Differences in Geothermal Systems Part III

The third way you can set up a heat pump system with underfloor heating is to use no thermostats, no actuators and no controls with your underfloor heating. Alot of projects in Britian set up their systems like so to have a cheaper underfloor heating system and cheaper running costs for your heat pump.You see, These systems work a treat with night rate electricity. You turn on your heat pump at night and you let it run until the end of the night rate warming up your underfloor heating slab as she runs. From this, you will have a piping hot slab in the morning. If the house is well insulated, you should not need to turn on your heat pump again as the heat will dissipate slowly from the slab heating your house throughout the day.Alot of projects in britian are set up like this where they do not turn on their heat pump by day because of the electricity costs during the day. In Ireland it costs about 6 cent an hour for night rate per Kw and 14-15 cent per hour during the day. This is why you should be trying to maximise your heat pump's operation by night. Let is heat the slab directly instead of heating a buffer tank that will definately need to be heated again during the day.

The figures.
A typical heat pump for the irish domestic market will give an output of 12kw with a cop of 4. This meand the the input electrical load is 3 kw. Therfore during the night when your heat pump is running, your heat pump will cost you around 18c an hour + standing charges and during the day will cost you 45 cent an hour + standing charges. Here you see the advantages of operating your heat pump by night to keep your electricity bill down.

Disadvantage.
The disadvantage of this set-up is that you will not have independent control in each room because there is no stats.If you have have a project where you want big differences in temperature between rooms, then this is not your system. However alot of people if yheir project is a 2-storey will put underfloor heating downstairs and radiators upstairs. Heat the underfloor by night whilst also gaining alot of residual heat for your upstairs.

With this system, you are treating your whole house as a whole zone. When the lounge is heated, the kitchen is also being heated. But if cost is an issue which it always is, it is by far the cheapest in terms of upfront costs (no underfloor heating controls) and in terms of running costs (if the house is well insulated, the heat pump may not need to come on by day).

Heating Solutions LtdSolar Panels – Underfloor Heating – Heat Pumps29 Suil na Habhann, Mill Rd, Limerick, Ireland Tel: 086 3823062; Fax: 061 346011 Email: info@heating-solutions-ireland.com www.heating-solutions-ireland.com