When energy bills start climbing, most of us wonder if there’s an alternative. Looking into renewable energy as a heating source has become the necessary go to for homeowners, not least of all because we know that gas and electricity from fossil fuels is soon going to be a thing of the past. Transitioning to green technologies like an air source heat pump is often a no brainer for those seeking cheaper bills and a lower carbon footprint, but are they all they’re cracked up to be?
Like with anything it’s important to take a balanced look before you purchase, so let’s go through the disadvantages of air source heat pumps.
What Is An Air Source Heat Pump?
Air source heat pumps truly are a stroke of genius that fits well into the futuristic visions of our childhoods.
A box not much bigger than a large armchair, effectively sits on the side of your property and magically transforms cold outside air to hot water, that fills your radiators and throughout your underfloor heating system.
Able to convert air temperatures as low as minus 20 degrees and produce instant hot water to a home or store it for later use, they also work in reverse. Astonishingly, they can even produce cool air akin to an air conditioning unit in the summer months. Some people even rig them up to their swimming pools to use them to heat the water there.
Air source heat pumps can be installed in a matter of just a couple of days and can go on to last up to 20 years. They require minimum maintenance, needing cleaning every couple of months and a yearly service. Perhaps best of all are the eco-credentials of this impressive kit.
An air source heat pump is capable of matching the entire repertoire of a traditional gas boiler but does so with minimal electricity and little damage to the environment. There is no need to store fuel, because it simply doesn’t run on fossil fuels.
In fact, installing an air source heat pump and then powering it with electricity from further renewable sources like solar panels on your roof mean you can go completely carbon neutral.
Possibly the most mind-blowing factor about the air source heat pump is that the government will actually pay you back in instalments every month for up to 7 years as a part of an incentives scheme to get the UK on to renewables. But more about that later.
The question is, with credentials as good as these, why doesn’t every home have an air source heat pump?
How Do Air Source Heat Pumps Work?
Much as this sounds like something you’d find in a Harry Potter movie, the reality of this air to water heating system contains clever technical engineering.
How a heat pump works is the definition of efficiency. There are two key types of heat pumps – either ‘Air-to-Water’ or ‘Air-to-Air’.
- A water heat pump is where heat from the air generates heat for water, which is then pushed around traditional heating systems like radiators and underfloor heating. As underfloor heating run better with lower water temperatures than radiators (approx. 45 degrees), air to water heat pumps are considered ideal for the purpose.
- An air to air system will generate warm air and will then pump air through fans which blow it throughout the home.
Air to water systems work by hoovering the air from outside into its body. This air is used to heat a liquid refrigerant, similar to the way a fridge works but in reverse.
The liquids temperature is then increase via compression, which is powered by an internal pump.
The compressed (now heated) liquid releases its stored heat and can be transferred around the home throughout the normal heating systems such as radiators and underfloor heating.
Finally, any excess heat goes towards generating hot water from a cylinder.
A dual option in some models of air source heat pumps means it’s possible to use as an air conditioning system too. Warm summer air can be converted into cool by absorbing heat from the air which can then be blown back into the indoor space using a fan system.
Although it is possible to buy separate devices depending on the need, there are also models which do both.
It’s a necessity to make sure a home is well insulated to make sure you get the best out of an air source heat pump. This is largely to ensure that any heat is contained within the property and temperatures can remain consistent.
Air Source Heat Pump Sizing
Although it’s entirely possible to get away with just one small air source heat pump for an average 3 bedroom house, sizing air source heat pump is a job that only a professional renewable energy specialist can do.
A heat loss report is an important part of the process of learning about how big you need to go, or even if one air source heat pump is enough. In really large houses, it could be that you need the combined efforts of two heat pumps working in cohesion.
Other factors include the type of hot water cylinder you have and the number of radiators. Air source heat pump efficiency is also governed by the type of insulation and how much of it you have.
Air Source Heat Pump Cost
So the big question. How much does this seemingly perfect product cost?
