How to use an air source heat pump

themorganator4

Hi all,

My flat comes with an ASHP but I'm not sure how to use it effectively, I have a cupboard with all the tanks etc and a standard heating programmer and a thermostat dial on the wall outside in the hallway.
On the controller it states that the hot water must be on for 2 hours before the heating, now does that mean the hot water goes on, say at 12 and off at 2 and the heating goes on at 2 or does the hot water go on at 12 amd stay on until the heating goes off.

I also have a switch labelled "immersion" (for the immersion heater in the tanks I presume) now why do I have this if the ASHP is meant to do the work? And does it heat the water in place of the heat pump or as well as and is the immersion on constantly if I turn it in via the switch?

I have radiators btw not an underfloor system.

I hope you can all help.

matelodave

What make and model is the ASHP and what programmers/thermostats has it got?

My Daikin ASHP wont run the central heating and hot water simultaneously so my water heating times are set to come on before I want heating.

Mines set for about 2 hours a day. I have my immersion and boost heaters switched off and I find that the heat pump gives us sufficient hot water for out daily needs. We have the hot water tank set for 45 degrees which we find works for us. The heatpump boosts it to 60degrees once a week to sterilise the tank.

Regading heating - we are at home all day so the heating is on virtually all the time with a set back by about three degrees overnight and in rooms that aren't in use. We've got programmable thermostats in each room (we have underfloor heating) which allows us to control the temperature according to their usage.

For example the lounge gets heated virtually all day but the bathroom and bed rooms only in the mornings and at bedtime. However that said we do not shut it off, only turn it down otherwise it takes hours or even days to get the house back up to temperature.

Heatpumps run with a flow temperature much lower than a conventional system so will take a lot longer to reheat the house if you let it get stone cold. Increasing the flow temperatures will significantly increase your running costs as will using the immersion and boost heaters. Our flow temperature is weather compensated and fluctuates between 30-45 degrees. Pushing it up to 50-55 degrees would increase our running cost by around 25%

You need to experiment to try and optimise your timings and temperatures to suit your lifestyle. It would be a good idea to start reading and recording your leccy meter every week at roughly the same time to see how your adjustments affect your energy consumption.

However as we are now moving into the winter period you'll find that you consumption will increase quite dramatically.

I've been monitoring my consumption for over eight years and the consumption pattern is virtually the same for every year very low in the summer and very high in the winter although that said we only use a total of 7200kwh a year but around 1200kwh of that in December alone. Summer months are about 250-300kwh/month.

We are on the cheapest single rate tariff that I can get (presently around 11.5p/kwh and 22p/day standing charge) which works out at around £76 month.As we heat all day and turn it down at night an E7 tariff wouldn't work for us.

PeterGr

You want to find some documentation about the equipment that has been installed and how it is intended to operate. Everything you describe could apply to a conventional central heating system. Look for make / model / type on items. Are there details of who installed or maintained the equipment? At the same time I suggest you start taking regular meter readings. Also check the energy tariff that you are on.