Maintaining your Air Source Heat Pump

In order for your ASHP and heating to work effectively, it is important that it is maintained accordingly:

• In line with the manufacturer’s recommendation, it requires an annual service by a qualified engineer. A well-maintained heating system will help give you hassle-free, peace of mind operation, whilst ensuring you are getting the best performance from your heat pump.
• Please keep the ASHP clear to allow for the required airflow. Ensure that you:
• Remove any leaves and snow
• Keep things away from the pump and do not use to stack things like bikes, garden furniture or toys.

• Don’t panic if you see steam coming from the heat pump; this is called the de-icing cycle. As the heat pump takes energy out of the air, ice can build up on the back of the heat pump. The de-icing cycle should only last a few minutes, and the frequency will depend on the humidity of the air, the amount of energy being taken out of the air and the period of time the energy is being taken. The de-icing cycle will happen more often when the outside air temperature is around 2.5°C but will happen less often when the air temperature is below 0°C, as there is less water in the air.

• Always keep the system running. Heat pump heating systems should not be turned off completely, if your home cools down it will require more energy to heat it back to a comfortable level. Your heating system control will have a “Comfort” temperature and “Set-back” rather than with a traditional heating system which may have been “on” or “off”.
  
  
• Remember the system is different to a traditional boiler. Your heat pump system has a weather compensation control as standard so when the weather outside is warmer, the flow temperature in the radiators and/or underfloor heating will be lower. They will feel cooler to touch but they will keep your home warm and comfortable, whilst also making sure the heat pump is working as efficiently as possible. When the weather is cooler, the flow temperature will increase meaning your radiators will get hotter as the temperature outside gets colder.
  

 

Underfloor heating and your Air Source Heat Pump

Our homes with an ASHP have underfloor heating as standard. It is operated by the electrical mains in your consumer unit (fuse box).

It is important that you have the right flooring to enable heat to transfer throughout your home.

For carpets, we recommend that the total tog of the carpet and underlay is no more than 2.5. We specify a 0.75 tog underlay; Interfloor Duralay HeatFlow Carpet which works effectively with underfloor heating. You can of course have thicker carpets and underlay but this would slow down how quickly your home gets warm.

Vinyl flooring should be laid on adhesive approved by the manufacturer for use with underfloor heating. If you have chosen for us to fit Amtico in your home we will ensure that it is fitted using the Amtico High Temperature Extra adhesive as per the manufacturer’s guidelines.

Tiled floors need a decoupling mat (or membrane) between your subfloor and tiles. It absorbs lateral movements caused by thermal expansion to prevent cracks appearing as the floor expands and contracts with each heating cycle.

Troubleshooting underfloor heating 

Should your underfloor heating not be working, firstly you need to check that the isolation switch is turned to the ‘on’ position within the consumer unit (fuse box).

It is important to remember that the underfloor heating is there to warm the air and not your feet, some variation in temperature can be felt on the floor.  But if your underfloor heating is working but feels cold in some areas / rooms than others you need to firstly check the thermostat controls for the underfloor heating are set; the temperature you choose will need to exceed the current room temperature in order for the underfloor heating to activate. You also need to ensure that you are using the correct thermostat to set that zone.

The orientation of your property will affect the temperature in individual rooms. The thermostat that operates the upstairs heating is located in bedroom one, which is a requirement we must adhere to as a housebuilder. In bedrooms which directly face the sun, the warmth generated can turn the heating off prematurely, even on cold or wintery mornings, which means that rooms not warmed by the sun can remain cold.

 

If you have an air source heat pump, our advice to counteract this is:

• Ensure that your system is continually running. As stated, heat pump heating systems should not be turned off completely, if your home cools down it will require more energy to heat your home back to a comfortable level. Your heating system control will have a “Comfort” temperature and “Set-back” rather than with a traditional heating system which may have been “on” or “off”
• The wall mounted thermostat in bedroom one should be turned up to at least 26°C which will mean that for the period you carry out this exercise this room will be hotter than you would normally require. It may be of advantage to leave this bedroom door open to also allow for additional heat transfer to this room and you may find it advantageous to close the curtains in this room.
• The thermostatic valve mounted on the radiator in the room you feel is colder should be turned up to its highest setting for the period of the exercise.
• The actions described above will allow the radiator in the colder bedroom to operate for a longer period warming the room and also the fabric of the room.
• Once warm the insulation will start to retain the heat just as it has previously retained the cold and gradually over a period of about two weeks you can start to reduce both thermostats down. Turn the wall thermostat down by a half a degree a day and the radiator thermostat in what was the cold room down by a notch a day until in each room you find a level that is comfortable for you. Once you reach that comfortable temperature do not turn the thermostat down any further.
• If you have concerns that a room is too hot or cold then we would suggest placing a thermometer in the room and taking a note of the temperature 3 times per day for the period of a week and then we ask that you let us know the findings.