GAIA - Air Source Heat Pumps
October 2021

Air source heat pumps are very much in the spotlight as a viable alternative to gas boilers to run Underfloor Heating. Will this renewable heat technology be right for your project?

Heat pumps are the most efficient way to power wet underfloor heating systems. Unlike a gas or oil boiler, which heats water to between 65 and 85°C, a heat pump generates hot water at around 40 degrees.

35 – 45°C is a good temperature for underfloor heating, and as it’s inefficient to heat water only to cool down again before you use it, a heat pump is an ideal choice – efficiently producing hot water at the ideal temperature for underfloor heating.

It is important that the system is designed correctly, and essential that your property is well insulated and draught-proof for the heating system to be most efficient. With its large heat emitting area and low input temperature requirements underfloor heating provides the ideal choice to offer the maximum efficiency from the heat pump.

The benefits:

Virtually no maintenance
Lower your home’s carbon emissions
Lower your fuel bills
Air-to-water heat pumps qualify for the Renewable Heat Incentive – a government scheme which could pay homes in England, Scotland and Wales towards the cost of home renewable heating https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/environmental-and-social-schemes/domestic-renewable-heat-incentive-domestic-rhi
Easier to install than a ground source heat pump
Can be used for heating and cooling (depending on the model)
Long lifespan

Air source heat pumps absorb heat from the air outside, it can get heat from the air even when the temperature is as low as -15°C.

You will need a place outside of the property to position the unit which can be fitted to a wall or placed on the ground. Plenty of space around the unit is required for a good flow of air, sunny walls are ideal. Inside, you’ll usually have a unit containing pumps and hot water. It’s usually smaller than a standard boiler.

In order to achieve Net Zero by 2050, the UK government aims to install 19 million heat pumps in new build properties. With the increase in heat pump being rolled out across the country, the UK government grants make this renewable energy source even cheaper to run and reduces the burden of air source heat pump costs. Heat pumps are expected to be a better, low-carbon alternative to heating properties in the foreseeable future.