Case Studies
Canal View – Air Source Heat Pump Case Study
The owner of this new-build project in Knowle wanted to create a futuristic and sustainable home for his family.
Case Studies
Canal View – Air Source Heat Pump Case Study
The owner of this new-build project in Knowle wanted to create a futuristic and sustainable home for his family.
Case Studies
Canal View
Project outline:
John purchased the land on the outskirts of Knowle by the Grand Union Canal and transformed an old barn into his dream home, overlooking the beautiful landscape of Knowle Locks and surrounding areas.
The satellite image below shows how the land looked before we commenced work in 2023.
Working with building contractors, Heatflo Mechanical, and our heat pump team, we finalised plans and designs over time. The old structure was demolished, creating space for a stunning, sustainable new-build home.
The Challenge:
Mr. Whitehead wanted to create a sustainable home for his family, future-proofed against rising energy prices. Being environmentally conscious, he aimed to minimise his family’s carbon footprint and reduce their reliance on fossil fuels.
John found the idea of installing a heat pump in his home very intriguing.
He understood the efficiency of these systems and their potential to connect to radiators and underfloor heating. Heatflo Mechanical was installing these systems for him.
When John contacted Heat From Air, our team supported his idea of using a heat pump for heating and hot water. We created designs with this in mind and decided that Vaillant UK was the best manufacturer to go ahead with.
Mr. Whitehead wanted to create a sustainable home for his family, future-proofed against rising energy prices. Being environmentally conscious, he aimed to minimise his family’s carbon footprint and reduce their reliance on fossil fuels.
John found the idea of installing a heat pump in his home very intriguing. He understood the efficiency of these systems and the potential to connect them to other heating appliances, such as radiators and underfloor heating, which Heatflo Mechanical was installing for him.
Use the arrows to navigate through the project from start to finish!
Installing the heat pump..
How long did it take?
Due to the project’s complexities, the team adjusted the heat pump installation around deadlines and other tasks, such as underfloor heating and structural work. Despite this, our team installed the system in three working days. Our installers returned a few times to complete the heat pump setup.
What did it involve?
The 12kW outdoor Vaillant unit was installed at ground level next to the home and Panasonic air conditioning condensers. This location sits parallel to the 250-liter water cylinder and 45-liter buffer tank. All components and controls are inside a mini plant room in the home. We positioned the heat pump as close to the property as possible to reduce pressure and energy loss.
Considering the home’s style and location, the team installed flexible hoses and anti-vibration feet following MCS MIS 3005. They also sized the primary pipework appropriately to ensure correct flow across the heat pump.
Was John happy with the result?
After the team sorted the setup issues, the installers completed the work. John praised their professionalism during the installation. Although the renovation took longer than expected, John quickly adjusted to the heat pump.
“After playing around with the system, I could easily use it and adjust the temperature to my liking. It’s pretty obvious what you need to do.”
Project outcome..
The state-of-the-art home now boasts a reliable and renewable heat source courtesy of latent heat in the outside air, which the aroTHERM heat pump subsequently converts into heat and hot water production. The heat pump is housed in a fenced off area next to the property to ensure maximum space within the home. It is connected to a 250 litre stainless steel high performance hot water cylinder to generate domestic hot water, as well as supply energy for the underfloor heating system.
To comply with HSE Code of Practice, Vaillant’s weather compensated controls ensure the water content of the cylinder is heated to a temperature of 60°C for one hour every day as well as making sure the heat pump always performs at maximum efficiency to minimise energy consumption.
Common concerns about heat pumps..
Warmth and comfort:
John was worried that the heat pump would be unable to heat up their home sufficiently and meet their hot water needs. However, this has not been the case. He is very happy with the results as he has noticed consistent temperatures throughout the house and sufficient hot water to cover their needs.
“The heat pump and underfloor heating performs very well.”
Energy costs:
John believes that the heat pump is an excellent choice for providing sufficient warmth in the home, but is a significant financial decision when it comes to running costs. He calculated that using the heat pump resulted in higher bills for achieving the same indoor temperature compared to an equivalent gas boiler over the billing period. This is because heat pumps run on electricity, which is more expensive per unit than gas in the current day, although this will change overtime as gas prices continue to soar.
So, even though they are more efficient, heat pumps can cost more to run depending on the householder’s circumstances. However, John is happy to pay a little extra for the heat pump.
“There is a price that you have to pay for the new technology and the environmental impact is a huge benefit.”
Disruption:
The installation of the heat pump was a fairly small task in terms of the huge renovation that John was going through. Our engineers managed to install the pipework and systems within a couple of days. Although, the system did have some minor issues at the start which required a Vaillant technical engineer to come and fix.
Aesthetics and “the look” of the heat pump:
The couple decided to hide the indoor unit of the heat pump in a custom-made plant room inside the house. The outdoor unit was also installed into an area which was fenced off for aesthetics. John is very happy with the overall look of these units!
Noise:
Once the heat pump had been installed, the couple discovered that both the outdoor and the indoor unit were noisy while operating. The noise from the outdoor unit was not an issue though, as it was positioned on the roof of their garage where they could not hear it.
Robert installed acoustic thermal insulation in the property to overcome the noisy operation of the indoor unit and noticed a significant drop to the noise levels.
“Now it’s much better.”
This case study is part of a series produced as part of a UK Government funded project through its Energy Innovation Programme, the Electrification of Heat Demonstration project. The project is trialling different types of heat pumps in up to 750 homes across the UK.
Looking for funding to install a heat pump?
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme is a UK Government initiative to encourage more people in England and Wales to install low carbon heating systems, such as heat pumps and biomass boilers.
The Government have recently extended this scheme until 2028 and increased the grant offering to £7,500 meaning you could get your brand new heat pump for FREE of charge!
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