Heat pump systems design and installation by Xpert Energy

The Government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme offers homeowners in England, Wales and Scotland grants towards the initial air source heat pump costs. (Subject to eligibility)

It may not always feel like it, but the air around us traps a lot of heat energy. Air source heat pumps (also called air to air source heat pumps) pull in air from outside your home and use that air to heat a refrigerating liquid. This liquid turns to a gas when warm, and it’s that warm gas that is used to heat your home and your hot water.

Unlike a conventional boiler which heats water to circulate around your home, air source heat pumps can be 4 times more energy efficient, which means it uses a lot less energy to create a great deal more heat.

Air source heat pump heating systems don’t burn any fuel like a gas boiler, so they cut your home’s CO2 emissions and improve the environment directly around your home and in your local community. They also work at temperatures as low as –43degrees C.

Since ground and air source heat pumps run on electricity, they can be used in combination with home electricity generation systems such as photovoltaic (PV) solar panels for an (almost) self-sufficient solution. See our Solar and Battery System page for more details.

You can also choose an electricity supplier that offers renewable tariffs for even more carbon footprint reduction.

Government grants for air source pump systems
Wales and Scotland towards the initial air source heat pump costs.

Want to know more about the Heat Pump Grant?
Contact us today. We do all the paperwork, so you don’t have to!

Or see our “Grants and Funding” page.

Is my home suitable for an air source heat pump (ASHP) system?
Most homes are suitable, but some will not have sufficient space around them for the external heat pump boxes. For most properties including historic buildings, the system may require new central heating pipework and radiators to be installed. Your air source heating system will also require your home to be well-insulated to run at maximum efficiency.

Overall, ASHPs are easier to install especially in smaller properties and are often cheaper than ground source. They will usually cost more than a conventional gas boiler system to install, but the set-up costs will be far outweighed by the savings made on fuel costs over its lifespan.

Confused about air source heat pumps? Call us first
At Xpert Energy our experts are always happy to talk through the many benefits of air source heat pumps, and their suitability for your home or premises. We offer a free, no obligation consultation, with an option for an on-site consultation to assess the suitability of your home (charges may apply).

To discuss the suitability of air source heat pump systems for your home, give us a call and speak to one of our specialists. Or fill in the form and we will call you back

• Call us
• Email us at installs@xpertenergy.co.uk or repairs@xpertenergy.co.uk
• Fill in our enquiry form

The ground beneath our feet holds a lot of heat energy, which a ground source heat pump can help you tap into.

Ground source heat pump systems are based on pipes installed underground in your garden or land. A thermal transfer fluid (TTF) is pumped around the pipes, which is heated by the natural warmth in the ground. The heat from the TTF passes through a heat exchanger into a refrigerant. The refrigerant is compressed which raises its temperature, and this heat is then released to heat your home.

Unlike a conventional gas, oil, or biomass boiler which burns fuel to heat the water to circulate around your home, a ground source heat pump uses just the natural heat in the earth. So, the system uses a lot less energy to create a great deal more heat, and costs much less to run.

There is no boiler burning fuel, and the pump is run by electricity, so a ground source heat pump cuts your home heating system’s CO2 emissions to virtually zero. The pump can also be powered by solar panels (photovoltaics) or other sustainable power sources for a greener, cleaner heating system that will last at least 20 years.

What’s more, a ground source heat pump system has both heating and cooling options, so you can keep cool in the summer heat too. That means greater fuel savings and a major reduction in your home’s carbon emissions all year round.

Government grants for ground source pump systems
The Government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme offers homeowners in England, Wales and Scotland grants to homeowners towards the costs of installing of low-carbon alternative ground source heat pump systems.

Want to know more about the Heat Pump Grant? Contact us today. We do all the paperwork, so you don’t have to! Or see our “Grants and Funding” page.

Is my home suitable for a ground source heat pump system?
Not every home is suitable for a ground source heat pump, as you will need a garden or large outdoor area to lay pipes under. However, that doesn’t mean you need to own a vast country estate! You simply need a garden or other outside area that is approximately twice the size of the footprint of your home. Ground source heating pipes can also run vertically up and down boreholes where space is limited.

