Installing an air source heat pump for heating and cooling is a cost-effective option that helps cut energy usage and ensures employees are warm throughout the winter months and retain their cool during summer.

How do heat pumps work?

The main principle on which heat pumps operate is that the refrigerant inside the unit will absorb energy in one place and release it into another place. In effect, during summer the warmth that builds up inside your business premises will be absorbed by the heat pump and expelled to the exterior, where a fan blows the warm air over a heat exchanging coil which is filled with cold refrigerant – this causes the production of cold air which is then returned to the business interior. In winter the reverse will happen and cold air will be blown over the heat exchanging coil to create warm air which is then used to create warmth inside your business.

What will I need?

All that’s required is a unit for indoors, an outdoor unit and copper piping connecting both units together. Inverter technology is used to maintain heating or cooling at the selected comfort settings. Some heat pumps use a fixed speed split system, which operates in a manner similar to the thermostat on an electric heater and will turn off when required temperatures are reached and come back on when the temperature falls or rises. It’s wise to opt for an inverter system when possible, as they tend to be up to 30% more efficient than fixed speed systems.

There are a variety of options available for indoor units. These include high wall mounted units which are great as they don’t take up any floor space; ceiling cassettes, which are a good choice for industrial or office use; ducted ceiling concealed units, which are virtually invisible so can be ideal in modern offices, and ceiling suspended units, which are useful in large commercial operations.

I-HT are ISO 9001:2008 accredited installers of air source heat pumps for business use. We are based in Colchester and operate throughout most of East Anglia and south-east England. We install and maintain heat pumps which can be purchased outright or fitted on rental. Contact us for more details.

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