How To Improve The Efficiency Of Your Heat Pump

The popularity of heat pump systems has been surging in recent years, due to their positive impact in the push for reducing carbon emissions from home heating and the cost-saving potential that they have. But how efficient are heat pumps, and how can you ensure that you are making the most efficient use of them?

How Does a Heat Pump Work?

An air-to-water heat pump is a highly efficient alternative to a conventional oil or gas boiler system. They are highly efficient, owing to the fact that they source their heat energy from the air outdoors. Even when it is very cold, heat pumps extract energy from the air, and then convert that into heat to be distributed around the home.

How to Improve Heat Pump Efficiency

If you have a heat pump installed in your home, there are a number of things that you can do to make sure you get the most out of its innovative and efficient technology, including:

Carry Out Regular Heat Pump Maintenance

Making sure that you are performing regular maintenance on your system is crucial for keeping your heat pump efficiency up. Neglect can lead to a fairly steep loss in performance over time as dirt and debris build up.

Maintenance Tips:

• Clean out or change your air filters every 1-3 months. Blocking airflow with dirty filters reduces heat pump efficiency considerably, and will force the system to expend more energy than it needs to.
• Make sure that the outdoor unit isn’t being blocked by debris. Leaves, snow, or any number of other blockages can diminish your system’s efficiency. Make sure the unit is clean and clear.
• Book a regular maintenance appointment every year or so if you are not comfortable maintaining your heat pump yourself. This will allow you to catch small problems before they turn into bigger and more expensive disasters in your system.

Use Energy-Efficient Heating Systems

A heat pump pairs incredibly well with the other energy-efficient heating systems that we offer at Pipelife. By using these systems together, you can be sure that your heat pump is working in the most efficient way:

• Underfloor heating systems pair particularly well with heat pumps because they operate at lower temperatures than other conventional heating systems. They excel at evenly distributing throughout your home and ensuring comfortable ambient heating at a much lower operating temperature.
• Aluminium radiators are much more responsive to changes in temperature than traditional steel ones due to aluminium’s higher thermal conductivity. Paired with these, you can boost your heat pump efficiency to quickly achieve your desired room temperature and use much less energy to do so.

Optimise Your Thermostat Settings

You can also ensure better heat pump efficiency by making good use of your thermostat controls. It is advised that you aim to maintain a consistent temperature rather than sporadically alter your settings depending on how you feel at that particular moment.

To help with temperature control, consider investing in a smart control system. You can take full control of your heating – including setting temperature on a room-by-room basis – allowing you to cut back on unnecessary energy expenditure and ensure comfort for everyone in the home.

We hope that you’ve found these heat pump efficiency tips helpful. If you require further assistance, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our awesome team at Pipelife Eco for expert advice today!