Heat Pumps and Radiators
Much more efficient than traditional gas boilers, Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs) continue to grow in popularity as a viable renewable energy source to fossil fuels.
Traditional radiators can work in conjunction with ASHPs and deliver heat through pipework and into rooms in exactly the same way. In new build situations, the correct radiators can be specified at the outset in accordance with all the necessary designs and heating requirement calculations.
When it comes to using existing radiators following an ASHP installation, the situation can be more complicated. Typically, the radiators used with a gas boiler fired heating system need to accommodate flow temperatures of 65-70 degrees C. With ASHPs, a lower temperature flow of around 40-50 degrees C is required, highlighting the energy efficiency of ASHPs.
So the question is whether any existing radiators can still heat each room effectively. This may mean that, unless radiators were originally sufficiently oversized, upgrading to new models with larger surface areas may be required to achieve the required levels of comfort.
As the temperature of water passing through a home’s radiator system is lower when using a heat pump, the heat needs to be radiated into the living space more quickly. Aluminium radiators are the preferred choice for use with heat pumps. Not only is the material highly conductive, but heating up times are very quick and therefore a room will be warmed faster than with a traditional cast iron or steel radiator. Aluminium radiators can also be made from recycled materials, further reducing the environmental impact.