A heat pump is the most energy-efficient form of electric heating because it uses electricity to convert the heat available in the environment into heat for domestic use. This heat can be sourced from both the air and ground. Compared to other types of electric heating, the heat pump is 3 to 5 times more efficient - consuming 1 kWh of electricity, this unit is able to produce up to 5 kWh of heat.

Heat pumps are multifunctional devices that can heat not only air but also water. The equipment is also adapted to work in different climatic conditions, as evidenced by its widespread use in the cold Scandinavian regions.

Air-to-air heat pumps

Air-to-air heat pumps are the cheapest type of heat pump, and their installation is relatively simple. The system consists of an outdoor unit that absorbs heat present in the air and an indoor unit that heats the air in the room. This type of heat pump can also provide a cooling function without additional conversion; however, it should be taken into account that it will not be suitable as a basic type of heating for the whole home, because the unit is not able to provide even heat distribution in all rooms.

Air-to-water heat pumps

The construction process of air-to-water heat pumps is similar to air-to-air heat pumps, where the outdoor unit of the pump has to be placed outside the building, but unlike an air-to-air heat pump, in this case the unit does not heat the room air, but a liquid heat carrier, which allows the obtained heat to be used, for example, for heating heated floors and hot water. Given that this type of heat pump uses heat from the air, it is recommended to combine this solution with another type of heating, such as a pellet boiler, to ensure more efficient heat production when the outside air temperature does not exceed -15 ° C.

Ground source heat pumps

Ground source heat pumps are the most efficient type of heat pumps, but they are more complex and expensive to build in comparison to air source heat pumps. The main reason for the increase in costs is the need to build a collector circuit or borehole in the ground, which allows to use the heat stored in the ground. The main advantage of this heat pump is stable operation at various outdoor air temperatures, as the temperature in the ground layers remains constant throughout the year - about +6 ° C - which allows to ensure higher operating efficiency of the unit on an annual basis. To ensure even higher efficiency during the heating season, solar collectors can also be used in addition to storing heat in the ground when there is excess heat available in summer.

Benefits of heat pumps:

• There is no combustion process which makes their operation safer compared to other types of heating solutions;
• Possibility to easily control the required heating temperature, as well as remote control availability;
• No chimney or separate room for equipment and fuel is required;
• The solution can be adapted to different areas, from one room to the whole house;
• It does not emit CO2 directly and uses renewable energy.

Enter Elektrumveikals.lv and see the available heat pump models.