Heat pumps are a hot topic these days. In recent years they have been on a solid rise but did you know that they first geothermal heat pumps were developed as early as the late 1940s. Despite this, gas boilers have long dominated the home heating market. But that is finally changing!
Almost 1 in 5 Flemish new builders opt for a heat pump, and heat pumps are also on the rise in the renovation market. In 2019, for example, 43% more premiums were granted for heat pumps than the previous year, and the new heat pump boiler premium has already been paid out more than 1,000 times.
Is it possible to install a heat pump in an existing home?
Heat pumps can be installed in almost any home, but there are some considerations you need to take into account, e.g., regarding insulation. For a heat pump to work as efficiently as possible, your home must be well insulated. This is to prevent heat from escaping.
A house that is poorly insulated will need a larger heat pump to compensate for the heat loss. This can cost more money to install and run. In addition, heat pumps work more efficiently with lower-temperature heating systems, such as underfloor heating. Older, poorly insulated homes need higher temperatures than the heat pump can handle to get the house warm.
Want to test whether your home is ready to heat at a low temperature? Then lower your boiler temperature to 50 degrees for 2 weeks and experience it for yourself. Wondering how this works exactly? Feel free to take a look at this website.
Installing a heat pump in a new home is rarely a problem. When renovating, a number of factors need to be considered: what is the heating requirement, is your home adequately insulated, is it possible to connect to the existing central heating system, are the existing radiators or convectors adequately sized, is the existing central heating system suitable as auxiliary heating, is the power connection mono-phase or 3-phase and is there sufficient power available,...
When considering a ground-water heat pump with horizontal capture network, check whether there is enough garden area to build such a capture network.
So what type of heat pump should you choose?
Whether it's best to choose a ground-water, air-water, water-water, or air-air heat pump depends on several factors. Your budget is always the starting point, then we look at the heating needs and technical characteristics of the home. Our energy consultants will be happy to help you find the best solution for your home.
Exactly what do you want to heat with a heat pump?
With a heat pump, you can choose whether you want to heat only the home or the domestic water. If you like to heat both then it is best to choose a combination model that can handle both options.
If it would not be possible to heat your home with a heat pump, you can still opt for a heat pump boiler that heats only the domestic water.
Which type of delivery system do you prefer?
Underfloor heating is always the best choice to combine with a heat pump. If this configuration is not possible, consider wall and ceiling heating, fan coil units or low-temperature radiators.
Once again, we would like to emphasize the importance of a well-insulated home to ensure the efficiency of the heat pump.
What about permits?
If you wish to install a heat pump, you will need a permit in certain cases. You need a permit if:
- A large heat pump is installed for domestic purposes with total installed motive power more than 200 kW.
- If groundwater (with pumping and return well) is applied as a heat source.
- If a vertical ground heat exchanger is applied as a source, drilling deeper than 50 meters.
- If a horizontal or vertical ground heat exchanger is applied that contains a heat transfer medium containing hazardous substances. This does not include the mixture of water with glycol.
The obligation to apply for an environmental or building permit depends on where you live. Via a database for the subsurface in Flanders, you can check from what depth you need a particular permit. You can consult it here.
When there is no permit requirement, a notification will often be required. This is the case if the heat pump has a total installed motive power of more than 5 kW and if a vertical ground heat exchanger is used that involves drilling to a maximum of 50m.
Are you interested or do you still have questions about a heat pump? Then don't hesitate to contact us. We will be happy to help you!
Energyking