Exhaust
air heat pump systems are becoming increasingly
popular with developers and self-builders alike.
The exhaust air heat pump uses otherwise wasted
heat in the warm air areas of your home (bathrooms,
kitchen, utility..) and transfers that heat to
hot water using the same principles as air source
and ground source heat pumps.
An exhaust air
heat pump unit will cover your heating and hot
water requirements and will only need backup power
in adverse or extreme loading conditions. On the
NIBE heat pump units we install, there are in-built
immersion heaters that supply extra heat energy,
but docking can be made to other heat sources
such as electric boilers, solar panels or even
other heat pumps. Each unit is suitable for a
different property size range. As a rough guide
for a new domestic property; the 200P unit is
suitable for 45 - 70 sqm or a 2kw - 4kw heating
requirement. The 360P and 410P are suitable for
70 - 160 sqm properties (4kw - 5kw).
Exhaust
Air Heat Pump - System Overview
Solo can install
three different types of exhaust air heat pumps.
The first class (NIBE 200P and 360P) will take
warm stale air from the bathroom, kitchen and
utility rooms within the home, and extract that
air through a series of ducts run within the floor
and walls.
The heat energy within the air is passed over
a heat exchanger within the unit, which transfers
the energy to refrigerant. This refrigerant boils
and evaporates (whilst still sealed in the unit
at all times), and once this refrigerant is in
a gaseous state, it is compressed. As this gas
is compressed it creates heat, much like when
air is compressed, and it is this heat which is
transferred to the hot water and heating system.
The step up from
the 200P and 360P exhaust air units are the 410P
units. These extract from the stale air areas
of the home, but at the same time, transfer some
of this recycled heat to fresh incoming air from
the outside. This fresh air is supplied through
a separate duct system to the livable areas of
the home. These include the living rooms and bedrooms.
The 410P exhaust air heat pump will save more
Kwh's of energy per year, but will cost around
£900 more to install.
Exhaust Air Heat
Pump Cost
The
supply, installation and commissioning cost for
an exhaust air heat pump system is £6,250. This
would include all the ductwork at 1st fix stage,
electrics for the system, connection to the properties
services and commissioning.
These
systems are very cost effective when taking into
account no gas supplies will be needed for the
property, Code For Sustainable Homes renewable
energy requirements are covered, Building Regulations
ventilation requirements are met, and of course
the lower running costs and comfort of the system
will increase the value and salability of the
home itself. In Local Authority developments,
fuel poverty regulations are also met with these
exhaust air heat pump systems.
As we have mentioned
above, the 410P units provide a fully sealed and
controlled method of ventilation and heating for
your home. They require the installation of an
extra duct system that will supply pre-heated
fresh air to the livable areas of the home. These
units are especially suitable for new properties
and smaller homes / flats. New builds are now
extremely air tight and these units cover all
ventilation and renewable energy requirements
all in one. The 410P exhaust air heat pump system
works with many of the principles of a full mechanical
heat recovery system, with the added benefit of
heat pump technology.
Use
this interactive diagram to see how these systems
will work within your home:
These units are
very similar to the 410P unit, the only difference
being they do not supply fresh ventilated air
to the livable areas of the home. Instead they
rely upon various air intake grilles direct to
the outside air. When the stale air is extracted
to the unit, fresh air is naturally brought into
the home as the air pressure balances are changed.
Because the unit does not preheat the fresh air,
the Kwh per year savings on the 200P and 360P
units are less than that of the 410P exhaust air
heat pump.
The 200P has inbuilt
immersion heaters rated at 3Kw, and the 360P has
a rating of 8Kw. depending on the heating load
and hot water requirements of the property, we
will size the unit accordingly.
The NIBE exhaust
air heat pump range is ideally suited to new build
flats or small homes. They will cover Code For
Sustainable Homes renewable energy requirements,
whilst providing a relatively low cost solution
for heating and hot water.
As with all exhaust
air heat pump systems, careful commissioning procedures
must be met in order for the system to operate
correctly. These included an accurately balanced
extract and supply fresh air duct system. In 200P
and 360P units, careful consideration to the fresh
air trickle vents must be given to ensure an efficiently
operating system. This is where Solo's experience
and understanding of these systems counts; we
can ensure a fully operating efficient system,
which will give many years of trouble free use
to the home owner.
Speak to Solo about
designing and installing the correct exhaust air
heat pump system for your new home or development.
Solo Heating
Installations recommend NIBE Exhaust Air Heat
pumps.
