to G.
You can go to this government website to acquire the currentEPC rating listed for your property. You will need to show a valid EPC before installation.
Insulation is key
A major factor affecting EPC ratings is the insulation of your home. Proper insulation is vital, as it limits the loss of heat produced.
Ways to improve insulation include:
- Draught-proofing
- Installing double-glazed windows
- Insulating walls or your loft
Ground source heat pump installation
Ground source heat pumps take natural heat from the ground and transform it into hot water used for taps or for heating.
Requirements
Since ground source heat pumps get their energy from the ground, such a system requires space for installation.
A big part of the system is the loop field, a system of pipes** through which flows a water-antifreeze mixture.
There are two types of loop fields:
- Horizontal: this is the cheaper option, installers will dig shallow trenches (1-2 m deep) over around 2000m2. This option thus requires a considerable amount of space.
- Vertical: the more expensive option, that also requires a much smaller surface area. Deep trenches are dug (15-122 m deep).
Process
The whole installation process can be broken down into 6 steps:
- Property assessment: installers will check if your property is right for a heat pump, then will ascertain where is best to install the system.
- Excavation: trenches are dug for the pipe system.
- Pipe installation: pipes carrying the refrigerant are put in the trenches and buried under ground.
- Modification of Heat Distribution Infrastructure: this means that your home will be altered so that the distribution of heat works best with a heat pump. This takes 3-4 days.
- Heat pump installation: the pump is installed.
- Pump maintenance: maintaining your pump is relatively simple, but it is still important to make sure that it is working properly.
Costs
Ground source heat pumps are expensive to install, costing anywhere from £13,000 to £35,000.
Price variations depend on the type of system involved -- a vertical system, for example, is much more expensive.
To reduce installation costs, the government has put in place the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which can provide people with grants. Under this grant, you may be eligible for up to £6,000 off of your heat pump installation.
