UPDATED: Air Source Heat Pumps/Air Con - Full Info & Guide, is it cheaper to run than mains gas?
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Benefits of a Heat Pump
A major benefit to having a heat pump is that it can serve a dual purpose by cooling your home during the warmer months and heat your home during the cooler months. In our area, you will most likely still need to use a furnace on colder days, but during moderately cool days, it may produce enough heat to warm your home sufficiently.
A heat pump may help your furnace run more efficiently at some cooler temperatures. It does this by pre-warming the air so that the furnace does not need to work as hard to heat the air it draws in through your ductwork. One drawback is that once temperatures drop below freezing, heat pumps do require more electricity to operate and are not as efficient.
With a heat pump continuously running, your home will not experience the sometimes uncomfortable temperature fluctuations that occur when a central air system or furnace start up with an initial spurt of cold or warm air. Temperatures will remain pretty consistent. A heat pump often will be more effective at removing more humidity from the air inside your home in comparison to a central air system.0 -
HiBenefits of a Heat Pump
A major benefit to having a heat pump is that it can serve a dual purpose by cooling your home during the warmer months and heat your home during the cooler months. In our area, you will most likely still need to use a furnace on colder days, but during moderately cool days, it may produce enough heat to warm your home sufficiently.
A heat pump may help your furnace run more efficiently at some cooler temperatures. It does this by pre-warming the air so that the furnace does not need to work as hard to heat the air it draws in through your ductwork. One drawback is that once temperatures drop below freezing, heat pumps do require more electricity to operate and are not as efficient.
With a heat pump continuously running, your home will not experience the sometimes uncomfortable temperature fluctuations that occur when a central air system or furnace start up with an initial spurt of cold or warm air. Temperatures will remain pretty consistent. A heat pump often will be more effective at removing more humidity from the air inside your home in comparison to a central air system.
... although there are two major considerations ....
Firstly - In the UK there are very few homes with ducted air heating systems, we tend to use our gas boilers (/furnaces) to heat water and pump that through copper tubes to wall mounted radiators (mostly) with individual thermostatic controls to improve overall energy efficiency.
The second point involves the assertion that a 'heat pump often will be more effective at removing more humidity from the air inside your home' ... in order for a heat-pump to remove moisture the relevant heating/cooling surfaces the system uses within the property must act to cause moisture within the air to condense, therefore they must be substantially cooler than the air passing through them .... in layman's terms, the heat-pump would need to be operating in a cooling mode. Often a dedicated mode is available which is referred to as a condensing or drying mode, however, all this really does is operate a cooling mode with a very low rate of airflow through the heat exchangers ... A heat-pump operating in heating mode is no more or no less effective at removing humidity from a property that a standard heating system .. furthermore, to be able to remove any humidity at all it must be specifically designed to do so, which many heat-pump solutions available in the UK aren't.
HTH
Z"We are what we repeatedly do, excellence then is not an act, but a habit. " ...... Aristotle
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If you are among the majority of people still using traditional HVAC heating and cooling systems, your answer may very well be lackluster. Frustrations about the duct system of temperature control found in many homes, apartments, and businesses, have led many to start purchasing ductless mini split units instead.
With advanced technology that increases efficiency, cuts down on noise, and provides a more nuanced way to target your heating and cooling needs, mini split inverter systems may be the right way to go to increase your satisfaction with your current system.
What is a mini split inverter?
Before we get into the specifics about mini split inverters, let’s recap what a mini split AC unit is in the first place. Basically, a mini split AC unit achieves the same goal as a traditional AC unit: cooling your home. The main difference is that mini split air conditioners to do so without relying on ducts, which is why they are also referred to as “ductless air conditioners.”
The cooling (or heating) process uses an indoor/outdoor unit system. The indoor unit blows the warm air over cold evaporator coils containing refrigerant, which absorbs that heat from the air, and runs it to the outside unit. Through the compressor, the refrigerant dumps the heat pulled from your home’s air. The resulting cold air then blows right back into your room.
Within the mini split systems, there are two different types of compressors: rotary and inverter. While a rotary compressor turns on with full power, a mini split inverter uses only enough power to reach and maintain your set temperature, and then idles at that setting until more power is needed.
For this reason, many people prefer the efficiency and cost-saving capacity of mini split inverters to their rotary counterparts.
