Facts about heat pumps

Find out more about heat pumps

• Both geothermal (water source) and air to water heat pumps are both energy efficient, eco friendly alternatives for use in all-year-round- houses as replacements for oil-fired or electric heating systems. However, it is important that the heat pump is suited to the conditions in a particular home. An inefficient heat pump is expensive to run and a poor alternative to other energy sources. The installer will be able to work out which heat pump to fit based on your particular heating and hot water requirements.
• If you live in a low energy house, you should pay extra attention to the fact that the decision about which heat pump to install should be based on the actual consumption. This way you can work out whether it is worth installing one.
  In a low energy house, heating hot water accounts for a large proportion of the total energy consumption, and heat pumps are not so efficient when heating hot water to a high temperature.
• A geothermal system is the most energy efficient, but it requires quite a large space. Typically, this could be a lawn – but the size depends on the heat requirement.
• One of the components in a geothermal heat pump system is reinforced plastic pipes, which receive the warmth from the earth. These pipes should be checked once a year by a certified fitter, and you will need to file the results of the tests and show them to your local municipality on request. These reports should be saved for 5 years. The pipes contain a refrigerant, and only authorised/certified persons are permitted to work on refrigerant-based systems.
• Efficient heat pumps recommended for use in all-year-round houses require water-based radiators or underfloor heating.
• If your radiators are not large enough to heat the house properly they should be replaced with new ones to make the system more economic to run. Ask your installer to check the capacity of the radiators when planning the size of the system.
• The installer should evaluate the hot water requirement in a discussion with you. This is because the number of occupants and their habits has a big impact on how much hot water is used.
• In most cases heat pumps should be rated to cover 95-98% of the hot water requirement. The rest is provided by electricity. The electrical installation is integrated in the heat pump.
• In some cases you may qualify for a grant to install a heat pump. Find out more here (link only in Danish).
• You should apply for permission from your local municipality before installing a geothermal heat pump. Your installer can often help you with the application.
• Air-to-air heat pumps are not suitable for all-year-round houses because they are not efficient enough. However, they can be used in second and holiday homes.

> Read more about air-to-air heat pumps