Heat Pump FAQ
Q. What is a Ground Source Heating System?
A. A Ground Source Heating System is an electrically powered system that taps the natural heat stored in the earth to heat your home. An IVT heat pump will also heat your domestic hot water, heat your swimming pool and can cool your home in the summer.
Q. How does it work?
A. It simply moves heat energy from one place to another. Your fridge works on the same principle. By using the same process Ground Source Heating Systems remove heat stored in the earth and transfer it into your home. The sun naturally replenishes the heat removed from the ground.
Q. How is the heat transferred from my garden into my home?
A. The earth has the ability to absorb and store heat from the sun. This heat is extracted from the earth using a ground loop. The ground loop is a continuous closed loop of special pipe buried in your garden. Water is circulated through the buried pipes where it absorbs heat from the surrounding earth. The ground loop is connected to a heat pump inside your home that takes heat out of the circulating water and transfers it into your heating circuit.
Q. How are the loops installed?
A. The special ground loops are either buried in trenches at a depth of 1-2m or installed in bore holes that may be up to 90m deep. Each method is as efficient as the other. Available space determines which method is used.
Q. What is a heat pump and how efficient are they?
A. A heat pump is a device, which transforms low temperature energy to higher temperature energy using the refrigeration cycle. It si similar in size to a boiler but does not need a flue. A Ground Source Heating System heat pump is three to four times as energy efficient as the most efficient gas boiler. Instead of burning a fuel, and producing the associated emissions that contribute to global warming, they simply move heat that already exists.
Q. What heating systems can I use?
A. You can use underfloor and radiators for heat distribution in your home. If required, comfort cooling can also be provided at an additional cost.
Q. How much land do I need for ground source heat pump?
A. That depends on the size of the house, what pump will be needed and whether the property is a newly built or older property.
Q. Are grants available to install these systems?
A. Yes government grants are available, please contact us to discuss.
Q. What is the payback period?
A. With fossil fuels rising a pay back period is anything up to 11years.