Heat From Air
Ground Source Heat Pumps
What is an ground source heat pump?
A ground source heat pump, sometimes referred to as a ground-to-water heat pump, transfers heat from the ground outside your home to heat your radiators or underfloor heating. It can also heat water stored in a hot water cylinder for your hot taps and showers.
Thermal transfer fluid (TTF), a mixture of water and antifreeze (sometimes known as ‘brine’) flows around a loop of pipe, buried in your garden or outdoor space. This loop could either be a long or coiled pipe buried in trenches, or a long loop (called a ‘probe’) inserted into a borehole with a diameter of around 180mm.
Heat from the ground is absorbed into the fluid, which then passes through a heat exchanger into the heat pump. This raises the temperature of the fluid and then transfers that heat to water.
Unfortunately, we don’t install ground source heat pumps but continue reading if you want to find out more information on these heating systems!
Is a ground source heat pump right for me?
There are a few things to consider when deciding whether a ground source heat pump is right for you.
You don’t necessarily need a large space, but you will need land near your home suitable for digging trenches or drilling boreholes.
The ground will need to be suitable for digging and accessible to machinery from a road entrance. The area will need to avoid trees, as roots will cause problems when digging trenches. The length of ground loop and trenches depend on the size of your home and the amount of heat you need.
If space is limited, it may be possible to drill vertical boreholes to gather heat. This is usually more expensive than digging trenches and usually needs a specialist ground (thermogeological) survey.
Larger houses may require more than one borehole. Borehole depth depends on the heat demand of a property and the underlying geology but is likely to be around 75-200 metres deep.
You will need space inside your home for the indoor heat pump unit, which contains key components. The inside unit often contains the hot water cylinder and is roughly the size of an American style fridge.
How will you heat the rooms in your home?
Most homes in the UK use radiators or underfloor heating to circulate hot water, which is known as a ‘wet system’. Ground source heat pumps need a wet system.
If you don’t currently have a wet system, you will have to decide whether you’d like to install one. This is a great opportunity to make sure the wet system is optimised for a heat pump, resulting in lower running costs.
Don’t want or can’t have a wet heating system? Click here for air-to-air heat pumps.
How much does a ground source heat pump cost?
The cost of a ground source heat pump installation varies, influenced by:
– Access to the ground and whether you choose trenches or a borehole to lay the ground loop.
– The brand, model and size of heat pump chosen.
– The size of the property and how much heat it needs.
– Whether it’s a newbuild or an existing property.
– Whether you’re opting to make any improvements to your radiators to improve the efficiency of the heat pump, or if you are installing radiators or underfloor heating for the first time.
Typical costs are around £24,000 if your ground loop is buried in trenches and could be around £49,000 if you need to dig a borehole.
We recommend speaking to at least three installers to provide a quote for your heat pump system to give you the best idea of likely costs for your home. Or get in touch with us to find out how we can support you with a cheaper Air Source Heat Pump, today! There’s still plenty of time to obtain your £5000 discount.
Will a heat pump save me money on my energy bill?
Running costs will depend on how your heat pump is designed and how it is operated. Savings on your energy bill will also depend on the system you are replacing.
You can see potential annual savings of installing a standard ground source heat pump, including any recommended radiator upgrades, in an average sized, four-bedroom detached home, below.
For more information, head to our in-depth guide to find out how to get the most out of your heat pump and maximise your savings.
England, Scotland and Wales:
Here’s how much you could save on your fuel bill (£/year), as well as how many kilograms of CO2 emissions you could save each year when replacing an existing heating system in a typical well insulated three-bedroom semi-detached home with an average ground source heat pump installation using over-sized radiators:
Figures for England, Scotland and Wales are based on fuel prices under the Energy Price Guarantee running from April 2023 to the end of June 2023.
Further Reading...
Your Green Future
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Your green future
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Your Green Future
Starts Here
Your green future
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