Is an air source heat pump suitable for me?

In order to ascertain whether or not an air source heat pump is the right system to heat your home you must firstly consider a few questions.

Firstly you must ensure that you have somewhere to put it as you will need a place that is outside your home where a unit can be fitted by a heating company to a wall or placed somewhere on the ground. It will also need plenty of space around it to ensure that it is able to get a good flow of air, therefore a wall which is in the sun is ideal.

You must then consider how well insulated your home already is. The air source heaters work at lower temperatures than a gas or oil boiler and therefore it is essential that your home is insulated with all exits draught proofed to ensure that the system can be effective. The UK government provides a Energy Company Obligations (Eco) scheme which enables all houses in the Uk to receive free insulation. Companies such as British gas are also giving away free loft and cavity wall insulation to anyone with a suitable home. These are things which are worth researching whilst considering air heating.

The fuel that you will be replacing is equally important as the system will pay for itself much quicker if you are replacing either an electric or coal based heating system. However, homes which are currently using the mains gas may not be suitable for heat pumps in terms of it being a cost efficient system and successfully heating your home.

The type of system you use is equally important as air source heat pumps often perform better with underfloor heating systems or warm air heating than with radiator-based systems as these systems require a lower water temperature.

And finally if you are currently developing a new property, combing the installation with this building work can often reduce installation costs and is therefore a key element to be considered in this process.