The Government has announced homeowners in England and Wales
will be offered subsidies of £5,000 from next April to help them replace old
gas boilers with low-carbon heat pumps, with the aim of no new gas boilers
being sold after 2035.
What is a heat pump and how do they work?
A heat pump is an electrically powered device that absorbs
heat from the air, ground or water around a building.
The source of heat – this could be air outside or warmth
from the ground – is blown or pumped over the heat exchange surface of the
exterior part of the heat pump.
This heat (although cold in comparison to a centrally heated
home) is warm enough to cause the special refrigerant liquid to evaporate and
turn into a gas. This gas then moves through a compressor, which increases the
pressure which in doing so, causes the temperature to rise.
The gas (now heated) is passed over the internal heat
exchange surface. This heat can then be either blown around the interior or
transferred into a central heating or hot water system.
The gas falls in temperature as the heat is transferred into
the home and it subsequently returns to a liquid state.
The cycle of reverse refrigeration repeats until your home
or business reaches the required temperature setting on your thermostat.
How do they work with underfloor heating?
Underfloor heating is great partnered with a heat pump – the
efficiency of a heat pump increases as the required flow temperature decreases.
Put simply, this means that the cooler you run the system, the less it costs to
operate.
If properly designed and installed, underfloor heating can
run at very low temperatures. This makes underfloor heating and heat pumps a
great combination for UK households.
Talk to one of our experts today to find out how an
underfloor heating – heat pump combination could work in your home.