What Size Air Source Heat Pump do I Need for my
Home?
Introduction
However, it is important to note that these figures are just a guide because there are many other factors that could affect the calculation. If you would like to know more about what size air source heat pump you will need for your home, we go into detail on this topic below.
Type of property.
Calculating heat loss in older buildings is more difficult, and for homes that were built before the turn of the century an in-depth survey of the property is always needed prior to a heat loss assessment being completed. Key questions need to be answered about:
- Insulation, property fabric, and heat loss
- Size of your radiators and/or underfloor heating
- The number of rooms in the property
- The types of rooms and their uses
- The desired indoor temperature for different rooms
- Seasonal temperature fluctuations
The number of different types of rooms has to be taken into account because some rooms require more intense heat than others. For example, living rooms typically need to be kept warmer than bedrooms, and bathrooms warmer still. So, the number and type of rooms add up to determine the amount of heat the home demands and therefore the size of the air source heat pump.
For homes in the UK, the most common sizes of heat pumps installed are 4KW, 5KW, 6KW, 8KW, 10KW, or 12KW. You can go larger if you want to, but generally it is only really needed for very large properties, shared heat pump systems, and district heating installations.
For large scale commercial properties, contact the Heat From Air team to find out how we can support you too.
BOOK YOUR FREE SITE SURVEY!
Air source heat pumps.
Air source heat pumps go through much greater fluctuations in resource temperature (air temperature), especially in more northerly climates and exposed areas, so the power output varies more than it does with ground source systems. As a typical rule, the colder the air temperature, the less power (and heat) the air source heat pump can create. But that only really comes to attrition in minus temperatures.
Variable speed compressors can operate quicker during colder weather, which helps to reduce the power loss, but heat pump designs need to account for changes in power output. Therefore, air source heat pumps are often made a bit larger than ground source. This explains why in the above example, an air source heat pump would be 5KW in a 100sqm house and only 4KW for a ground source heat pump.
The size of your air source heat pump can depend on three main factors: outdoor design temperature, desired room temperature, and flow temperature. All of which we will help you with!
Outdoor design temperature.
Air source heat pumps take in heat from the air by passing extremely cold refrigerant liquid through heat exchanger coils, basically the opposite to how your typical fridge operates. Therefore, the warmer the air temperature is outside, the better the pump will work. Luckily in the UK, we don’t experience very adverse weather conditions through the winter months meaning air source heat pumps consistently work more effectively during this time of the year.
As previously mentioned, to make sure that the heat pump can meet the demand for heat in your home all year round, heat pumps are sized based on the coldest temperatures of the year for your location. So, the higher the coldest temperature the smaller your heat pump needs to be. We hope that makes sense!
Desired room temperature (the lower the temperature the better).
The desired room temperature is decided by you and your personal preferences. Normally, the majority of people want their homes to be a warm and comfortable 19-21 degrees Celsius, but lower room temperatures will need less heating, so a smaller size pump can be used.
You will already be seeing huge reductions on energy costs by using an air source heat pump so having your home at a more comfortable temperature like 21 degrees won’t feel and cost a premium like it will do with gas-fired systems.
Flow temperature.
How can I work out what size air source heat pump I need?
If you live in a new-build property, the example numbers for air source heat pumps in this article will give you a fairly accurate guideline to help you determine what size air source heat pump you will need. If you have an older property, it is advisable to contact us, the experts for further assistance.
Get in touch with us today to see how we can design your bespoke, energy-efficient heating system. After all, Your Green Future Starts Here!
Get in touch to request a call back!
Article Content
WANT TO SAVE £7,500?
Recent Articles:
Newsletter Sign Up
Keep up to date with latest news and industry insights.