Mini split inverter technology
You might be wondering how exactly a mini split inverter works, or the mini split inverter technology behind the operation.
As mentioned above, mini split inverters are more targeted because they continuously regulate the temperature. Using a variable-frequency drive, the inverter controls the speed of the electromotor, and by consequence, the heating/cooling output.
A traditional rotary compressor might be rated for 9,000 BTUs of cooling. That means whenever cooling is called for the unit ramps up to full speed and outputs 9,000 BTUs of cooling. An inverted compressor rated for 9,000 BTUs of cooling might have a BTU output range of 1,000 BTUs to 12,000 BTUs. That means when cooling is called for, the unit will start out by providing 12,000 BTUs to quickly cool the space but will then reduce power to a lower amount to maintain the temperature. This speed adjustment results in lower power consumption and more even cooling of the space.
Within this system, a microcontroller can sample the ambient air, and adjust the speed of the compressor accordingly.
Benefits of a mini split inverter
Perhaps the biggest advantage of the ]mini split inverter as compared to the rotary compressor is its efficiency. Since it operates with a higher level of precision, it doesn’t waste nearly as much energy as the alternative.
Plus, since the sharp fluctuations of the load are eliminated in mini split inverter systems, the parts last much longer and don’t run the risk of needing replacement nearly as quickly.
And don’t forget about the noise –– mini split units in general are much quieter than more traditional systems, too. Even if you need to heat more than one room, multi split units can still do the trick with their multi zone options.-1 -
HiIf you are among the majority of people still using traditional HVAC heating and cooling systems, your answer may very well be lackluster. Frustrations about the duct system of temperature control found in many homes, apartments, and businesses, have led many to start purchasing ductless mini split units instead.
With advanced technology that increases efficiency, cuts down on noise, and provides a more nuanced way to target your heating and cooling needs, mini split inverter systems may be the right way to go to increase your satisfaction with your current system.
What is a mini split inverter?
Before we get into the specifics about mini split inverters, let!!!8217;s recap what a mini split AC unit is in the first place. Basically, a mini split AC unit achieves the same goal as a traditional AC unit: cooling your home. The main difference is that mini split air conditioners to do so without relying on ducts, which is why they are also referred to as !!!8220;ductless air conditioners.!!!8221;
The cooling (or heating) process uses an indoor/outdoor unit system. The indoor unit blows the warm air over cold evaporator coils containing refrigerant, which absorbs that heat from the air, and runs it to the outside unit. Through the compressor, the refrigerant dumps the heat pulled from your home!!!8217;s air. The resulting cold air then blows right back into your room.
Within the mini split systems, there are two different types of compressors: rotary and inverter. While a rotary compressor turns on with full power, a mini split inverter uses only enough power to reach and maintain your set temperature, and then idles at that setting until more power is needed.
For this reason, many people prefer the efficiency and cost-saving capacity of mini split inverters to their rotary counterparts.
Mini split inverter technology
You might be wondering how exactly a mini split inverter works, or the mini split inverter technology behind the operation.
As mentioned above, mini split inverters are more targeted because they continuously regulate the temperature. Using a variable-frequency drive, the inverter controls the speed of the electromotor, and by consequence, the heating/cooling output.
A traditional rotary compressor might be rated for 9,000 BTUs of cooling. That means whenever cooling is called for the unit ramps up to full speed and outputs 9,000 BTUs of cooling. An inverted compressor rated for 9,000 BTUs of cooling might have a BTU output range of 1,000 BTUs to 12,000 BTUs. That means when cooling is called for, the unit will start out by providing 12,000 BTUs to quickly cool the space but will then reduce power to a lower amount to maintain the temperature. This speed adjustment results in lower power consumption and more even cooling of the space.
Within this system, a microcontroller can sample the ambient air, and adjust the speed of the compressor accordingly.
Benefits of a mini split inverter
Perhaps the biggest advantage of the ]mini split inverter as compared to the rotary compressor is its efficiency. Since it operates with a higher level of precision, it doesn!!!8217;t waste nearly as much energy as the alternative.
Plus, since the sharp fluctuations of the load are eliminated in mini split inverter systems, the parts last much longer and don!!!8217;t run the risk of needing replacement nearly as quickly.
And don!!!8217;t forget about the noise !!!8211;!!!8211; mini split units in general are much quieter than more traditional systems, too. Even if you need to heat more than one room, multi split units can still do the trick with their multi zone options.
