More and more homeowners are exploring ways to reduce their carbon emissions as the impacts of the climate crisis become apparent – to say nothing of high energy bills.
One of these householders is Michael Mulligan, who has installed a full Vaillant system with two aroTHERM plusair source heat pumpsat his rural Leicestershire home.
He was keen on making the whole property as energy efficient as possible, as well as using the electricity generated by the already installed solar panels as part of the new heating system.
Why older home had two heat pumps installed
Mulligan installed two heat pumps in his farmhouse, as well as installingsolar panels.
Christian Ford, Director at Indigo Renewables Ltd, which specialises in offering sustainable and renewable systems for both domestic and commercial properties, was in charge of the project.
He said: “The reason behind the specification of two aroTHERM plus’ for this project, was due to the age of the property. With it being an old farmhouse built in the 1850s, the heat loss calculations measured too high for a single unit to cope, so having two heat pumps installed meant that we could overcome the losses.
“Once Vaillant had put together the materials design and specification against our criteria and the system was agreed, the first step was to remove the existing cast-iron boiler and hot water cylinder and give the system a full power flush so the new system we were putting in was clean.”
Switch from gas boiler to heat pump was 'simple'
The installation was designed to cause as little stress to the homeowner as possible, despite the complications that came with the removal of the existing cast-iron boiler.
Christian said: “The installation was a retrofit project. Due to the age of the existing heating system set up, we knew we’d need to remove the original floor-standing, gas-fired, cast-iron boiler and an open vented hot water cylinder before the new heating system could be installed.
“The original non-condensing gas boiler was at the end of its life, so there was no question that whatever replacement system was installed, it would be more energy-efficient.”
房主迈克尔说:“从我的观点来看,the installation process was quite simple. From removing the existing hot water cylinder to putting in the new heat pump system, it was all completed in a timely manner."
Many homeowners findinstalling an air source heat pumpdifficult because there are not enough trained installers in the UK.
Vaillant is upskilling its base of heating installers with the necessary skills to install heat pumps by investing more than £1.2 million into its training team to ensure it can continue to meet demand, as well as unveiling a new multi-million-pound heat pump production line at its headquarters in Belper.
Earlier this monthHomebuilding & Renovatingreported the UK government is committing £5million towards increasing the number of heat pump installers through a newHeat Training Grant.
The Heat Training Grant will provide aspiring heat pump installers with £500 discounts on the costs on engineering courses.
Heat pumps worked with pre-existing solar panels
Mr Mulligan was keen to explore the ways in which he could utilise the solar PV panels already installed on his property to help heat his home.
Christian explained: “We also installed a wireless Vaillant sensoCOMFORT controller.
“As it has an outdoor sensor and weather compensation functionality, it can select the most energy efficient heat source for the system to use based on the outside climate.”
If you’re wondering which energy source is the right choice for your property’s needs, our guide onsolar PVhas plenty of useful advice.
Homeowner left satisfied with the heat pumps, and he's not alone
Michael joined the thousands of others who have been left satisfied with their heat pumps.
Recent research into heat pumps finds that80% of heat pump owners are satisfiedwith all aspects of their heat pumps in the UK.
Those surveyed were also asked about the performance ofground source heat pumpsand boilers, the installation process, ease of use, safety, reliability, and effectiveness of heat pumps and boilers in providing heating and hot water, with the majority preferring all forms of heat pumps.
What's even more impressive is the homeowner did use the government'sBoiler Upgrade Scheme, which reduces costs of installation throughheat pump grants.