Well, the good news is that of all the available renewable energy heating system you can install in your home, air source pumps are absolutely the most affordable option.
The other good news is, that air source heat pumps prices are coming down and are expected to continue to do so. In the meantime, you can get much of the money you put in back, by signing up to the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI).
Notably, you will see a huge reduction in your energy bills – in some cases as much as 68%, immediately after installation.
Everyone from homeowners taking the hit of inflation, to businesses who’ve missed vital income, to charities struggling post pandemic can reap the rewards. And that’s without mentioning the environment.
Air source heat pump prices can be broken down to:
- The unit and parts
- Installation costs
- Running costs
A good quality air source heat pump cost on average £4,000-£6,000 (depending on its output range), but air source heat pump installation costs can bump up the price considerably. To install you might expect to pay a further £3,000-£10,000 depending on the complexity of the job, existing infrastructure and the size of the property.
When compared to the average cost of a biomass boiler (£15,000 – £25,000), or a ground source heat pump at £34,000-£40,000, there is a considerable saving.
It’s fair to say that air source heat pump costs are initially high. For many homeowners it simply isn’t something they feel is affordable, particularly when compared to a traditional combi gas boiler, which incur a spend of around £3,000.
The government seem to recognise this too, which is why they currently provide a £7,500 up-front grant for the installation of a new ASHP system into homes and businesses.
The ‘Future Homes Standard’ details the full intention to move all new build properties away from fossil fuels, addressing a much needed reduction in carbon emissions for the UK to meet it’s CO2 2050 targets, so with the growth of the industry, it’s fully expected that air source heat pump price will greatly decrease, along with other renewable technologies.
Air Source Heat Pump Running Cost
When installed properly by experts (like here at Neater Heat), air source heat pumps are definitely cheaper than any oil or LPG boilers, and provide some of the lowest running costs for home heating.
Coefficient of Performance (COP) is a way of defining how much output of energy results from an input of energy. When an air source heat pump uses 1kW of electricity to run, it has a COP of 3kW. The 3kW is thermal energy (heat).
These ratios change depending on the air temperature and also the temperature of water that the heat pump is trying to produce. Because it fluctuates throughout the seasons, an average COP is worked out over the course of a year, known as SCOP (Seasonal Coefficient of Performance).
To give some comparison, a traditional gas boiler SCOP might be 0.8.
Running costs should be reduced by around £200-£300 a year with an air source heat pump which has a SCOP of 3-5.
So Are There Any Air Source Heat Pump Disadvantages?
Much as air source heat pumps are wonderful, nothing is perfect. As we know, air source heating systems come in two formats, the Air-to-water heating system and the air-to-air heating system. Both have their disadvantages.
Air to Water and Air to Air – Heat Pump Disadvantages
COST
Unfortunately, the upfront cost is probably the main air source heat pumps disadvantage. Most people just don’t have, or feel able to pay the larger upfront costs.
Air source heating cost is largely dominated by the cost of air source heat pump installation. Because renewable technology is still a fairly new industry, less people know how to do it compared to their fossil fuel alternatives.
However, we would still argue that overall ASHPs do work out cheaper. The fact is, when thinking how much does an air source heat pump cost in total, you just need to wait a few years to recoup your investment.
HEAT
A key drawback of air source heat pumps is that they simply don’t provide the same level of heat that some homeowners have grown to expect. Although this sounds bad, it simply means this is a heating system that is best suited to underfloor heating and radiators.
Because of that, often larger radiators are required, which is an additional cost at installation that has to be factored in.
Although the overall temperatures are lower, they are consistent. That means that provided your home is well insulated, you will enjoy warm, comfortable temperatures at all times (rather than the peaks and troughs that traditional gas boilers can incur).
Note: Air to air heating system heat pumps cannot be paired with underfloor heating, which might be a priority for sustaining temperatures properly.
