Alliance Saving Energy: Heat Pumps
Heat Pumps
Heat pumps are an effective solution to heating and cooling applications for all types of buildings. It is a well-proven technology that has been used for decades. Heat Pumps are installed all over the world providing safe, reliable heating and cooling at affordable prices.
Heat pumps can significantly reduce the UK’s Carbon Dioxide emissions because of its low carbon technology. On the other hand, the emissions of conventional fossil fuels and of Carbon Dioxide and other greenhouse gases add increasingly to the effects of climate change. Also the reserves of conventional fossil fuels are limited.
Heat Pumps are used for heating. They are capable of highly cost-efficient energy applications because they tap into a limitless supply of clean and pollution-free heat by either the surrounding air or heat captured in the ground. All you would pay for is the energy to transport that heat, and in some applications, most of this energy can be reclaimed too.
The basic principles of how a heat pump works are simple. The purpose of a heat pump is to absorb heat in one place where it is 
abundant, then to transport and release it in another location where it can be used for space or water heating.
All we have to pay for is the machine to recover it and the cost of the energy to run the machine. Useful heat is free and can be found in the air outdoors, in the ground, and is present in water, rivers, lakes and the sea. Even on the coldest winter days, sufficient heat is present to warm our homes.
What's more, modern heat pumps allow a significant quantity of the electrical energy that drives the heat pump to be returned to the building as useful heat.
Function of the pump
There is a refrigeration system at the heart of a modern heat pump. This refrigeration cycle is an efficient provider of heat as well as cooling and the basics of its operation are quite easily understood.
There are two main locations in the transfer of heat; the place where heat is absorbed (the source), and where it is rejected (the destination). The compressor in the refrigeration system produces waste heat as well. A significant proportion of this can be recovered. In that way, it reduces running costs and the ultimate release of CO2.
The mechanical refrigeration cycle consists of a couple of heat exchangers; one that absorbs heat, the other that rejects it. The largest industrial systems are hermetically sealed and pressurised, so it reduces noise, space and heat losses. This means that the compressor and the motor that drives it are encased in a welded shell.
This heat absorbed is transported through a sealed system of pipes by a fluid, the refrigerant (fluid that has a low boiling point), circulated by a compressor. To control the flow of refrigerant, there will be a metering device which will complete the arrangement. It is all connected by pipes. As the refrigerant works under pressure, the whole system is sealed for life.
To facilitate the absorption and release of the heat into and from the refrigerant, we exploit the ability of the refrigerant fluid to boil from a liquid to a vapour and then to condense back into a liquid. This is a continual process while the compressor is running and circulating the refrigerant.
There is a known relationship between its pressure and its boiling point for all volatile substances; by controlling these in the refrigerant, cooling and heating in the same machine at the same time can achieved.
Through the metering device, high pressure liquid refrigerant is fed into the evaporator heat exchanger. In there, it evaporates into a vapour by absorption of heat from the heat source (air, water, ground, other) passing through the heat exchanger.
The moderately cool return vapour is drawn back to the compressor. In a fully sealed hermetic shell, you will find the compressor and the electric motor that drive it. The cooled return vapour from the evaporator is passed over the compressor motor windings within the heat pump, consequently cooling the windings of the motor.
The refrigerant absorbs much of the energy of the electric motor that drives the compressor. The heat from the source plus much of the waste energy from the electric motor is then compressed to a high temperature vapour. Then it enters the condenser heat exchanger where it is cooled and condensed into a high pressure liquid ready to begin the cycle again. 
The heat released during the condensing process of the refrigerant to a liquid is discarded via the heat exchanger directly into air or transferred to water to heat the building. Depending on the design of the system, the air or water temperature at this point could be 43ºC to 60ºC.
Some systems are configured for heating only. The system is able to deliver both heating and cooling thanks to a reverse cycle heat pumps. They use an electrically operated reversing valve with four pipe connections to change the direction of refrigerant flow within the system.
Numerous commercial systems are capable of cooling as well as heating. The user can receive year-round operational benefits with fully automatic control.
Alliance Plumbing and Heating
Heat Pumps
Local heat pump engineers
We cover London and the Home Counties extensively. This enables us to arrange a visit for you for either today, tomorrow or any time that is convenient.
Free quotes and estimates for heat pump installations
An experienced engineer will visit at a time that suits you. He will provide you with all the help and advice you might need, discussing your options, ensuring you make the right decisions.
Customer service
All our staff from specialist heat pump engineers to the call centre staff are all regularly appraised based on their performance as determined by you. This helps us to continuously improve the service we provide. If you have not been asked for your feedback, but would like to make a comment please e-mail or give us a ring. We would welcome and appreciate your contribution.
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- All parts and labour guaranteed.
- Written estimate within 24hrs.
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