Why Air-to-Water Heat Pumps are Revolutionizing Home Heating and Cooling

Air-to-Water Heat Pumps

Air-to-water heat pumps are not your regular heating and cooling systems. These systems are revolutionizing heating and cooling in many ways other alternatives cannot achieve. In this article, we will discuss the dual function of these heat pumps and how they are applied in modern homes, commercial buildings, and industries.

Introduction to Air-to-Water Heat Pumps

Air-to-water heat pumps are central heating systems that draw heat from outside the building and are used to heat your building and provide hot water. An air-to-water heat pump uses basic heat transfer technology to heat your home by distributing the heat through your heating system’s radiators, duct work or underfloor heating. In some cases, multiple distribution methods are used. 

These systems can also cool your building. They achieve this by distributing chilled water through your home’s pipes via refrigeration. However, you will need to make some adjustments, such as insulating your pipework and for radiant floor cooling, using our specialty controllers that monitors condensation.

Dual Heating and Cooling Systems

Benefits of Dual Heating and Cooling Systems

Homeowners prefer systems with dual functionality for heating and cooling because of the following benefits:

  • Energy Efficiency: These dual-function systems are designed with energy efficiency in mind. Therefore, they use less energy than regular AC units and gas or electric furnaces. 
  • Cost Savings: Reduced energy consumption translates to money saved on energy bills. Over time, these cost savings can become significant, so wise homeowners are switching to these systems. 
  • Year-Round Comfort: Since these systems can heat and cool your home, they can be used whether the weather is hot or cold. When it is hot, they can cool your building; when it is cold, they can heat it. It’s the best deal you can hope for.

Environmental Impact and Use of Sustainable Refrigerants

Air-to-water heat pumps and heat pumps, in general, are good for the environment because they use about 70 to 80% renewable energy and do not produce direct carbon emissions. They only consume small amounts of electricity due to the operation of electricity in the compressor and refrigerant. 

Zero CO2 emissions! A gas boiler produces tonnes of CO2 per year into the air, with an efficiency rate of only 80-94% compared to the 350-400% efficiency of air-to-water heat pumps. If we compare this with an oil boiler, we see that these systems have a worse efficiency rate of 60-70% and emit even more CO2 than natural gas heaters do.

Modern Homes and Businesses air-to-water heat pumps

Applications in Modern Homes and Businesses

Due to their energy efficiencies and other benefits, air-to-water heat pumps are being used in modern homes and businesses. Below are some of the applications of these revolutionary heating and cooling systems.

In Modern Homes

The following are the applications of air-to-water heat pumps in modern homes:

  • Home Heating: Air-to-water heat pumps like the Arctic Heat Pump 060ZA/BE are perfect for heating your home during cold winters. Not only are they great at heating, but they also reduce your energy costs. These systems are designed with smart control features that allow you to change the heat intensity and other features. 
  • Hot Water Supply: Imagine having to bathe in cold water during the winter. You certainly wouldn’t want to experience that. Thankfully, you don’t have to if you have an Arctic hot water heat pump. You can get the hot water you need quickly without negatively impacting the environment. 
  • Underfloor Heating and Cooling: As many homes transition from radiators to underfloor heating, Arctic air-to-water heat pumps are ideal with this design. Compared to radiator heating, this modern method is more comfortable and doesn’t take up space in your home, and can even provide radiant floor cooling.

In Businesses and Industries

Air-to-water heat pumps are applied in businesses and industries in the following ways:

  • Hot Water Supply: Commercial buildings like hotels that require large amounts of hot water for guests and daily operations often use air-to-water heat pumps. This capability is crucial in industries like textile dyeing and food processing that require lots of hot water. These systems are advantageous because they can produce a large amount of hot water at a low cost. With these pumps, these commercial buildings remain compliant with green standards.
  • Commercial Heating – Heat pumps are ideal for industrial buildings that primarily use radiant floor heating.   Adding multiple heat pumps is the most cost-effective means to heat large building, built on slabs with in-floor radiant piping.

Closing: The Future of HVAC Technology

As air-to-water heat pump technology evolves, we can expect more comfort and even more energy savings. Hydronic heating is the fastest growing HVAC market in the USA, with more homes being constructed using underfloor heating than ever before. Electrification and combining these heat pumps with other renewable energy sources, such as solar systems, is gaining popularity. The cooling aspect of these systems using both traditional central ducting or individual fan coils and even radiant floor cooling, make Arctic Heat Pump the perfect dual-function heating and cooling systems.

Upgrading Your Hydronic System: The Role of Air-to-Water Heat Pumps

Hydronic System

With many homeowners paying more attention to their carbon footprint and energy consumption, hydronic systems are becoming the go-to systems for heating and cooling. Although many are interested in upgrading these systems, they worry about the process and cost. 

Therefore, to set your minds at ease, this guide discusses how to retrofit an existing heating system with an air-to-water heat pump. It also reveals how much you can save by installing this modern system.

Overview of Hydronic Heating and Air-to-Water Heat Pumps

Hydronic heating involves heating water and transferring the heat produced through a pipe network in your home connected to fan coil units, baseboards, or radiant floor heating systems. Thanks to these components, the heat is evenly distributed throughout your home. Compared to other heating methods, hydronic heat pumps are more sustainable and energy efficient. 

Air-to-water heat pumps utilize hydronic heating where they heat water and distribute it in a home’s central heating system. The heat pump gathers heat outside the house and pumps it indirectly into the house where it is stored in a buffer tank, then distributes it through underfloor heating or radiators. 

How to Retrofit an Existing System

Given the benefits of an air-to-water heat pump, it’s only natural if you’re considering retrofitting your existing system to accommodate it. While the retrofit is not impossible, you may need the services of a professional to help you do the job. 

One of the first things you should do is get an accurate value of your home’s heat loss. This is necessary as it helps them determine what components need replacing and the size of the heat pump that is needed. Arctic provides heat loss design services, free of charge to its customers.

The next step is to replace outdated parts with new ones. They will determine what components are incompatible with the air-to-water heat pump and essential system components, such as the hot water buffer tank, radiators, and controls.  Generally, homes with radiant floor heating are the easiest to retrofit as the heat pump simply replaces the boiler.

If you want it or the installer recommends it, you might need larger radiators to increase the heat emitter surface area. This is usually recommended as older radiators require much higher water temperature than modern air to water heat pumps can deliver.  So, to compensate for the lower water temperature, they need larger surface areas.

If you are planning to use radiant cooling, you may need to insulate the supply and return pipes so that they don’t condensate. Depending on the condition of your existing system, some other upgrades might also be necessary.  Newer hydronic technologies such as outdoor reset require external thermostats.

Cost Analysis

Cost Analysis: Installation vs. Long-term Savings

Many have not adopted the cost effective method because they think it’s too expensive. Most air-to-water heat pump systems cost $6,000 to 12,000. The installation process for small systems costs $5000, while larger systems might cost up to $10,000.

Looking at this, one might be tempted to avoid getting these systems; however, that would be a mistake. These hydronic heating systems are renowned for their energy-saving ability, saving about 50% to 70% on energy costs. So, if you usually spend $6,000 yearly on heating and cooling, you could save $4,000 yearly.  A system that cost upwards of $20,000 installed will have a payback of 5 year or earn you a return on investment of 20%.   Much better than most investment can give you.

You can enjoy these savings for as long as 15 to 25 years since this is the average lifespan for these devices. Using the above annual energy consumption, if your system lasts 25 years, you will save $100,000.  This does not account for the fact that the cost of energy is guaranteed to continue to rise!

You might not even spend so much on installation since the U.S. federal government and several state governments offer individuals who want to install heat pumps a 30% subsidy of the total cost. 

Choosing the Right Heat Pump for Your Home

Now that you know the benefits of these systems and their cost-efficiency in the long run, you might wonder how to choose the right one for your home. Just follow the steps below: 

  • Determine Your Home’s Heating and Hot Water Requirements: What level of heating and amount of hot water does your home need? You can determine this by considering your property’s size, how many people live there, and its insulation level. Your ability to make a proper assessment will guide you in making the right choice.  We can help you with our free heat pump sizing tool.
  • Choose a Heat Pump with High COP: COP stands for coefficient of performance and measures how efficient your air-to-water heat pump is. Heat pumps with higher COP are more efficient than those with lower COP ratings.  Arctic Heat Pump have the highest COP values in North America.
  • Output Capacity is Important: You need a heat pump with an output capacity that matches the heating and hot water needs you assessed earlier. We can help you determine the right output capacity for your home’s needs.
  • Choose a Low-Noise Level Heat Pump: The noise of some pumps can be straight-up annoying, even though they are placed outside. Except you don’t have an issue with the device making noise, getting a quiet heat pump like the Arctic Heat Pump is a necessity. Check the specifications of the device to find the noise levels.
  • Choose a Heat Pump made for cold weather – Arctic is the leader in providing low ambient temperature, cold weather heat pumps the advanced EVI technology allows the heat pumps to run in temperatures as low as -30 C (-22 F)
hydronic heat pump system

Maintenance Tips for Optimal Performance

A hydronic heat pump system is meant to last for a long time. However, maintenance greatly affects how long it lasts and how efficiently it works. Below are some simple maintenance tips to keep your air-to-water heat pump functioning optimally:

  • Install a hydronic magnetic strainer in the hydronic loop to remove any metals or debris that could plug the heat exchanger. 
  • Ensure the outdoor unit is clean and not blocked by leaves or other things. Clean the fins at least once a year similar to an AC.
  • Always check the refrigerant levels and call a technician to top them up when necessary. 

