With the recent news coverage around heat pumps – air or ground source – one could be forgiven for thinking they are the best option in terms of future proofing your home heating. There’s no doubt that they are a great option if you live in a newly constructed home as they are generally very well insulated, but older homes do throw up a series of issues for the installation of heat pumps.
There’s a lot of talk at the moment about retro fitting heat pumps, which in theory is possible, but there are many issues when it comes to period properties.
Period properties of all ages tend to have solid walls without wall insulation so are not thermally efficient. Installing an air source heat pump would mean the minimum work required would be to change all of the radiators to versions that are 33% larger due to the fact that ground or air source heat pumps work at a much lower temperature than a boiler. Often, larger radiators don’t fit in the space where a radiator used to be!
Pipe sizes of conventional heating systems, especially in older properties, tend to be smaller adding to the issues around retro fitting. Smaller pipes mean lower rate flows, so even with a heating pump fitted, you wouldn’t feel the benefit in terms of warmth as the pump would need to work harder and may not get the flow rate through the existing pipes. This would also cost you more in electricity as the pump works at a higher rate to try to generate the same amount of heat.
Hydro Genie. A better option?
If you have an existing wet system, where hot water circulates through a system of pipes that connect to the radiators throughout a house with a boiler at its centre, fitting a Hydro Genie could save you up to 50% on your heating bills for life without the disruption or cost of installing a heat pump system. It’s possible to generate up to 20% more heat from your radiators too and, as the system works alongside your existing boiler and central heating system, it can be installed in your home in less than a day.
The water circulating in a traditional wet system is the most inefficient part of the heating system. It contains dissolved oxygen that forms bubbles when heated, which act like bubble wrap, slowing down heat transfer and producing rusty black sludge that clogs the system.
Simply put, installing a Hydro Genie removes the dissolved oxygen to stop the reduced heat transfer, cleans the system and regulates the heat transfer to the circulating water in a central heating system.
Retrofitting to existing pipes is pretty simply and is wired to a control circuit. You’ll also be doing your bit for the planet by reducing harmful emissions from your heating system.
The money you save on your heating bills begins to offset the cost of installation from the minute a Hydro Genie system start to work. Depending on the age and size of your home and the heating systems already installed, the average payback period for a Hydro Genie system ranges from between two to three years.
Want to find out more? Contact Omnia Plumbing and Heating and start saving money and reducing your carbon footprint - email hello@omniaph.co.uk or call 01270 861100.
