When choosing an alternative to standard heating systems, it is desirable to know what is a heat pump? Such a design is actively used abroad, in Russia such a configuration is a novelty. This is due to the high cost of equipment and its installation, as well as insufficient knowledge about all the subtleties and advantages of this device. For reference: more than 90% of houses in Norway and Sweden are heated in this way. Consider the features and characteristics of this design.
Description
What is a heat pump? This device is a pump that absorbs potentially low thermal energy from the environment, transferring it to heat supply systems with an increased temperature. It is worth noting that most natural resources have energy reserves, including frost. Even in the harshest winter, a home can be heated by natural energy.
Modification of the devices under consideration depends on the type of source of energy received (earth, air, water). by the mostA popular and practical device is a geothermal unit that transforms the energy of the soil. In addition, it is optimally suited for domestic climatic features. This is quite relevant for almost all regions of the Russian Federation.
Working principle
A ground source heat pump for a home operates according to one of three principles:
- Through a special pipe in the well, groundwater is taken to the surface. They have a certain temperature regime, passing through the exchanger, they transfer the available heat, which heats the home. After that, the water returns naturally (downstream).
- A container with antifreeze is lowered into the well hole to a depth of 70-100 meters, the temperature of which differs from that of the surrounding soil. The ground heat pump accelerates the liquid and then delivers it to the thermal exchanger. As a result of this process, heat is released.
- In this option, drilling a well is not required. It is worth noting that the house should be located near the reservoir. The working line is laid along the bottom of the pond, as a result of which water is pumped with further heat extraction from it. The nuance of this method is the sufficient depth of the reservoir, which will make it possible to extract energy under the ice up to 15 cubic meters of available water.
The operation of a geothermal system, like other analogues, allows not only to heat the residential sector, but also to heat the garage, greenhouse, and other communications.
Dignity
What is a heat pump and what is it for is indicated above. Next, let's look at the advantages of this system.
- High efficiency. About 4-6 kilowatts of heat supply comes out of one kilowatt of consumables (electricity). This is an order of magnitude larger than any traditional fuel boilers.
- The autonomy of the device lies in the fact that its operation does not require organic material. This eliminates the problem of laying the appropriate communications.
- Versatility. One set combines water, heat and cooling units.
- High security level. Unlike boilers, which have the potential to explode or catch fire, this design does not include elements that, if heated, could cause a fire. In addition, all parts are safe for the environment and thermal extremes.
- The reliability of the unit is guaranteed by built-in automation, which can be maintained by an operator without special skills.
- Long working life. The device lasts from 30 to 50 years, which is much higher than standard heating systems.
Features
Heat pump operation is not only economical but also practical. The following facts testify to this:
- minimum site for arrangement (the probe is located underground, which excludes its damage);
- environment is not polluted, which meets all international standards;
- no specialpermission to install this equipment, which greatly simplifies the process of paperwork at the entire construction stage;
- The construction pays off in a couple of years.
Operation and Maintenance
The operation of a heat pump for the home is identical to the operation of a refrigerator familiar to everyone. The difference is that instead of cold, the unit produces heat. Freon is the active substance in this system. It is a liquid gas that has a low boiling point. Evaporating, it takes heat, returning it in the process of condensation. To ensure proper operation, the dimensions of the attachment should not exceed the dimensions of a standard automatic washing machine.
Heat pump - internal circuit principle:
- working system is in water or underground;
- the design scheme includes a collector exchanger and connecting pipelines with internal interaction with supply from soil or water;
- the system includes communication devices configured for general configuration;
- it is possible to control the system by controlling the process through a personal computer or tablet (smartphone).
- cooling unit is designed for central and local location of cooling systems;
- there is an additional pump unit responsible for floor heating.
Design nuances
The heat pump system provides for the distribution of heat over the entire area evenly. No overheating zones are observed,the maximum temperature of the coolant usually does not exceed 33 degrees. Statistics show that this is 2-3 percent lower in terms of savings compared to standard type radiators.