Conclusion

Upgrading your home with an air-to-water heat pump system is a wise financial and environmental move. If you are interested give us a call and we can guide you through the process and put you in touch with an Arctic Representative in your area.

How Air-to-Water Heat Pumps Support Sustainability Goals in Modern Living

Air-to-Water Heat Pumps

Air-to-water heat pumps are all the rage nowadays and for good reasons. These systems are helping the planet achieve its sustainability goals by being more energy efficient and reducing carbon emissions. This blog provides an in-depth review of how these systems are achieving these sustainability goals worldwide.

Introduction: Sustainability in Home Heating

Sustainability in home heating is a big deal these days as we collectively seek to reduce the negative impact of our activities on the planet. To ensure sustainability, traditional heating methods that require burning fossil fuels must be replaced by renewable energy and energy-efficient options. One such option is the Arctic Hydronic Heat Pump which uses natural heat to heat buildings as well as provide heat pumps for domestic hot water.

Energy Efficiency and Carbon Reduction Benefits

Switching to energy-efficient carbon and reducing our carbon foot print has the following benefits:

  • Saves Energy and Cost: Traditional heating methods consume a lot of energy, translating to high heating costs. On the other hand, energy-efficient systems consume less energy. As a result, you spend less on energy bills.
  • Saves the Environment: The more energy efficient we become, the fewer greenhouse gases (GHG) we produce. Energy efficiency also reduces air pollution and our dependence on fossil fuels, which are emitting too much CO2.
  • Improved Health: GHG emissions have been linked to certain diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. As we globally switch to energy-efficient systems and reduce our carbon footprint, the risks of these diseases can be reduced.
R32 in Environmental Conservation

The Role of Refrigerants Like R32 in Environmental Conservation

Cold climate heat pumps use R32 refrigerant with a low GWP. This is in line with ensuring a sustainable, eco-friendly heating process. But why is the use of the R32 so important?

Firstly, R32 has a low global warming potential (GWP). That means it is less likely to emit greenhouse gases, which are dangerous to the atmosphere. Also, this pure refrigerant doesn’t contain fluorine or chlorine, so it can’t harm the ozone layer.

These characteristics make them safe for the environment. Manufacturers of modern heating and cooling systems that require refrigerants, such as heat pumps, are turning to safer gases. As more manufacturers use this refrigerant, we should expect a reduction in greenhouse gases produced from other refrigerant gases.

Real-life Examples of Sustainable Heating Solutions

There are 1000’s examples of sustainable HVAC in real life. However, Europe is much further ahead than North America.  Let’s take a look at some of them:

Sustainable Homes in the Netherlands

Most newly built residential communities in the Netherlands use air-to-water heat pumps as the primary heating solution. This push towards sustainability is seen in the capital city, Amsterdam’s goal to phase out natural gas by 2040. These modern housing projects have reduced energy consumption and are waiting for the rest of the country and the world to catch up. 

Retrofitting in Scandinavian Homes

When you think about Scandinavian countries, your first thought might be about how cold they usually are, especially in the winter. These countries can now successfully battle the cold while protecting the environment with air-to-water heat pumps. This shift has largely been a product of government policies and subsidies. For instance, Norway offers €1,000 grants for developers to install or retrofit these pumps in all new homes.

Eco-Friendly Schools in the UK

The UK government plans to have 600,000 air to water heat pumps installed per year by 2028, and they have begun implementing this policy. Public buildings, including schools, are experiencing this transformation, and their heating systems are being replaced with heat pumps. A very good example is the Comberton Village College, near Cambridge. A £3.1m revamp has enabled the school to replace its old boilers with an air to water heat pump network. It’s projected that this move will reduce the school’s carbon emissions by 70%, with thousands of pounds being saved on fuel bills each year.

Future Trends in Heat Pump Technology

As more countries and governments begin to pay more attention to heat pump technology, the number of energy efficient home with net zero ratings is rapidly increasing. With the current trend and development, smart technology will be integrated into heat pumps. This will allow these devices to learn from your heating habits, automatically adjusting the temperature to suit your habits and even weather forecasts. With smart technology, you will be able to control these systems remotely. 

We should also expect the use of artificial intelligence to enable these systems to integrate new interactions and functions. As such, maintenance tasks will be simplified, and performance issues will be prevented before they occur.

Conclusion

Air-to-water heat pumps are one of the ways humanity is tackling sustainability issues as we seek to protect our planet from further damage. Governments are pushing to adopt these systems because of their numerous benefits. With this current trend, it is only a matter of time before carbon emissions from our buildings become a thing of the past.