Heat pumps are a low-carbon, efficient and quiet option for heating your home and providing hot water, and with so many people looking to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels, they’re currently more popular than ever across the UK.
Here’s what you need to know.
What is a Domestic Heat Pump?
A heat pump is an energy-efficient alternative to a gas boiler that draws the heat from the surrounding air outside the property into a water cylinder inside, and uses that to provide a consistent, comfortable source of heating and warm water.
A traditional gas boiler has to work very hard in shorter bursts – say, when you turn on the hot water to wash the plates or get in the shower. This is energy intensive, expensive in the long-run, and inefficient, since most of us are used to the hot water cutting in and out or the heating system making a room either uncomfortably hot or seemingly doing nothing at all.
Heat pumps provide a steady, constant stream of heat from the outdoors. This is what makes the experience of owning one so different, and why most homeowners would never go back to a gas boiler.
What if it’s Cold Outside?
While it may sound strange, a heat pump can still extract heat from the air even when the temperatures outside are particularly low. Most units these days are capable of operating at temperatures lower than what the UK sees, even in the depths of winter, because thermal energy is still ‘present’ in the air even when it’s too cold to go out there yourself.
Are They Noisy?
No, modern heat pumps are actually far quieter than a lot of gas boilers. Since boilers have to ‘kick into action’ periodically throughout the day and night, they tend to make quite a bit of noise, even if we’re so accustomed to it we barely notice it any more.
Heat pumps, by contrast, run very quietly. There’s no sudden surge of activity when they are suddenly called upon to heat some water, so you’ll probably notice even more peace than you had before.
How Hard is Installation?
It all depends on which company you work with for your heat pump installation, but in reality the process should feel smooth and painless. A company like GSM Ltd offers decades of experience in designing and installing modern renewable energy solutions in homes and businesses; since they work with a team rather than subcontracting the work, you can feel far more assured that the work they do will meet their own high standards.
So, while heat pump installation is – in theory – very simple, you mustn’t underestimate the importance of finding the right company to work with. That alone will make the biggest difference.