Structurally, this type of heating is divided into two varieties: bivalent and monovalent systems. Both configurations include a heat exchange manifold and radiators with tie pipes. Fittings with gaskets and taps are also connected to them.
Heating
It is more relevant to heat a home with a heat pump in regions with a harsh climate using a bivalent design. Thanks to the second heat source, the range of supplied temperatures is extended, which allows reaching temperatures up to 20 degrees Celsius.
It is worth noting that the power when installing a heat pump is limited to 75-80 percent of the possible effect. The missing parameters are compensated by an additional heat source. At the same time, the performance differences are insignificant. If we focus on full-fledged heating with a geothermal system, it is possible to connect a water electric heater to the system, which will work normally if the ambient temperature does not fall below 20 degrees below zero.
Comparison with alternative sources
The installation of a heat pump is relevant in regions where there is no global gas pipeline, and it is not always profitable and practical to buy a bottled heat source. Compared to wood and coal, the system in question is much more efficient and does notrequires significant labor costs.
Other benefits:
- liquid refrigerant boiler requires a significant amount of raw material and a special room, which is inappropriate for small country houses;
- electric heating is substantially more expensive;
- gas equipment is also expensive and requires all sorts of permits and installation rules.
Despite the fact that installing a heat pump is more expensive than installing gas equipment, energy from the environment does not subsequently require a monthly payment. The economic effect will manifest itself in just a few months.
Payback
In a numerical value, the performance of the aggregate in question is not so easy to calculate. This information depends on the initial cost of the unit and its operating conditions. In any case, the amount of energy consumed by the specified device is 3-4 times less than that of alternative heating systems.
Maximum efficiency is achieved when the following rules are observed:
- The heated room must be insulated to a loss parameter of at least 100 W/sq. m. This relationship is a determining factor in the profitability of installing a heat pump.
- The equipment in question should be connected to low-temperature heating sources. The thermal range of the specified suppliers should vary between 30-40 degrees Celsius (warm floors, convectors, air conditioners, etc.).
Installation and maintenance
The heat exchanger in the entire system is the most "long-suffering" node. During installation, errors are often made in terms of underestimating the working diameters of pipes. If you remove the savings on materials, it is desirable to use polyethylene lines and connectors that tolerate thermal fluctuations well. The use of polypropylene is strongly discouraged.
Connect all parts of the pipeline with elements that meet the requirements of underground installation rules and reliability. In this case, you should not use cheap compression fittings that leak after several months of operation. The best option is to use electrofusion welding.
It is important to correctly use gaskets for wells, which make it possible to ensure maximum contact of the thermal probe with the soil. To do this, prepared nests in the ground are filled with a composition that has heat conduction characteristics not lower than those of the soil itself. It can be sand with a small inclusion of cement or concrete. Crushed stone and similar solutions with pointed components are best excluded.
Typical mistakes
To understand what a heat pump is, you need to remember the typical mistakes that users make when installing this device.
This refers to:
- Insufficient length of primary circuit conductive pipes. This is fraught with freezing of the refrigerant, the problem is corrected by re-routing the pipeline or equipping an additional circuit.
- Decreasediameter of conjugated elements. As a result, the power of the entire system is reduced, which requires the re-laying of the heat exchanger.
- Maximum close placement of the threads of the circuit entails freezing of the liquid in the system. An additional bypass or rearrangement of the existing structure will be required.
- Using compression fittings and polypropylene parts. The refrigerant in the system freezes, its leakage is observed at the junctions. The way out of the situation is to dismantle the object and lay it according to a new project.
Summarize
Based on the above information, the heat pump will be a good and economical alternative to traditional heating methods. The installation of such equipment, in addition to the indicated advantages, guarantees the owner independence from external factors (interruptions in the supply of gas or electricity). In addition, natural energy is free of charge and available in unlimited quantities.
