Yeah, I'm very underwhelmed by what I've heard about them.
Do you know which make(s) of pumps? I am tempted by something like this
http://www.icsheatpumps.co.uk/residential/air-source-heat-pumps.php
for underfloor heating and hot water, although I am not 100% happy about siting something outside where it may be buried under a snowdrift when it is needed most. Thinking inside a shed with the freezers might be a better place?
To answer Lorraine, I know a couple of people with ground source pumps, both very pleased with performance over quite a few winters now.
RichardW
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I am not 100% happy about siting something outside where it may be buried under a snowdrift when it is needed most. |
But at that time it will be heating vis the inbuilt electric heating elements that they tend NOT to tell you about.
I would not put one in the garage with the freezer as it will over cool the room (any plumbing could freeze) & stop the freezer working. Also if you look at the total air volume in that room the total energy stored in there is very very minimal. The same is true of people putting them in the loft. Seems a good idea but the total energy available is so small its not worth it.
On a pedantant note,
Ground source heat pumps do not use Ground sourced heat (IE Geothermal). Its latent solar energy that is being gathered. Start pulling to much out & you could affect the growing period of the land its on as soil temps will be much lower. Some are saying that after about 7 years the average soil temps are lowering where GSHP are installed.
crofter
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I would not put one in the garage with the freezer as it will over cool the room (any plumbing could freeze) & stop the freezer working. Also if you look at the total air volume in that room the total energy stored in there is very very minimal. The same is true of people putting them in the loft. Seems a good idea but the total energy available is so small its not worth it.
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As well as being buried by snow, I am also concerned about the corrosive effect of the high amount of salt in the air here. What about a ventilated shelter made from polycarbonate sheets - protection from the weather and potentially some solar gain?
RichardW
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Again the volume of air in the shelter will be much smaller than needed. Think in reverse. How long would it take a 16kw(or however big the unit is) heater to raise the temp in that shelter by a few deg c? Thats how long the heat in it will last with the unit sucking the heat out.
Air source heat pumps need large volumes of air constantly.
Get the maker/seller to warranty it against salt corrosion.
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crofter
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Thanks Richard, that makes sense. Thinking some more, a shelter would just protect it from the rain, not the salt in the air. Getting buried by snow could still be a problem though. Maybe the solution is not to run it in the coldest days of winter and use woodburner as backup for those times? Although we generally don't get extreme cold here, because of the ocean.
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