When designing a house, it's essential to think about the heating system, considering not only the type of heat carrier but also where and how to plan the technical room. How to make the right choice for yourself and why consider an air-to-water heat pump as a heating solution.
The air-to-water heat pump is comfort heating – after installation and configuration, the heat pump operates automatically, eliminating the need for constant parameter adjustments. If necessary, settings can be easily changed, for example, if you plan to go on a longer trip, but generally, there's no need for that. The device only requires maintenance once a year, and it's advisable to do so in spring after the heating season ends.
In terms of operating costs, an air-to-water heat pump is equivalent to, for example, gas or pellet heating. Since gas connections are not available everywhere and pellet heating requires maintenance at least weekly, it's more convenient to choose an air-to-water heat pump. Especially, it's a good solution if the building is designed with a water-based heating system and the necessary electrical power is provided. Since almost no heating system works without electricity nowadays, buildings located in areas with frequent power outages should have emergency heating, such as a fireplace. Another option is to install solar panels for electricity generation.
One pump can serve multiple functions
When choosing the location for the heat pump, it's advisable to ensure that it's not close to the bedroom. Although the devices are quiet, their operational noise may be disturbing in some cases. If you plan to build a wooden house, it's not recommended to mount the external part of the pump on the wall; it's ideal to pour a separate concrete base for it. Even with thinner-walled stone houses, a heat pump mounted on the wall can cause disturbing vibration or noise.
In terms of convenience and reliability, the Atlantic air-to-water heat pump stands out, featuring an innovative, efficient patented coaxial heat exchanger, which is significantly less prone to freezing and blockages. It also provides additional energy for defrosting and acts as a buffer tank. While most other manufacturers require a separate buffer tank to be added to the heating system, it's already integrated into Atlantic's devices. Heat pumps using SPLIT-type inverter technology also perform excellently at low temperatures. Atlantic devices are factory-tested up to an external temperature of -25 °C, which is not the lowest temperature for operation, and the device does not shut down when the external temperature drops below this. It's a fully automatic device that does not require daily or monthly maintenance. In addition to building heating, Atlantic air-to-water heat pumps can also handle water heating, cooling, and pool heating.
Life expectancy of the heat pump
Speaking of the cost of air-to-water heat pumps, the prices of quality devices, including installation work and materials, generally range from 4000 to 7500 euros. The cost mainly depends on the device's power and heating zones. In typical residential buildings, two zones are usually heated, the floor and/or radiators, but since heating costs depend on various factors like house insulation, it's challenging to define a specific fixed cost. In our climate, producing hot water with an air-to-water heat pump is on average 2.5 times cheaper than with a conventional electric boiler.
Used heat pumps mostly lack a secondary market. There are few used devices on the market, and they are not recommended for purchase because later there may be problems with spare parts availability, and most likely, such devices will not have a warranty. For air-to-water heat pumps, moving and reinstalling devices in a new location is challenging because it must match the new building's heating needs and system.
The life expectancy of an air-to-water heat pump largely depends on how it is used and maintained. It's crucial to choose a heat pump according to the actual heating needs because incorrectly selected power shortens the device's lifespan. On average, the lifespan of air-to-water heat pumps is up to 15 years.