How to use your ground source heat pump efficiently
Ground source heat pumps work best when your home is kept at an even, comfortable temperature of between 18-20 degrees Celsius. You should avoid big spikes in internal room temperature. These can cause a build-up of condensation and mould.
To stop the internal temperature of your home from spiking, keep kitchen and bathroom doors closed, especially when you are cooking or bathing. Avoid putting large items of furniture in front of radiators. This will stop heat being distributed throughout your home.
Another reason to maintain a steady room temperature is that you’ll save money. It’s often cheaper to run you heat pump at a steady temperature rather than relying on the boost function.
Get to know how your heat pump works and how long it takes to comfortably heat your home. You can programme the system so it comes on early enough to provide you with the warmth you need.
If your heat pump only provides hot water, use the immersion back-up when the heat pump is not producing enough heat. Just remember to switch off the immersion back-up when it’s no longer needed. It uses a lot of energy and may leave you with higher bills if you keep it on for long periods of time.
The essentials to managing your ground source heat pump – in brief
Try to
- Heat your home to a comfortable temperature of between 18-20 degrees Celsius. The system is designed to provide even heat throughout your home.
- Make sure you leave your ground source heat pump running 24/7, especially during cooler weather.
- Run the system all day, all year round if your ground source heat pump provides hot water to your home.
- Keep kitchen and bathroom doors closed when cooking and bathing. This prevents the internal temperature of your home from spiking.
- Get to know the controls for your ground source heat pump. Learn how to use the system to comfortably heat up your home.
Avoid
- Allowing the internal temperatures in your home to fluctuate. You should try not to let your home get very hot or very cold.
- Switching off your ground source heat pump. These systems are designed to operate 24/7, especially in cold weather.
- Putting large items of furniture in front of radiators. This will prevent heat from being distributed throughout your house.
More detail if you need it
What is a ground source heat pump?
- Ground source heat pumps are central heating systems that use solar heat naturally stored in the ground.
How do ground source heat pumps work?
- Ground source heat pumps use the heat from the ground to warm up pipes. A mix of water and anti-freeze pass through these pipes. They absorb the heat from the ground and pass it to the pump’s heat exchanger. The system then uses a heat pump to increase the temperature of the water.
- As ground temperatures remain fairly consistent throughout the year, ground source heat pumps are an efficient way of providing heating and hot water. They steadily deliver heat to your home at low temperatures over long periods. This enables them to work in a more efficient way and at a lower cost to you.
- Ground source heat pumps run at lower temperatures than traditional central heating systems. Your radiators will not feel as hot as you would expect.
- To work effectively, ground source heat pumps need to run for longer than you might think. During cold weather they’re designed to run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- If your ground source heat pump provides hot water as well as central heating, then it will run all day all year round.
Electricity tariff
- Ground source heat pumps operate on a standard electricity tariff. Hastoe recommends checking your tariff with your electricity provider to ensure you are getting a competitive rate.
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