Heat pumps, at their most basic, are devices that absorb heat from one place and move it to another. Small versions of these are found in fridges and freezers, and they are also present in air conditioning units and some tumble dryers.
Heat pumps that are used for central heating extract heat from the ambient air outside or under the ground and then transfer this into the heating system within the house or building.
Types of heat pumps
There are actually several different types of heat pumps. The main three are air source heat pumps (ASHPs), ground source heat pumps (GSHPs), and water source heat pumps (WSHPs). Other types include air-to-air heat pumps, hybrid heat pumps, roof-mounted heat pumps and high temperature heat pumps.
ASHPs extract the warmth from the outside air and use it to heat up a refrigerant liquid. This then turns into a gas and is passed through a compressor which increases its temperature. This is then used to heat up the water supply. AHSPs work at 300% efficiency.
Air source heat pumps Cheltenham
If you are considering a heat pump, there are several specialist providers such as GSM who offer advice on air source heat pumps in Cheltenham and the surrounding area.
Efficiency and carbon emissions
Heat pumps can significantly reduce carbon emissions from most buildings. They are usually powered by electricity that comes from renewable energy sources such as wind farms, hydro turbines, tidal power or even solar panels.
Heat pumps usually have efficiencies of at least 300% which makes them similar to gas and much better than direct electric heating.
The carbon emissions from heat pumps are at least 80% less than from gas boilers. Carbon emissions from the electricity grid are around 66% of those from burning gas.