WHY INVEST IN WATER SOURCE HEAT PUMP

There are a few good reasons why you should invest in a water source heat pump. They are highly regarded as an affordable and effective option when looking at different ways to switch to a low-carbon heating source for your building. Effective for a wide range of building types, using water as your heating source could help you to maximise the heating of your business or home whilst taking care of energy bills and reducing your carbon footprint.

To begin with, water source heat pumps provide a faster heat transfer rate when compared with a ground source heat pump, with temperatures around 5-6 degrees higher in most cases. The system is efficient, with water always close to the pipes and a constant source of energy replenishment is present with water source heat pumps. Costs are reduced up-front too, due to the lack of drilling and digging required to set up a water source heat pump.

HOW DOES A WATER SOURCE HEAT PUMP WORK?

A water source heat pump works by absorbing heat energy from a large water source. This heat is taken from the surrounding water in a similar way to how ground source heat pumps extract heat from the ground. A submerged network of pipes, typically a closed loop system such as pond mats, transfer heat energy from the water to the heat pump. This is then compressed, and the temperature increased before it is delivered to the property to be used as part of the heating system (to radiators or underfloor heating) or for hot water. If the property in question is situated close to a body of water, it is a no brainer to install a cost-effective water source heat pump.

CLOSED-LOOP SYSTEMS

Water source heat pumps work by extracting thermal energy from a water source close to your property and then converting the collected energy into heat and hot water. This can then be used to heat a property. Water source heat pumps require a body of water to be nearby, which makes them ideal for homeowners that have a lake, river, stream or borehole nearby.

A series of pipes are placed underground to facilitate the heating process. The system is installed into a specified water source. How it will work is dependent upon the size of the property that needs to be heated and the volume of water nearby.

Closed-loop systems effectively extract heat energy from the source by using an antifreeze liquid. Closed-loop systems are more common than open-loop systems and are better for particular property layouts. Closed-loop water heat pump systems are ideal for properties with a sufficient body of water close to the property, so long as the necessary piping can be routed underground to the water. They’re generally a cheaper option, too. This is because they’re simpler to install and don’t require the same specific conditions for installation as open-loop systems.

OPEN-LOOP SYSTEMS

Just like closed-loop systems, these water source heat pumps operate by efficiently extracting thermal from a water source close to the property which requires heating. The thermal energy is collected and converted into heat and hot water. An adequate body of water close by is required for water source heat pumps to function. This makes them ideal for homeowners who have a lake, river, stream or borehole close by.

Water flows through the pump and the heat is extracted by the open-loop system installed and then discharged back to its source. This makes them super efficient — more efficient than closed-loop pumps. However, there are additional regulations to consider from either the Environment Agency for England and Wales or the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). You’ll need to gain consent from either of these bodies to install and use one of these systems. This is because these systems actively pull water into the system for operation, and the water needs to be clean, safe and sufficient for the system to draw and filter the water to and from the main water source.