Air Source Heat Pumps | Acer Renewables Ltd

Air Source Heat Pumps

Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs) are a highly efficient and low-carbon alternative to traditional heating systems. They work by extracting heat from the outside air, even in cold temperatures, and transferring it into your home for heating and hot water. ASHPs can deliver three to four times more heat energy than the electrical energy they consume, leading to significant reductions in energy bills compared to oil, LPG, or electric resistance heating. By using electricity instead of burning fossil fuels, ASHPs dramatically reduce a household's carbon footprint, with the environmental benefit increasing as the electricity grid incorporates more renewable sources. They offer year-round comfort, require low maintenance, and have a long lifespan. Government incentives are often available to help offset the initial installation cost.

How does it work?

Air Source Heat Pumps operate by utilising the refrigeration cycle to move heat from a colder area to a warmer one, similar to a refrigerator but in reverse for heating.

Evaporation: The outdoor unit's fan draws in outside air. Even on cold days, a liquid refrigerant circulating in the coil absorbs heat from this air, causing the refrigerant to evaporate and turn into a low-pressure gas.
Compression: An electrically-powered compressor increases the pressure of the gas, which dramatically raises its temperature.
Condensation: This hot, high-pressure gas flows to an internal heat exchanger (condenser), where it transfers its heat to your home's central heating water (for radiators or underfloor heating). The refrigerant cools and condenses back into a high-pressure liquid.
Expansion: The liquid passes through an expansion valve, which lowers its pressure and temperature, preparing it to absorb more heat from the outside air and restart the cycle.

This process transfers heat rather than generating it, making the ASHP highly efficient.

What can it do for you?

The main reasons to buy an Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP) center on efficiency, lower bills, and sustainability.

ASHPs are incredibly energy-efficient, delivering three to four units of heat energy for every one unit of electricity consumed. This high efficiency can lead to significant savings on annual heating costs compared to systems using oil, LPG, or electric resistance.

Crucially, switching to an ASHP drastically reduces your carbon footprint by utilising renewable heat from the air instead of burning fossil fuels. They are a long-term investment, offering a lifespan of 20+ years and often come with government grants to help offset the initial installation cost.