Heat pumps and Heritage buildings

Introduction

The Government views heat pumps (HP) as a silver bullet to decarbonisation and heating, and in many ways, they are correct to think this. However, although they can work in every building, there remains some things to consider before taking the plunge. 

Which heat pump and how do they work?

There are three types of heat pump that the market can provide, air source (ASHP), ground source (GSHP) and water source (WSHP). All function by passing a liquid called a refrigerant through a heat exchanger, capturing the liquid’s heat. The reason the liquid refrigerant heats up is because it has a very low boiling point, sometimes as low as -25 degrees centigrade (°C), and so when it passes through a heat source like air, the ground or water, it naturally heats up.