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| Devon Underfloor Heating |
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| Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHPs) |
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Under floor heating and GSHPs
Ground source heat pumps produce 4 kW of heat power output for 1 kW of electricity power supply input. This 4:1 performance ratio relates to a working temperature of the central heating system of approximately 35°C. Standard, radiator-based central heating systems operate at around 60°C and at such high temperatures the performance ratio drops to around 2:1.
Ground floor heating systems operate at around 35°C and are therefore well matched to GSHP systems. The cost of a typical 8kW GSHP system, including installation, to supply an average-sized, well-insulated family home is around £6,000 which can be subsided with government grants. At today’s fuel prices GSHPs matched with an underfloor heating system are cheaper to run than LPG, oil and electrical storage heaters.
What is a heat pump?
Heat flows naturally from a higher to a lower temperature. Heat pumps reverse this natural flow of heat, extracting heat energy from a cold source, such as the ground, and delivering it to a hot system, such as a building’s heating system. The extracted heat is replaced by heat flowing in from the surrounding ground. The electricity supply is used to power the ‘pump’, the majority of the heat energy coming free from the ground.
Heat pumps are not new. In fact, a refrigerator is a kind of heat pump: The heat is extracted from the air inside the fridge and released into the outside air through the grill at the back.
A ground source heat pump consists of a ground loop, the heat pump itself and the under floor heating system. The ground loop and heat pump components are discussed in more detail below.
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| The ground loop |
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The ground loop can either be installed in a vertical bore hole or a horizontal trench. The bore hole option is more costly but useful when space is limited. For a typical installation a bore to a depth of around 75 to 100 m will be required. The horizontal trench option commonly uses ‘slinkies’, which are coils of plastic pipe laid in a 2 m deep trench: Below 2m the temperature remains fairly constant throughout the year. For each kW of heat power output, 10 m of trench is required.
Before installing the ground loop it is wise to confirm ground conditions such as depth of bedrock. However, reputable systems will be sized for worst case UK conditions so thermal conductivity and temperature profiles are generally not required.
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| The heat pump |
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A typical heat pump unit is shown in the figure to the right. It can be positioned either inside or outside the building. If positioned outside a lean to is recommended to limit exposure.
A schematic of a heat pump system is shown in the figure below. The ground loop circulates fluid which is at a lower temperature than the ground and therefore extracts heat from it due to natural heat flow. The fluid returned by the ground loop is therefore at a higher temperature than when it left the heat pump but still much lower than needed by any heating system.
The heat pump extracts this low-grade heat using a fridge-in-reverse type system and delivers the heat at a suitable temperature for the underfloor heating system. In order for the system to work efficiently, it is essential that the manufacturer correctly specifies the pumps, pipes and working fluids.
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A vertical close-lopped system
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A horizontial close-looped system
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Ground Sourced Heating System |
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| Completely Green |
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To provide the completely green option it is possible to use photovoltaic solar cells to offset the electricity used by the GSHP such that over a year the net electricity used by the combined system of GSHP and solar cells is zero.
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Ground Source Heat Pumps information courtesy of Heidra, Devon and Kensa Heat Pumps.
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Call today on 0800 731 1976 |
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Devon Underfloor Heating Specialists, Nu Heat of Honiton give some useful advice on the benefits of having Underfloor Heating installed in your home.
An eco-friendly house heated for £37 per year
The project has been such a success the couple are now planning to start a specialist business designing and building energy-efficient houses.
Increasingly, homebuilders are taking a responsible attitude to conserving the earth's natural resources; as such Aileen and Dave Downie set out to build a house that would incorporate the best modern eco-technology, be warm and comfortable all year round and economical to run.
A combination of:
- Nu-Heat warm water underfloor heating
- Very high levels of insulation
- Weather compensating boiler
- Controlled whole-house ventilation with heat recovery system
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Energy efficient glazing
All of the measures ensure a steady 70ºC has been realised with heating bills of just £37 per year.
The Downies are both committed to energy conservation, renewable materials and the health benefits of eco-friendly living all of which they have achieved without compromising style or comfort. Siting the main living areas on the first floor makes the most of both the natural light and the spacious open vaulted ceiling and aids in the efficient flow of heat around the building. The ground floor bedrooms are "cooler in summer and cosier in winter".
The project has been such a success the couple are now planning to start a specialist business designing and building energy-efficient houses for others to enjoy.
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Underfloor heating – better than radiators!
Heating your home with warm water underfloor heating is the modern, clean and natural way to a more comfortable living environment. Unlike radiators it is a better way of heating, saving on fuel bills and maintenance costs, freeing up room space and is a more healthy heating option as well.
Why is underfloor heating better than radiators? Radiators generate heat by drawing cold air across our feet and convecting it up towards the ceiling. In contrast, a high proportion of warmth from underfloor heating is radiant. When a high proportion of the warmth we feel is radiant, with our head slightly cooler than our feet we feel more comfortable. It feels natural because we are warmed by the sun in exactly the same way. We feel warmer in the sun than we do in the shade because the sun warms us directly by radiation. With underfloor heating the warmth is where we stand and sit with our head being slightly cooler than our feet, making ideal human comfort conditions. Again because a high proportion of the warmth is radiant with little generation of convection currents, the loss of heat from the building through walls, windows and ceilings is reduced too saving you money on your energy bills.
You can have underfloor heating installed in every room, upstairs and down, and in doing so, remove the intrusion of radiators which are only there for their function, not their beauty. Radiators take up valuable wall and floor space and by eliminating them you will gain extra room for furniture or wall decoration. All of a sudden you will be free to completely re-design your room space the way you want it. Another benefit is that the low heat gradients and low humidity variations characteristic of underfloor heating create a kind environment for you and for your furniture, antique or modern.
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Experience A New Level Of Comfort with Under Floor Heating
Warmth in our homes is something we have long taken forgranted. UFH is more comfortable than radiators, find out below.
Warm water underfloor heating provides a kind of warmth that is more natural and more comfortable than that of radiators. It makes no intrusion on room space and saves on fuel and maintenance costs.
Not so: radiators generate heat by drawing cold air across our feet and convecting it towards the ceiling. In contrast, a high proportion of warmth from underfloor heating is radiant (typically 80%). We are most comfortable when a high proportion of the warmth we feel is radiant, with our head slightly cooler than our feet. It's nature's way. It feels natural because it is natural. We are warmed by the sun in exactly the same way. We feel warmer in the sun than we do in the shade because the sun warms us directly by radiation. It also warms the ground we stand on.
Underfloor heating concentrates the warmth where we stand and sit. We experience our head being slightly cooler than our feet, making ideal human comfort conditions.
With Nu-Heat you can experience underfloor heating in every room, upstairs and down. Call today on 0800 731 1976 for more information.
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| Devon Underfloor Heating |
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