The situation with the drastic increase in heating prices does not leave investors with much choice, so owners of existing houses with outdated heating systems are increasingly deciding to upgrade. It is estimated that in the last two years alone, more than 200,000 Poles have decided to purchase and install a heat pump, including in existing buildings. This energy-efficient heat source can drastically reduce heating costs, but... not always. Why? Because a heat pump alone won't change much if we don't look at the installation holistically. We asked Purmo experts in what situations a heat pump will work in modernized houses, what needs to be done and how to prepare so that the investment is not tantamount to a costly general overhaul.
When deciding to replace the heat source in an existing house, the basis is to analyze the current state - and not only in terms of the most energy-efficient solution. We are seeing more and more situations on the market when the investor has decided on a heat pump, and the bills remain high. And the question arises? Because a heat pump is like an engine, replacing it with a new, faster model will not always make the car go faster....
- says Piotr Krzeminski, manager of technical sales support at Purmo.
How then to approach the investment to bring the expected results, i.e. lower heating bills and thermal comfort for users? Assuming that we have a baseline situation in which the heat pump is properly matched to the building (i.e., not too big and not too small), the house has adequate insulation, and heat does not escape through the walls, roof or leaky windows and properly adjusted flows, the focus should be on upgrading the existing installation. Current solutions on the market allow a quick and cost-effective upgrade, without the need for a major overhaul of the house. Which ones?
How to reduce heating costs at home?
© Purmo
New pump and old installation - where to start?
According to Purmo experts, the market has come to believe that the heat pump works most effectively with low-temperature heat emitters such as floor heating, which is popular in our country. But in the case of retrofitting, that is, when you install a heat pump in an existing house with a heating system made years ago, this is not always the best solution.
How to reduce heating costs at home?
© Purmo
First of all, it is very rare to have previously installed underfloor heating throughout the house that meets the requirements of a modern heat pump. If this was the case, then we have an ideal situation - all we need to do is adjust the system and make the appropriate settings. If not, and we would like to install an "underfloor" throughout the house, the investor faces very high costs associated with the renovation - tearing out the old floors, installation of heating and new floors, and the time of its implementation, during which the rooms can not be operated. That's why very few investors opt for such a solution if a general renovation is not involved.
- says Piotr Krzeminski.
How to reduce heating costs at home?
© Purmo
There are several effective solutions and possibilities, but it all depends on the "baseline". The cheapest and easiest solution (!) will be to use the existing radiators (as long as they are of good quality and class), move them to other rooms and buy new ones. But in this case, however, start with a baseline analysis. If we have an existing heating system where we currently have 75°C on the supply, and we want to bring it to 55°C, this means that we need to use about twice as many radiators. In this situation, you need to start with an inventory of what we have in the house and an analysis of where the existing radiators can be moved and which ones need to be purchased and installed. This is important because it is often the case that in older houses radiators were selected with "spare" or the house has been insulated in recent years.
How to reduce home heating costs?
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In such a case, very helpful for investors will be a special application developed by experts - Purmo Calculator (available in a mobile application in the version for Android and IOS), which will help us calculate what radiators for a given wattage we need in a given room. Let's remember that the new radiator models will not only drastically improve the thermal efficiency of our building, but also, due to their modern and attractive design, will perfectly emphasize the character of the interior (for example, Delta or Tinos V radiators from the Purmo collection will be perfect for modern and industrial interiors and will give them a unique character).
How to reduce heating costs at home?
© Purmo
We can also achieve a lot by working within the installation itself, for example, by doubling the flow through the radiator at the same supply temperature, we can achieve as much as 11% higher installation efficiency. Combined with the right choice of radiators, moving existing ones to other rooms and installing new ones, this can give us the desired effect. The prerequisite in this situation is the appropriate diameters in the existing installation, allowing such a flow.
How to reduce heating costs at home?
© Purmo
solutions for special tasks
In a situation where we need "stronger" solutions, it is worth considering the use of radiators with a special design with additional forced convection flow inside the radiator, which will allow to increase the heating power by up to 60%. Such an innovative and dedicated solution has recently appeared in the offer of the market leader Purmo. The new Ulow-E low-temperature panel radiator was developed specifically for use with a heat pump. It is an ideal solution for use also in the case of building thermo-modernization, as it will work perfectly as a replacement for older radiators that need to be replaced due to lower system temperatures. Thanks to its special design and built-in fans, it will increase thermal efficiency by up to 60% compared to traditional solutions.
We are not talking about the separate modular "fans" available on the market, mounted above or below the radiators, which for various reasons are an ad hoc and not very ergonomic solution. Compared to the Ulow-E radiator, they raise the radiator's efficiency only minimally, very slightly increasing the room temperature.
- says Piotr Krzeminski.
How to reduce heating costs at home?
© Purmo
What about when we need to increase the heating power by two or three times and we don't have space in the house for such large radiators? Or when we want underfloor and "radiator" heating to work with the same low water temperature in the system? In such a case, the only possible solution will be fan coils (e.g. Vido S2 by Purmo), which not only heat the room efficiently, but can also provide cooling on hot days. Purmo designers also did not forget about those for whom design is important - the Vido S2 fan coil heater has retained the shape of a traditional decorative radiator, with all the advantages of this model. It can be used for both heating and cooling if combined with a reversible heat pump or a separate cooling source. The latest technology of infinitely variable fan speed control minimizes the noise level - Vido S2 always runs quietly, almost silently regardless of whether it is in heating or cooling mode. It is ideal for both new developments and energy-efficiency retrofits, and can also be used in conjunction with modern condensing boilers.
How to reduce heating costs at home?
© Purmo
So the solutions are varied, and it is not necessarily the case that replacing the heat source with a pump must involve the installation of underfloor heating throughout the house. In the offer of reputable manufacturers, you will find various options that will also work perfectly in the case of modernization of an existing building.
More advice and articles on Purmo energy-saving solutions are available at: www.purmo.pl in the "Interiors" tab.
