Different Types of Heat Pumps & Their Uses
Whether you’re building a new property and want to comply with UK’s 2025 carbon emission laws and regulations or are looking to replace your home’s current heating system with a more environmentally friendly one, heat pumps are a fantastic way to do that.
With that said, providers of heat pump services all over the UK offer their clients various types of heat pumps to pick from, so choosing the one that best suits your needs is very important to ensure it can help you achieve your goals.
In this article, we will look at the different types of heat pumps available, their uses, and when each is most suitable. But before we do any of that, let’s first look at what heat pumps are.
What is a Heat Pump?
Heat pumps are a type of heating system that, unlike traditional heating systems, don’t use unsustainable fuel sources like fossil fuels. As a result, they are significantly more environmentally friendly and will be the government’s solution to reaching carbon net zero and minimizing air pollution when heating the many millions of homes throughout the United Kingdom.
Some of the most common types include ground-source heat pumps, water-souce heat pumps, air-source heat pumps, and more, which we will be taking a better look at below.
Types of Heat Pumps
There are four major types of heat pumps. Below, we’ll look at each one and explore their individual uses.
Air Source
Air source heat pumps are the most inexpensive and common heat pumps available. These are typically only reserved for residential use due to their relatively simplistic and straightforward nature.
These heat pumps use a refrigerant to absorb warm air from the outside and pump it inside. These pumps can also be used to cool the air, making them a very versatile all-season appliance.
With that said, air-source heating pumps aren’t the best option for colder climates, and as a result, they should only be used in climates with moderate temperatures.
Ground Source
Ground source heat pumps, also known as geothermal heat pumps use the thermal energy naturally stored underground to heat the indoor space of a property. Instead of incinerating fuel, this type of heat pump gathers heat from underneath the ground, which can effectively and efficiently raise the temperature indoors.
These heat pumps work similarly to air-source heat pumps as they pump natural heat through the vents and into a home. However, since there’s a constant deposit of thermal energy underground, these tend to work much better than air-source heat pumps, especially in colder climates.
These pumps are fairly expensive and cost much more to install than air-source pumps. The installation process of such pumps requires the contractor to conduct excavations and install complex piping systems, which is the reason for the increased cost.
Water Source
These are one of the least common types of heat pumps. As the name suggests, these pumps distribute heat in an indoor space through water, not air. While this can make for a very efficient and effective heating system, there are some major issues with it.
To start, the structure needs natural access to a body of water. This could be a lake, river, stream, or similar. However, most people in the UK don’t have such easy access to water which is one of the main reasons why these aren’t more common in modern households.
Hybrid
As the name suggests, hybrid heat pumps use two different heating pumps, such as the ones described above. The most common types are air/ground source heat pumps and air source/boiler heaters. The air/ground source combination is a great option for homes as you can switch between two different heat sources depending on your needs.
For example, you can switch to air-source if you need to control the temperature during the autumn. But when winter comes, you can switch to the ground-source option to provide more robust heating.
The other option, air source/boiler, works similarly to the previous one, wherein you can switch between two different sources as needed. However, instead of ground-source, the second heating unit is a boiler, which is not as efficient or environmentally friendly.
Others
Some notable heat pumps that are also gaining traction include:
- Solar heat pumps
- Absorption or gas-fired heat pumps
Conclusion
Heat pumps are a fantastic replacement for gas boilers and other carbon-emitting alternatives and the UK’s best chance at making the heating of homes throughout the UK significantly more environmentally friendly.
When it comes to heat pumps, there are various alternatives, including water source, air source, ground source, and even hybrid models that use two or more of the previously listed heating pumps.
And now that you’re familiar with the different types of heating pumps and their uses, it will be much easier to decide on the best option for your home.