COLD WEATHER EFFICIENCY
Air source heat pump problems in cold weather include less efficiency and lower heat supply. When temperatures drop below zero, air source heat pumps have to work harder and so aren’t as cost effective as during the summer. Arguably you could say the same for gas boilers too! Actually air source heat pumps are able to generate heat from air temperatures as low as -15 Degrees Celsius.
This slow and steady approach ends up being more cost effective than constantly firing up the heating as we’ve grown used to doing. That said, for homes that are already connected to a main supply of gas for lower prices, you may find it cheaper to remain with that.
INSULATION
Insulation is helpful with an air source heat pump, so you’re ensuring that every kW of heat generated is used to the maximum. Insulation is an additional cost to factor in if you don’t have enough and regardless of boiler system, is a
NOISE
Another pitfall to the air source heat pump is the perceived noise it makes, which is much like an air conditioning unit. Most people find that by placing the ASHP as far away from quiet zones of the house (such as bedrooms) it simply doesn’t bother them, but if you’re noise sensitive, it may be an annoyance. Luckily, manufacturers are getting better all the time, so newer models are quieter than ever, some making almost no noise at all. A noisy ASHP in your home is a thing of the past.
ELECTRICITY
Because the pumps do require some electricity to run, you can’t go completely off-grid (unless you generate electricity using another method of renewable energy such as solar PV).
You can of course opt to get your electricity from the many energy providers giving 100% renewable electricity to customers
REGULATIONS
A fly in the ointment for some is the need to meet regulations when installing an ASHP. Although the vast majority of people don’t need planning permission, there are a couple of things that must be adhered to in order for the ASHP install to be without issue with the local council.
This includes making sure the installation is at least a meter from the boundary of your home, is installed on a suitable surface such as the ground or a flat roof (1 meter from the edge), has a maximum volume of .6 cubic meters.
APPEARANCE
The final disadvantage (if it could be considered as one), is the appearance of the air source heat pump, which tends to look like an air conditioning unit.
Most people are used to seeing their heating systems tucked away in some cupboard and not on the outside of their house. That said, if they are found to be truly unappealing, it is possible to box them in with a bespoke container case or even some tasteful fencing or hide it behind a few bushes!
Air Source Vs Ground Source Heat Pump
Despite the similarities in their names, air source and ground source heat pumps are pretty different creatures. We have a comprehensive guide to the pros and cons of an air source heat pump verses a ground source heat pump which you can find here.
Best Air Source Heat Pump
When it comes to the air source heating system, Neater Heat have much experience in many major brands.
In terms of the best air source heat pumps it really does depend on your properties individual needs. The thorough survey that Neater Heat specialists take, including a full heat loss survey, establishes exactly which domestic heat pumps are the right ones.
That said, as a rule of thumb, we do tend to prefer brands who specialise in heat pump systems, rather than companies that’s main interest is manufacturing electrical items to ship around the world. This is because should anything go wrong, we are only a phone call away from a specialist heat pump manufacturer technician as opposed to a company in another country. For instance, Vaillant air source heat pumps are made in the UK and who only make heating systems. The Vaillant air source heat pump reviews are excellent too.
Our air source heating system brands include Mitsubishi, Daikin and other leading manufacturers.
Air Source Heat Pump Installation
Air source heat pumps can be installed within 2-4 days. They should always be installed by a fully qualified MCS certified technician. By choosing a verified RECC or HIES associated company like Neater Heat, you can be fully assured that the install will be safe, fully functional and as efficient as possible.
Summary
We’re sure you’ll agree that overall the benefits of an air source heat pump well outweigh any negatives. Low cost heat and hot water are environmentally sustainable and super energy efficient.
By taking advantage of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, you will ultimately cover the cost of the initial installation.
For a full no obligation heat pump quote, or any other help with your properties heating system, why not give our expert team a call today.
Our passion is to deliver the optimum customer experience at the very best price and value for money. Call us today on 01252 338078 or use our contact form to get in touch.
