Air Source Heat Pump

15 December 2017
by Archive User

We are building a 5 bed detached property, and mid-build have come round to the idea of installing an air source heat pump instead of the oil-fired boiler we had originally specified. We are already having underfloor heating on the ground floor, and understand we would need to install larger radiators upstairs.

I would just like to hear from other people who have gone down this route already, how well (or otherwise) you feel this system works, if the water is hot enough, if you feel you are saving money. We have seen ASHPs fitted in small, single storey properties to great success, but wonder how well they work for larger homes. Any feedback would be much appreciated.

Asked by BradshawsBuild

One Answer

  1. Nigel Griffiths says:

    An ASHP will function fine in larger new dwellings for two reasons. Firstly, self-builds can be fitted with high levels of insulation, so heat demand is low and the pump works less hard.

    Secondly, well-designed and constructed houses don’t need much space heating upstairs. While an ASHP normally requires bigger radiators to achieve the same heat output in an existing building, on a new build you can easily opt for underfloor heating, which is a much larger distributor and runs at a lower temperature.

    Combine this with the fact heat rises, and the ASHP may well take care of the whole building. To be safe, allow for radiators upstairs, but they certainly don’t need to be huge.

    As for running costs, if you were on mains gas I would have recommended to sticking with this. However, your property is off-grid, so a welldesigned ASHP should be cheaper to run than oil.

    A subsidy is also available via the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). My advice is to talk to a heating engineer to get the heat demand for the house worked out and radiators sized.

    – Nigel Griffiths, Build It expert

Leave a Reply

You may be interested in

Our sponsors