WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT USING YOUR HEAT PUMP IN THE WINTER

<b>WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT USING YOUR HEAT PUMP IN THE WINTE</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span>
Are your power bills making you hot under the collar? As the temperature gets lesser, and many power bills get sophisticated, you might find yourself asking: what is the well-organized way to use my heat pump? 
The good news is that heat pumps are one of the most groundbreaking heating, ventilation, and air conditioning units you’ll come across. They’re a cost-effective alternative to traditional electric heating options, too.  
But, to catch the most out of your heat pump, you’ll need to pick an efficient model and use it correctly. To avoid power wastage and possibly save some cash this winter, you’ll need to
How does a heat pump work?
Air source heat pumps excerpt heat from the air outside and use it to deliver central heating, even during the winter.
The air source heat pump itself contains a fan that rotates to bring in the outside air and is installed outside. Once the fan brings in the air, the heating process begins:
Outdoor air passes over an exchanger coil which covers a refrigerant fluid.
 The refrigerant fluid boils and evaporates, turning into a vapor.
 That vapor is then trodden at high temperatures to produce heat
Choosing to heat your home with an air source heat pump comes with many benefits:
  • Highly efficient performance
  • Reduced energy bills
  • Payments through the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI)
  • A lengthy lifetime of up to 25 years
  • Simple maintenance
Air source heat pumps are also able to perform year-round but extra attention might need to be paid to the system to get the most out of it during the winter.
In the winter, heat pumps heat from the outside air and use it to warm your home. They use a comparatively small amount of electricity to run, making them less luxurious to function than a natural gas heater.
How a heat pump works in cold temperature
It’s no amazement that air source heat pumps accomplish their best during warmer weather. This is because there’s more heat in the air to extract and use to heat the rooms of a home.
With the temperature sedentary above freezing, an air source heat pump has the prospective to meet all demands for heating and hot water. However, lower outdoor temperatures can mean a lower heat output from the heating system and it can be a good idea to have a back-up heating system. This is where hybrid heating systems come in.
A hybrid heating system pairs a renewable heating system, such as a heat pump, with an outdated boiler. While heat pumps can be used all year round, they’re most operative during the summer months. During the winter, however, a boiler would be well-organized.
Hybrid heating systems perceptively switch between these 2 heating systems depending on which would perform most professionally at that time.
How to use a heat pump in winter
As cold as it might feel outside during the winter months, air-source heat pumps are still able to use it to engender heat for your property’s central heating system.
These tips will help you to get the most out of your air source heat pump during the winter.
Don’t cover the heat pump
 it could be appealing to avoid the heat pump from freezing over by casing it but this is something you shouldn’t do
By covering an air source heat pump, the airflow is being blocked which will reduce competition and could even lead to fungus. The melt mode will help to keep the heat pump from freezing.
  • Get a smart thermostat
A smart thermostat is an esteemed addition to any central heating system, not only when a heat pump is complex. Having an insolent thermostat will give you better more appropriate control over the central heating, which will help in keeping your energy bills down.
And many more.
Heat pump problems in winter
Winter is the nastiest time of year to knowledge problems with your air source heat pump so if you notice any of the below, contact a heating engineer right away:
Cold air through vents
Air-to-air heat pumps heat the home by gusting warm air through openings but during the winter they can perform more like an air conditioning system, blowing cold air through the vents.
The first thing to check is that your air source heat pump isn’t in a ‘cool’ setting. If it isn’t then the refrigerant liquid that circulates the pipes might be dripping. In this case, an engineer will be needed to repair the leak.
Heating bills on the rise
There’s a good chance the heat pump will need to use the melt mode during the winter which means that you’ll be receiving less heat from your central heating system for every unit of electricity.
This is one reason why you might want to deliberate installing an air source heat pump as part of a hybrid heating system.
The heat pump has frozen
In the very worst-case situation, air-source heat pumps can freeze over. The defrost mode should avoid this from happening but if it doesn’t then.
A heat pump runs continuously in cold weather.
 An air-source heat pump that’s running continuously during the cold weather is nothing to be worried about as it does run for longer periods than traditional heating systems. Particularly during the winter when the heat pump has to run a defrost mode to avoid freezing too.
How to defrost a heat pump in winter
During the winter months, you may well see a thin layer of ice on the air source heat pump but this is nothing to be concerned about. It only becomes a fear when ice begins to build-up on the coils.
Air source heat pumps have a defrost mode which will help to eliminate small quantities of frost – you may need to turn the fan on for melt mode to work. During melt mode, the heat pump won’t be able to produce heat for your property’s central heating.
It’s significant not to use antifreeze to thaw out a heat pump as this could end up destroying the system. The defrost mode should be sufficient to avoid the system from freezing.
It’s a decent idea to keep the area around the heat pump free from snow, ice, and other wreckage. A quick curve now and then will help to keep the heat pump running at its optimum performance.
Should your air foundation heat pump stop working during cold weather, we extremely recommend contacting a capable engineer who will be able to identify and repair the issue.
At what temperature does a heat pump stop working?
Each air source heat pump model has its exclusive features and for winter operation with a key one to note is the minimum functioning temperature.
With many models of air source heat pump able to accomplish temperatures as low as -20°C to -25°C, there isn’t much to worry about here in the UK.







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