Air to Water Heat Pump systems are an alternative to traditional gas fired boilers, and are becoming popular in the Australian market. Heat pumps are an environmentally friendly solution as they can utilise renewable electricity as the energy source. They can be the right choice if used for the right heating application.
If you’re considering using an air to water heat pump system it pays to do your research first to ensure you’re choosing the right system for the right usage, as the lower heat output of Heat Pumps is specifically suited to low temperature heating systems such as floor heating. Oversized radiators or boosters can be used to adapt Heat Pumps for high temp uses like radiator heating, but the additional cost and consumption offsets the environmental benefits, hence for high temperature systems gas condensing hi-efficiency boilers remain the most carbon friendly heating source currently available.
Air to water Heat pumps work by transferring heat from the air into the water heating system, which is more efficient and requires less energy than generating heat from a source such as a gas furnace, but this means heat pumps cannot operate at high temperatures.
Typically heat pumps are suited to climates with moderate heating or cooling needs. In water heating applications, a heat pump works on the same principle as a refrigerator, but instead of pumping heat out of the fridge to keep it cool, they pump heat into the water. Electricity is used as the power source, which pumps refrigerant through the heat pump system. The refrigerant transfers the heat absorbed through the air to the water in the tank, making the warm space warmer and expelling the cold air back into the atmosphere.
During the winter heating season, heat pumps move heat from the cool outdoors into your warm house. During the summer cooling season, heat pumps can reverse the cycle to move heat from your house into the outdoors.
The terms ‘split’ and ‘monobloc’ refer to how a Heat Pump system is set up in the home. Monobloc air-to-water heat pumps are literally a ‘single block’ (monobloc) system, where the heat pump has all of its components integrated into the one heat pump unit, which is installed externally next to the home. Split heat pumps utilise a split system with both an outside unit incorporating the heat exchanger and an internal cassette unit which sits inside the house. The simplicity of a Monobloc system makes it easier to install and does not require additional contractors on site to handle gas refrigerant connections.
Heat pumps are powered by electricity, so if the electricity is connected to a renewable power source such as solar or wind, this makes them efficient and sustainable. The BAXI Auriga range of heats pumps released to the Australian market are designed for residential floor heating and carry A+++ and A++ ErP Energy Ratings as per EU2017/1369.
