What is a Heat Pump

A heat pump is a device that allows you to heat your building by taking energy from a renewable source. The heat pump takes any heat it can from the source, even if it is only 3 or 4 degrees. It then converts the heat into energy and starts the cycle over again. This continues on a constant loop the entire time your heat pump is installed and working. There are several key benefits of this method 

Key Heat Pump Benefit 1 – Comfort 

Heat Pumps provide an enormous amount of comfort and ease to your everyday life. Because of MasterTherms’ state-of-the-art technology, you can control your heat pump by using an app on your phone or tablet. This means you can control the heat in your home or business from anywhere. 

On top of that, once a heat pump is installed, that’s it. No worrying about the costs of refills or utilities or whether or not you have enough oil in your tank. Instead, you can relax knowing everything is taken care of. 

Key Heat Pump Benefit 2 – The Environment

Generally, people in Ireland use oil or gas to heat their homes. While there is no arguing these systems work, are they worth the toll it is taking on the environment? According to the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland in the calendar year of 2020 heat takes up 40.8% of all energy-related CO2 emissions. These CO2 emissions are getting trapped in our atmosphere and heating our planet. This means detrimental effects on our environment as well as the hundreds of species of animals and plants on the planet. 

Heat pumps can reduce your carbon emissions by up to 80%. The balance is only because you need to use a small amount of electricity to help them run and increasing electricity generation is moving to completely renewable sources in Ireland such as wind power. Most energy suppliers now offer all consumers the choice of switching to renewable electricity as part of their tariffs. 

Key Heat Pump Benefit 3 – Savings 

Because using a heat pump means you won’t be paying the increasingly expensive options of fossil fuels such as oil or gas prices saving on monthly bills. After the installation of a heat pump, they are relatively inexpensive to run and the higher quality ranges such as MasterTherm products have a long lifespan saving on replacement costs. . Overall savings when a client converts to heat pumps can be as much as 75% on energy bills. 

How Do You Use A Heat Pump?

MasterTherm will arrange to install your heat pump for you via their network of approved installers. After that, there isn’t much any client needs to be concerned about as they can control the heat pump by using an app on a phone or tablet. This facility of remote diagnostics ensures the client has peace of mind for the lifespan of the product and means MasterTherm can offer 7 years warranty on the product range.

Where Do You Get A Heat Pump?

MasterTherm Heat Pumps have been pioneers in heat pump technology for over two decades. We are experienced in both refrigeration and heating systems as we have thousands of systems using the range across many sectors. Our heat pumps can be used in homes, schools, hospitals, industrial plants and office buildings. When you contact MasterTherm about a project we will be working on designs to maximize the efficiency of our systems no matter what size or complexity of the property. 

What Types of Heat Pumps Are There?

A heat pump can take its energy from one of three sources. The air, the ground or a water source. Because heat pumps work by taking heat from the atmosphere and turning it into energy, there are certain parameters in which these work. 

If you have an air to water heat pump it will take heat from the air outside. This works even in cold temperatures above -10ºc because the heat pump only needs a small amount of heat to convert. The air to water heat pump work a lot like a car air conditioner. Taking the air from outside and heating or cooling it. The heat is taken to heat your water and then travels around your home. 

Ground to water heat pump work by installing a pipe underneath the ground. An antifreeze solution is then transported through the pipe to collect the heat energy and up into your home to heat your building. These heat pumps can be slightly more energy efficient but cost more to install. You need a substantial amount of land or the ability to create piling into the ground to provide a source for your ground to water heat pump. However, once installed they are there for typically 20 years and the client can expect efficient and trouble-free operation for the lifetime of the product. 

A water to water heat pump is the most effective but can be the most difficult to install. This is because you need a large water source to run a pipe through, deep down. The pipe on both ground to water and water to water heat pumps need to go below freezing temperature. Below freezing temperature is normally about 4ºc. 

What Else Can you Use A Heat Pump For?

Cooling 

Heat pumps aren’t only for heating. All of the MasterTherm heat pumps can be used to provide cooling in the summer or in commercial/industrial applications. Having heating and cooling coming from the same system makes things simpler to install and operate and can add significantly to the efficiency of the system. This can also add to the expected savings on a project as well as add to the comfort factor in a property.

Swimming Pool

Heat pumps are an efficient and economical way to heat your swimming pool. Because swimming pools are such large bodies of water, it can be expensive to keep them warm at all times. It can be just as expensive to allow your pool to cool down and then attempt to heat it back up. Heat pumps are the perfect solution to this problem. Constantly heating your pool, while simultaneously heating a building such as a leisure centre for a hotel as well as the hotel itself. This can also work well in a domestic situation. 

Commercial/Industrial 

Our heat recovery heat pump models are designed to reuse the energy that otherwise would be wasted. This works by taking the heat that has already been made and converting it into energy. This means less heating up water just to throw it down the drain and less CO2 emissions. The heat energy created can be used to power a large chiller as well. So you can completely eradicate the requirement for gas or oil in your plant.

How Can I Prepare A Domestic Property For A Heat Pump?

Air Tight 

To prepare your residential property for a heat pump you should ensure your home is sealed or airtight if possible. This means there are no draughts flowing through cracks in the doors floors or windows allowing the heat generated to escape. 

Walls and Floors

You should have insulation throughout your walls and floors and attic. High-quality insulation prevents heat from escaping any building. Homes without proper insulation may mean that a heat pump or any modern heating system will be constantly running whilst allowing the heat generated to escape. This is a very inefficient use of the energy used.  

Windows

It is important to use high-performance windows in your home. The less energy efficient the window, the more heat will escape through them. 

What Grants Are Available?

SEAI(the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland) is offering grants to homeowners and businesses to encourage the installation of heat pumps. The grants they provide can cover up to half of the costs of an installation. This can make a significant difference when you’re making improvements to property and justifies investing as the payback is reduced. To find out if you qualify for these grants, contact seai.ie. Professional installers can give any property owner guidance on the benefits and costs involved in switching to heat pumps. MasterTherm heat pumps partner with a panel of installers who can assist clients in their transition to renewable technology.

Why Mastertherm?

A MasterTherm heat pump can be an efficient way of repurposing heat energy that otherwise would have been wasted. This is particularly relevant for large commercial or industrial users. We have multiple examples of how we can work with clients to maximize their savings and deliver efficiency via their heating and hot water systems.  This enables companies to move to a more sustainable and economical platform for the future operation of their business. 

 

For residential customers, Mastertherm heat pumps offer the added bonus of being ultra-quiet. The full range offers a 7-year warranty giving the end user peace of mind. The efficiency of the range also leads to lower heating bills and the flexibility that the system can be controlled easily from a tablet or phone.

 

Mastertherm will design and tailor a personalised heating system to suit your industry needs, whether it’s for a complex monitored heating and cooling system using rejected heat or a central heating system with the cooling requirements. Mastertherm will ensure that your business is getting the maximum benefit and efficiency from your heat pump system. 

 

If you’re looking for a heating and hot water solution for a large complex building we may suggest multiple heat pumps working together. If you are unsure about how to start the journey to renewables using heat pumps, contact us and we can discuss bespoke designs for your property.