Ground source heat pumps are more effective at lower temperatures than air source pumps, so may suit homeowners with sufficient land in colder parts of the UK. They may also require installation of a couple more radiators to compensate for the slightly lower running temperatures than a conventional oil or gas fired boiler-based system.

Overall, ground source heat pumps are more costly to buy and install than air source, but are cheaper to run as there is more energy retained underground all year round.

Why choose Xpert Energy to install your ground source system?
At Xpert Energy we offer a free, no obligation consultation, with an option for an on-site consultation to assess the suitability of your home (charges may apply).

As one of the UK’s leading sustainable energy systems installation companies, we offer:

• Long standing and excellent reputation within the industry
• Technical expertise
• Specialists in hydraulics (most important part of an installation)
• 5* Google Reviews
• A ‘fabric first ‘approach
• Excellent customer service and project management
• Fully employed team start to finish

To discuss the suitability of a ground source heat pump systems for your home, give us a call and speak to one of our specialists. Or fill in the form and we will call you back.

• Call us
• Email us at installs@xpertenergy.co.uk or repairs@xpertenergy.co.uk
• Fill in our enquiry form

Water source heat pump systems work on a similar principle to ground source. Pipes are laid at the bottom of your lake, large pond, river or stream, to use the consistent temperature of the water as a heat exchanger. Water is pumped around the pipes, which is heated by the natural exchange of heat energy in the water, and then used to heat your home and hot water.

A conventional gas boiler burns fossil fuels to heat the water that circulates around your home heating system. A water source heat pump uses just the natural heat in the water, so the system works on a lot less energy to create a great deal more heat.

Water source heat pumps (sometimes called ground water heat pumps) run on electricity to power the compressor but deliver way more heat into your home than would be used by a conventional central heating system. So, a water source pump system reduces your energy bills and cuts your carbon emissions.

As any large body of water holds a lot of energy at an almost constant temperature, water source heat pumps are usually more efficient than air source systems. The pump can also be powered by solar panels or other sustainable power sources for a greener, cleaner heating system that’ll last at least 20 years.

Government grants for water source pump systems
The Government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme offers homeowners in England, Wales and Scotland grants towards the costs of installing eco-friendly water source heat pump systems.

Want to know more about the Heat Pump Grant?
Contact us today. We do all the paperwork, so you don’t have to!

Or see our “Grants and Funding” page.

Closed loop and open loop water source systems
Closed loop systems are best used in a large body of relatively still water. A loop of sealed pipes containing anti-freeze is carefully laid under the water. When the antifreeze is pumped through the pipes, it is heated by the natural warmth of the water. This fluid returns to the heat pump, and the heat held is then used to heat your home.

Open loop systems involves sinking boreholes and bringing the water from below to the surface and extracting the heat. Since open loop systems involve much larger volumes of water, it can be more efficient than either air or ground source pump system. However, being “open” this type of water-to-water heat pump also requires more care and maintenance over a calendar year.

Is my home suitable for a water source pump system?
Not every home is suitable, as you will need access to a fairly large body of water within your grounds. Even with a stream or river, you may need permission to lay pipes in it. The feasibility of sinking the two boreholes also depends on the geology underlying your land and may not be possible due to infrastructure. Call us to discuss your requirements and your current access to water.

Water source heat pumps are more effective at lower temperatures than air source pumps, so may suit homeowners with sufficient land in colder parts of the UK. At Xpert Energy we offer a free, no-obligation consultation, with an option for an on-site consultation to assess the suitability of your home (charges may apply).

Need to talk heat pumps?
No problem. To discuss the suitability of a ground source heat pump system for your home, give us a call and speak to one of our specialists. Or fill in the form and we will call you back.

