Heat Pumps - FAQ’s

Why is under floor heating preferred with heat pumps?

Standard radiators operate with water temperatures of 60°C to 70°C. Underfloor heating can operate at temperatures as low as 40°C. Heat pumps are far more efficient when operating at these lower temperatures.

Installation?

Because ground source heat pumps draw their energy from the ground they usually require a large collector area, this may not always be available and in this case an air source heat pump might be more suitable. Air source can provide significant installation cost benefits over ground source systems.
For further information on system design please contact Irish Eco Plumbing.

Can you produce hot water?

Dimplex heat pumps have a hot water priority, this means the heat pump can leave your underfloor heating at 40°c and ramp up to 55°c to do the domestic hot water. When your hot water demand is satisfied it will return to 40°c for the underfloor heating.

How noisy are heat pumps?

Heat pumps are generally very quiet, noise levels equivalent to that of a fridge. We would always recommend you listen to one before you purchase.

What is the lifespan of a heat pump?

Most heat pumps would have a lifespan of 20 years or more.

If the temperature drops below zero will my air-to-water heatpump work?

No problem, Dimplex air-to-water heat pumps can operate efficiently down to temperatures as low as -20°c.

What is the COP?

The COP or coefficient of performance is a term used to measure the efficiency of a heat pump. It is the ratio of heat delivered by the heat pump and the electricity supplied to generate this heat. A normal COP would be 4:1 meaning 1kW of electricity to get 4kW of heat.

What are the environmental aspects to a heat pump?

Heat pumps are very environmentally friendly, they have no emissions and up to 80% of the energy is renewable. Depending on your electric source this could be up to 100%.

Does my heat pump need annual servicing?

No.

What are the dimensions of a heat pump?

Ground source approximately H x W x D mm 800 x 600 x 450.
Air source approximately H x W x D mm 1570 x 1550 x 850
For further details on specific models please check brochures in our downloads section.

Is air source a viable option?

Air source heat pumps tend to be easier and cheaper to install. Usually the COP of an air to water heat pump can be a little lower than ground source. However with the advances in the technology together with the Irish climate people should expect to see average COP's of 3.3 to 3.8.