What is an air/water heat pump?
The air/water heat pump is one of the most popular heating systems for new buildings, but it is also being used more and more in renovation projects. At the same time, it is environmentally friendly and climate-friendly, and a promising choice for the future with many unanswered questions about energy prices, security of supply, etc. . An air/water heat pump can be easily installed and used not only for heating, but also for cooling or domestic hot water. Air/water heat pumps are particularly flexible in terms of installation and operation: they are available as models for outdoor or indoor installation and require very little space.
A heating system with many advantages
How an air/water heat pump works
In an air/water heat pump, the outdoor or indoor air is drawn in by a fan. This passes it on to the evaporator, in which a refrigerant circulates that absorbs energy and evaporates already at low temperatures. This means that the refrigerant becomes gaseous and passes through an electric compressor, as well as being compressed, which further increases its temperature. Once it reaches the desired level, the gas is transferred to the condenser, releasing its heat to the heating system. This creates environmentally friendly as well as cost-effective heat for the whole house.
The refrigerant then cools back down through the expansion valve and reaches its liquid form, allowing the process to begin again.
Air - the ideal source of energy
As the elixir of human life, air is essential. Nevertheless, it provides us with numerous other services: one of them is the natural heat present in the air, which we can harness with air/water heat pumps. Air is also available in unlimited quantities and can be easily tapped – making it a particularly reliable source of energy.
How air/water heat pumps work
And this is how it works: the heat pump draws in the outside air via a fan and passes it on to an evaporator or heat exchanger. The heat thus obtained is used for heating and hot water in the building. The cooled air is then released back into the environment and the heat pump cycle begins again.
Areas of application for air/water heat pumps
The air/water heat pump impresses with its versatile installation options, as it can be set up both indoors and outdoors. Only a small space is required for the installation without extensive development work. Due to its quiet operation and comparatively low installation costs, the air-source heat pump is not only a particularly popular heating system for new buildings, but also an attractive option for modernization projects in order to heat the home in a climate-friendly way.
Whether an air/water heat pump is an option depends on many factors.
- The location of the building
- The size of the heating surface
- The insulation standard of the building
- Installation options
Indoor installation or outdoor installation
When choosing an air/water heat pump, the choice of location also plays a decisive role.
Single unit outdoor installation: Luft/Wasser-Wärmepumpen zur Außenaufstellung sind die meistinstallierten Wärmepumpen. Sie benötigen sehr wenig Platz und lassen sich problemlos, auch in eng bebauten Wohngebieten, einfach installieren. Bereits in der Entwicklungsphase von neuen Luft/Wasser-Wärmepumpen achten wir darauf, dass die Wärmepumpen extrem leise arbeiten und alle geforderten Schallwerte erreichen.
Single unit for indoor installation: Air/water heat pumps for indoor installation are used when they have to be particularly quiet. They are located inside the building, either above or below ground level, and are therefore neither visible nor audible from the outside. Two air ducts matched to the heat pump provide the air supply for the heat pump. Through one air duct, the heat pump draws in outside air, extracts heat from the air, and blows the cooled air back out through the second air duct.
How noisy is an air/water heat pump in operation?
It is a common myth that a heat pump makes noise. It is true that noise is generated when a heat pump is in operation, as with any other electronic device. However, these are hardly audible or disturbing. NOVELAN heat pumps are barely audible due to their innovative soundproofing and are a good choice even in densely built-up residential areas.
Advantages air/water heat pump
- The biggest advantage of the air/water heat pump is that no earthwork or drilling is required for its installation. This also means that they are cheaper to purchase.
- The installation of the air/water heat pump does not require any official permits.
- Air is the ideal source of energy for the heat pump because it is free, unlimited and can be easily tapped even at low temperatures.
- The air/water heat pump can be used for both, new buildings and renovation.
- The air/water heat pump scores with flexible installation options, because it can be installed both outdoors and indoors.
- Some units can also be used as environmentally friendly air conditioners in the summer by reversing the heat pump's cycle.
