Optimising Heat Pump Efficiency: A Holistic System Approach

Properly balancing the heating and cooling system is paramount for optimizing the distribution of heating water throughout a home. Even with the most performant and energy efficient heat pump, without appropriate hydronic balancing, each terminal unit is not guaranteed to receive its designed flow, which will inadvertently lead to energy waste and the inability to deliver the desired temperature in the different rooms. Engage with your clients to ensure proper system balancing is performed and suggest solutions like radiator inserts or underfloor heating with Automatic Flow Control technology to achieve effortless, accurate and automatic balancing.

The efficiency of a heat pump is intricately linked to the temperature difference between the source temperature and the water temperature required for radiators or underfloor heating. A substantial temperature contrast makes the compressor in the heat pump work harder. Opting for low-temperature systems, such as larger radiators or underfloor heating, will improve efficiency. Combining a heat pump with underfloor heating is a valuable solution that enhances your customer's home cost and energy efficiency in the long term, ensuring effective operation and a consistently comfortable heating experience.

Maintaining optimal system pressure is essential to ensure performance and system integrity. Unmanaged pressures in the system will lead to problems like leaks, air intake, and corrosion, presenting serious threats to water-based heating and cooling systems. To proactively prevent these issues and reparation costs, it is highly recommended to use with high-quality expansion vessels. The vessels from IMI Pneumatex are constructed with a bag, made of butyl. This prevents the system water from ever touching the walls of the vessel and the butyl material has the lowest gas diffusion rate in the market. This means that an IMI Pneumatex vessel loses the same pre-set pressure that competitors lose in 1 year, in almost 10 years. By selecting an IMI Pneumatex vessel, you can have peace of mind on the reliability of the product, safeguarding your reputation and ensuring that you won’t waste time on periodic product replacements, callbacks or unnecessary repairs.

The quality of circulating water significantly influences system efficiency and lifespan. Debris and air buildup can lead to clogs, malfunctions, and even total heat pump failure. Incorporating dirt and air separators and degassing units ensures a clean system by effectively removing air and dirt deposits, enhancing overall system performance. Well-designed vacuum degassing equipment, such as IMI Pneumatex's Vento Connect, can efficiently degas the entire system within two weeks, even in large-volume applications. To prevent continuous air ingress through the make-up water, the vacuum degasser should also integrate make-up water control, ensuring that air is adequately degassed before being introduced into the system.

Selecting an efficient heat source, like a heat pump, is just the initial step in crafting an efficient and reliable home heating system. Through fine-tuning hydronic balancing, temperature control, system pressurisation, and water quality, homeowners can improve their heating system's efficiency while reducing operating costs. By collaborating closely with your customers and sharing your expertise, you can empower them to make well-informed decisions that will safeguard their heating system's performance and ensure lasting peace of mind.