As an alternative to Ground source heat pumps for heating your home , where energy is drawn from the earth, Air source Heat Pumps take their energy directly from the outside air.
Cant I just open the window and let the warm air in?
Air source heat pumps take the energy from the air rather then just the temperature. If you think of a freezer or refrigerator where the air is cooled not by cooling the freezer but by drawing out the energy contained in the air inside, then Air source heat pumps act in a similar way. The energy can then used to heat your home or warm your water.
Air source heat pumps come in two major forms Air to Air, where the the extracted energy is used to heat air which then can be used to heat your home. The second is Air to Water which would be suitable for underfloor heating or for pre-warming tap water before it enters your main storage tank.
The outside units may be a bit larger than a standard home air conditioner but small enough to be mounted on an outside wall or in a corner of the garden close to your home. The only requirement is that the unit has an adequate flow of air to work efficiently as possible.
These units, while not as efficient at producing heat in the amounts of some other energy saving instalation, can be a alternative when your home location is not suitable for those more efficient products.
Will I be saving the Earth for future generations?
You are really wanting to know is you will save money! Current energy usage is always a factor here and while not as cost effective as other methods, the benefit is the installation requirements are much less than adding solar panels to your roof or laying piping under your garden for ground heating.
Costs may range between $5000 to $10000 for the initial installation with a yearly energy saving of $500 to $1000 for heating. Further reduction in energy costs can be made with making sure your home is suitable insulated and draught proofed.
As for saving the Earth, every little bit helps. Reducing your dependence on CO2 producing energy sources could keep 1.5 to 2 tonnes of that pollutant out of the air every year.
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