Yes, much to agree on, possibly with a couple of technical adjustments, but what's it all about? ... as pointed out a few times recently, this is a mainly UK thread and there aren't many homes over here with any form of heat-pump, ducted HVAC or otherwise, as the majority of heating is provided using gas boilers ...
If you're sitting anywhere near SaraR2018, or SaraR2018 & RobertJr profiles are even the same poster, just sit back, do some research & have a think .... even those in the UK with heat-pumps must be wondering what the point behind some of the recent posts is - as one of that group, I certainly do! ....
HTH
Z"We are what we repeatedly do, excellence then is not an act, but a habit. " ...... Aristotle0 -
I have to agree with zeupater, I'm guessing than both Sara and Robert are a long way from the UK and don't really have a clue about how UK heating systems are configured.
I'm not sure why they keep popping up.Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large numbers0 -
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A traditional rotary compressor might be rated for 9,000 BTUs of cooling. That means whenever cooling is called for the unit ramps up to full speed and outputs 9,000 BTUs of cooling. An inverted compressor rated for 9,000 BTUs of cooling might have a BTU output range of 1,000 BTUs to 12,000 BTUs. That means when cooling is called for, the unit will start out by providing 12,000 BTUs to quickly cool the space but will then reduce power to a lower amount to maintain the temperature. This speed adjustment results in lower power consumption and more even cooling of the space.
Within this system, a microcontroller can sample the ambient air, and adjust the speed of the compressor accordingly.
This input from Robert and Sara isn't a discussion; all their posts are just cutting and pasting from Total Home supply - a USA company.
https://blog.totalhomesupply.com/what-is-a-mini-split-inverter/
E.G. The quote below from the blog.
Like others on here, I cannot understand the motive! Unless it is to gain points toward some educational qualification. 'We are published in UK' etcA traditional rotary compressor might be rated for 9,000 BTUs of cooling. That means whenever cooling is called for the unit ramps up to full speed and outputs 9,000 BTUs of cooling. An inverted compressor rated for 9,000 BTUs of cooling might have a BTU output range of 1,000 BTUs to 12,000 BTUs. That means when cooling is called for, the unit will start out by providing 12,000 BTUs to quickly cool the space but will then reduce power to a lower amount to maintain the temperature. This speed adjustment results in lower power consumption and more even cooling of the space.
Within this system, a microcontroller can sample the ambient air, and adjust the speed of the compressor accordingly.0 -
This input from Robert and Sara isn't a discussion; all their posts are just cutting and pasting from Total Home supply - a USA company.
https://blog.totalhomesupply.com/what-is-a-mini-split-inverter/
E.G. The quote below from the blog.
Like others on here, I cannot understand the motive! Unless it is to gain points toward some educational qualification. 'We are published in UK' etc
Same on a number of threads. I have clicked the Spam button on the posts to report them. Suggest those who agree do likewise.0 -
Here we go again ^^^^^0
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Hi all,
I can't believe this thread has been going so long.
I'm the proud owner of a Mitsu 8.5KW heat pump which I love but its not without its problems.
We've recently been getting lots of U1 error codes. I thought there might just be air in the system but it seems connected to the hot water coming on and the hot water never gets up to temperature.
I called the technical helpline and they checked the heatpump and refrigerant levels and after doing a few tests they diagnosed there was an issue with one of the heating zone valves which would need completing replacing (not just the motor) this was because during the hot water cycle, one the heating valves would open and divert hot water away from the cylinder.
I can get a plumber in to replace the valve but it means draining down the system and refilling with glycol which is expensive so before I do that I want to check there's nothing else.
I say this because the heating controls have always been a bit strange. We have 2 zones one for upstairs and one for downstairs both with wireless stats. I had an engineer in last year to refill the glycol after a leak and he looked at the wiring and in consultation with Mitsubishi made some changes and said the controllers had been wired wrong originally but we still don't seem to have any control over when the heating is on upstairs or downstairs - it just does its own thing and nothing really correlates to the control panel. Whichever zone is meant to be on, normally the radiators are on both upstairs and down stairs. I know this also points to zone valves but its a bit strange that both zone valves would have failed.
Is there a way I can just check that the zone valves and thermostats are wired in correctly before getting anyone out?0
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