• Call us
• Email us at installs@xpertenergy.co.uk or repairs@xpertenergy.co.uk
• Fill in our enquiry form

Why choose Xpert Energy for your new heat pump central heating system

We are fully accredited, approved and trusted energy specialists with advanced specialist training and experience in a variety of manufacturers’ systems including:

• Thermia
• Stiebel Eltron
• Viessmann
• Nibe
• Mitsubushi
• Samsung
• Vaillant
• Daikin

An air source heat pump is a low carbon heating system that runs on electricity. It extracts heat from the outside air and uses it to warm your home and hot water. Air source heat pumps are connected to your underfloor heating and/or radiator circuits in the same way a gas boiler, but they are several times more efficient and much more environmentally friendly.

Ground source heat pumps work in a similar way but extract heat from the ground by pumping water through buried loops of pipework instead of extracting heat from the air. Because the ground is a much more even temperature throughout the year than the air, GSHPs can operate a little more efficiently than ASHPs but cost significantly more to install.

Yes! ASHPs work effectively in sub-zero temperatures, though will work harder and use more electricity to maintain the desired temperature in your home in the winter, much like a gas or oil boiler works harder in colder weather. Heat pumps are very common in much colder countries than England, like in Sweden and Norway.

No. Most modern heat pumps are extremely quiet running – often quieter than a gas boiler and often they are often compared to the noise of a refrigerator. The exact volume of noise of a heat pump will depend on the model, plus how hard it is having to work. Carefully sited heat pumps should not cause any problem, and a noise assessment is part of the design requirements that MCS accredited installers must follow to meet the requirements of an MCS standard installation and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme £7500 grant.

ASHPs are covered by Permitted Development for planning purposes so in many cases they can be installed without planning consent. However, there are exceptions and limitations which are covered in much more detail in our Blog here:

Do I need planning permission for an air source heat pump? – Xpert Energy

It is likely that some changes will be required to ensure your heat pump runs efficiently and that all rooms are nice and warm. While heat pumps can run at high output temperatures, they operate most efficiently at lower temperatures than fossil fuel boilers so up-sizing some radiators may be necessary. The number of radiators requiring changing, and amount of pipework that may need to be modified, will depend on; your home size, existing radiator specifications, heating needs, and whether you are planning any other works to reduce heat losses, e.g. by improving insulation and air-tightness.

ASHPs heat the water in your hot water cylinder the same way as a boiler does by sending hot water through a heat exchanger coil in the cylinder – only much more efficiently! To maximise efficiency by running at lower temperature than a fossil fuel boiler, a cylinder with a larger heat exchanger coil is used to ensure re-heat times are not too long.

Yes, Xpert Energy handles relevant permissions as part of our installation service. We may ask you for details of other electricity uses in your home to ensure the total demand of the heat pump plus your other electricity needs can be met by your incoming supply.

An ASHP can reduce your heating energy bills, especially if you are replacing oil, LPG or direct electric heating. ASHPs can also reduce energy bills compared to gas boilers. Much however depends on what you currently pay for your electricity and existing fuel source, and the careful design of your new heat pump system.

Typically, electricity costs around 3-4 times the cost of mains gas per unit (kWh). Heat pumps run on electricity and as a guide are around 300-400% efficient (i.e. 1kWh of electricity input + heat from the air = 3 to 4 kWh of heat output) so the running costs for a well-designed system should be similar, and could be appreciably lower than for a gas boiler.

Xpert Energy will provide you with transparently calculated running cost comparisons as part of our design service for your specific system.

Talk to an experienced, MCS accredited, installer such as Xpert Energy – we will guide you through the design process and provide a quotation for a suitable system. To choose a heat pump we will consider potential installation locations, your existing heating system and how heat is distributed in your home, your plans for your house which may include refurbishment or extensions, and we will undertake a detailed room-by-room heat loss assessment to accurately determine the size requirements for the heat pump and radiators etc.

Combi boilers heat domestic hot water (for your taps) instantaneously rather than heating a stored body of water in a hot water cylinder like a conventional boiler or a heat pump. A heat pump can certainly replace a Combi boiler but you will need suitable space to install a hot water cylinder.

Hybrid systems with multiple heat sources are indeed possible. Whilst they can provide a resilient heating system they do have some drawbacks. Firstly, they add controls complexity and maintenance cost as well as potentially being more expensive and requiring more installation space than a single source heating system. Hybrid systems are also not eligible for the Government’s £7500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant.