Air Source Heat Pumps Pros and Cons

Choosing how to heat and cool your home is an important decision, especially when it comes to energy bills: according to the Department of Energy, heating and cooling account for approximately 48% of the energy consumption of an average household.

More and more homeowners want newer, smarter, and more energy-efficient technologies, such as air source heat pumps (ASHP).

When considering air source heat pumps, it is very important to fully consider the advantages and disadvantages of air source heat pump technology. Below we will tell you one by one.

What is an air source heat pump?

The air source heat pump extracts heat from the air outside your home. In the case of an air-to-water heat pump, a large fan is placed outside the home to suck in air. The natural heat in the air is compressed to increase its temperature, and the resulting heat is transferred to a cylinder of water. The heated water can then be supplied to your faucet and used in the wet central heating system. In some cases, air source heat pumps can still extract heat at temperatures as low as -25°C.

Advantages of air source heat pump:

1. The operating cost is lower than that of petroleum or liquefied petroleum gas substitutes.

If installed and sized correctly, air source heat pumps are a cheaper form of heating than oil or LPG boilers. The COP of an air-source heat pump should be around 3, which means that for every 1 kW of electricity invested to run it, 3 kW of heat will be obtained from it.

2. Very suitable for use with floor heating.

Floor heating works best at a lower temperature than the radiator. The air source heat pump is around 45c, which is the ideal temperature for floor heating.

3. Produce less CO2 emissions.

Because heat pumps are highly efficient and run on electricity, they produce less carbon dioxide emissions than other heating systems that use natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, or petroleum.

4. Very little maintenance is required.

Because the air source heat pump technology has existed for decades, it has been tried and tested repeatedly, so it is very reliable. Air source heat pumps use the same technology as our refrigerators and freezers, and they require little maintenance.

5. Can be used to provide refrigeration in summer

Some air source heat pumps can be placed in a reverse cycle to cool your property instead of heating it, thereby providing you with cooling and heating in one unit.

Disadvantages of air source heat pump

1. High upfront cost

For most people, the initial cash outlay is a disadvantage of the heat pump because it is expensive when you have to buy and install the heat pump for the first time.

2. Heat supply is lower than boiler

One of the most frequently mentioned shortcomings of air source heat pumps is that they provide less heat supply than traditional oil and gas boilers. This may mean that some properties require a larger radiator, especially if you have a larger room.

3. Additional expenses for installing underfloor heating

Due to the low heat supply, air source heat pumps are most commonly used for floor heating to make full use of the system. This is because you don't need that high temperature to operate it.

4. Low efficiency in cold weather

One of the disadvantages of air source heat pumps is that the colder the outside air, the more difficult it is for the heat pump to extract heat. For this reason, heat pumps use more electricity in winter, thereby reducing efficiency.

5. Working noise

Air source heat pumps will produce some noise during operation, but it must be said that homeowners who generally live in heat pumps think that this is not one of the serious shortcomings of air source heat pumps.

6. Your house must be well insulated

Since the temperature of hot water produced by the air source heat pump is lower than that of the boiler, the property needs to be well insulated to make it an efficient system.