Irish conditions are unique, to put it mildy. If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes and it’ll change. To meet these changes, you need a heating system capable of rapid response and adaptation. A Hitachi Yutaki heat pump from Greentherm is ideal for weathering Irelands weather. Greentherm supply both Air-To-Water and Geothermal heat pumps, as requested.

Can I heat my home with a Heat Pump alone?

We’ve completed many projects in homes where the sole source of heat is a single Hitachi Yutaki Heat Pump. These have continued to operate through the coldest of winters without complaint, providing both central heating and domestic hot water.  This requires an appropriatel designed central heating system, suited to heat-pump operation.

What temperatures can be achieved?

Hitachi Yutaki heat-pumps can supply water at up to 55°C. Under normal circumstances we design our systems to optimise heat-pump operating temperatures. Heat pump efficiency decreases as the output temperature increases. Our heating designs focus on achieving low operating temperatures for your heating system without sacrificing your comfort.

What’s the minimum air temperature a heat-pump can operate at?

Heat-pumps suppled by Greentherm are rated to operate at -20°C. This is comfortably within the margins of even the worst Irish winter.  Geothermal heatpumps are unaffected by air-temperatures as they extract ambient heat from the soil.

Do I need a Buffer Tank?

Greentherm always recommend installing a buffer tank alongside a new heat-pump. A well-sized buffer tank will act as a thermal ‘battery’, which can be charged up on night-rate electricity to a higher temperature, with heat being drawn off throughout the day, reducing the consumption of more expensive day rate electricity. It ensures that the heat pump performs better in extreme temperature conditions as air to water heat pumps do not have the same energy output in very cold temperatures, the ‘battery’ storage effect of the buffer tank allows the heat pump to keep up with the building heat demand.

A buffer tank will also ensure there is no disruption to your hot water supply when the heat-pump switches to a defrost cycle.

Finally, a buffer tank eliminates short-cycling of the heat pump compressor, reducing wear and tear and increasing the life time of the compressor. Heat-pumps are an ideal match for a Greentherm Tank-in-Tank system.

What is a defrost cycle on a heat-pump?

Air-to-Water heat-pumps by design tend to accumulate ice. This is a natural part of their function. Ice acts as an insulator, stopping the flow of atmospheric heat to the heat-pump. Therefore, the heat pump must switch to a defrost cycle to clear this ice. The heat pump effectively operates in reverse, drawing a small amount of heat from the buffer store to melt the ice. Geothermal systems do not require defrost cycling.

Can I retrofit a Heat Pump to my existing home?

Heat pumps operate at their best efficiency at lower temperatures and should ideally be paired with heating technologies that work at those temperatures. Conventional radiators require higher temperatures to give their best performance. Ideally, these would be replaced with low temperature radiators, with fan-coil radiators, or underfloor heating being an ideal companion. If conventional radiators are to be used, a bi-valent system with a backup boiler will likely give the best operating economics.

Can Heat Pumps be used with Underfloor Heating?

Heat Pumps and Underfloor Heating make ideal companions. Underfloor heating operates at lower temperature than conventional radiator heating systems, allowing the heat pump to operate in its most efficient regime. Greentherm supply both Heat Pumps, and Underfloor Heating Systems, and can advise on the installation of combined systems.

Why Should I go with Greentherm for Heat Pumps?

First and foremost, we at Greentherm are an Engineering company. Which means we don’t just supply generic one-size-fits-all products, we offer genuine solutions, tailored to meet your budget and your unique requirements. We will consult with you to discuss your needs, expectations and budget, and work with you to craft a solution that will fit all three.

Contact us for technical information, or to arrange a no-obligation consultation.

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