Heat pumps are considered to be the best of all alternative heating systems for the home. They differ not only in design, but also in efficiency. Therefore, in order to choose the best model, you should understand the principle of operation of heat pumps for heating a house.
How heat pumps work
For a better understanding of the operation of a heat pump, you can consider its most common application - in conventional refrigerators. In principle, air heat pumps for heating are slightly different from these. The difference lies in the receipt of heat energy, not cold.
You can find out how a heat pump for heating a house works after considering the general scheme of operation. To generate heat, the structure has an internal circuit through which the refrigerant flows. It is connected to the heating pipes of the house using a heat exchanger. Receiving heat from an external source occurs due to an additional circuit. Consider how heating with a heat pump works:
- The refrigerant is in a gaseous state. It receives heat energy from an external circuit. In this case, it is enough for the gas temperature to rise to + 10 ° С.
- Increasing the pressure of the refrigerant to turn it into a liquid state. For this, air heat pumps for heating a house must have a compressor. In this case, the temperature of the liquid rises to + 65 ° C.
- With the help of a heat exchanger, heat is transferred to the heating system in the house.
- The throttle valve and dropper reduce the pressure and thereby provoke the reverse transition of the refrigerant from liquid to gaseous state to repeat the process.
Is heating your home with a heat pump efficient? In many cases, this system is installed as an additional system to reduce the cost of the main heating supply. One of the drawbacks is the inability to make heat pumps for heating a house with your own hands with a normal efficiency and reliability. For manufacturing, you will need to make complex calculations and choose the right materials. You can draw an analogy with household refrigerators - almost no one makes them on their own, preferring reliable factory models.
Almost all reviews of heat pumps for home heating indicate the direct dependence of the heat source on the primary circuit on the efficiency of the device.
Types of heat pumps for heating
The most important task in the design of heating a house using a heat pump is the choice of a medium for heating the coolant in the primary circuit. There are several types of heating equipment of this type, capable of adapting to different heating media.
The most important condition is the ambient temperature. Since in practice it is not possible to make heat pumps for heating with your own hands, we will consider the selection criteria for factory models:
- Ambient temperature... It should be at least + 6-8 ° C. Otherwise, the efficiency of the air heat pump for heating will drop to zero;
- Selecting the heating medium for the primary circuit... It can be water, soil, or air. It is important that the first condition is met;
- Correct organization of heating with a heat pump - heating installation location... The best option would be to install the system in a heated, dry room. In this way, additional heat losses can be avoided. But at the same time it is necessary to ensure the supply of the coolant to the heat exchanger of the primary circuit.
It is because of the first point that air heat pumps for heating a house are ineffective. Exceptions are models with innovative heat transfer systems. However, their cost remains high.
Even modern models of air heat pumps for heating a house cannot provide the proper level of heating of the coolant when the outside temperature drops to -15 ° C.
Ground source heat pump
Reviews of heat pumps for geothermal heating are the most positive recommendations in terms of operation and efficiency. Their primary circuit is located in the ground, which provides a number of advantages.
The disadvantage is the laboriousness of arranging this type of heat supply. Unlike do-it-yourself air heat pumps for heating, it will take a lot of effort to install the primary circuit. There are two ways to locate the external line:
- Horizontal... The pipes are located below the level of soil freezing. For the system to work properly, the distance between the lines must be at least 15 cm;
- Vertical... To install pipelines, wells are drilled to a depth of 50 m. Reviews of heat pumps for heating a house speak of the high reliability of the equipment, regardless of the temperature outside.
Before choosing equipment, it is necessary to analyze the characteristics of the soil - the level of its freezing and composition. The operation of a heat pump for heating a house directly depends on the degree of heating of the coolant in the primary circuit. Therefore, the soil temperature should be at least + 7 ° C.
You can make a low-power heat pump for heating yourself. To do this, use a compressor from the refrigerator. But the pipeline system and the pumping of freon into the circuit must be entrusted only to professionals.
Air-to-air heating system
Air source heat pumps work on a similar principle to supply heat to a house. The difference lies in the use of outdoor air as the primary heating medium.
One of the disadvantages of this equipment is the inability to connect to water heating at home. The transfer of heat from the compressed refrigerant in the air heat pump for heat supply occurs directly into the room. Alternatively, a chiller-francoil system can be installed using the same principle. But its cost is very high - the purchase with a capacity of 24 kW will cost at least 900 thousand rubles.
Why is heating your home with an air source heat pump becoming more and more popular? This can be explained by a number of reasons:
- Simple installation. In terms of labor intensity, it is no different from the installation of a split air conditioner;
- The work of a heat pump for heating the house and for cooling;
- Fewer loops translate into increased system reliability.
But is it possible to operate this heating in regions where cold temperatures are observed in winter? To do this, it is necessary to carry out heating using a heat pump with an additional module - an injection line.
It automatically adds refrigerant to keep the main circuit working properly. Thus, the optimal operation of the equipment is achieved even when the air outside is reduced to -15 ° C.
In reviews of air-type heat pumps, special attention is paid to the location of the indoor unit in the house. It should blow hot air along the room.
Water-to-water pump for heating supply
For regions with warm winters, the installation of pumps is recommended, in which a reservoir is used as a primary circuit. It is important that the temperature in it does not drop below + 7 ° C.
The main advantage of this system is the quick assembly and disassembly of the flexible piping system. For this, it is necessary to think over in advance the material for the manufacture of highways. The best option is the use of cross-linked polyethylene pipes with an additional airtight layer.
Such systems are used to heat a house during a period when the outside temperature does not drop below -7 ° C. Also, water-to-water heat pumps are used to cool the air in the summer or provide hot water supply.
When installing the external circuit, it is necessary to ensure that the lines are not kinked. Otherwise, the movement of the coolant will stop.
Heat pump reviews
Acquaintance with real estimates of the heat pump operation is one of the existing tools for determining the feasibility of purchasing and installing it. Some of the negative reviews about heat pumps for heating a house are due to installation and operation errors:
- After a long analysis of the offers on the market, we decided to purchase a heat pump for our house. We chose a vertical surface-to-air system. After analyzing the soil at the site, it turned out that we have a high water level. For a heat pump, this is even better - instead of 30 m. The depth of the well was made 12. The system has been working flawlessly for the second year already;
- In the project of heating the summer cottage with the help of a heat pump, they counted on heating water in pipes up to + 70 ° С. In fact, it did not rise above + 50 ° С. In addition, the payback time turned out to be about 15 years. Now, after the first month of work, the situation has improved somewhat. But you still need additional heating - gas or with a solid fuel boiler. Thinking about choosing and installing.
Should you install a heat pump for heating a private house? If finances permit, certainly yes. But first you need to choose the right model of equipment and a contractor for its installation.
For review, it is recommended to watch a video about the installed water-to-air heat pump:
