A heat pump is a type of “transport device” that transfers thermal energy from one location to another.
Heat pumps typically work like a refrigerator, in other words, the same technology is applied but the function is reversed. Heat pumps extract heat from a cold environment which can then be used for Heating and Hot Water preparation.
They extract stored solar heat from the environment – either the air (e.g. outside air) or ground, water (e.g. ground water)– and transfers this, along with the operating energy (electrical energy), in the form of heat to the heating and hot water system.
Heat cannot transfer from a cold body to a warm body on its own. Rather, it flows from a body with a higher temperature to a body with a lower temperature (Second Law of Thermodynamics). For this reason, the heat pump must raise the temperature of the thermal energy extracted from the environment using electrical energy to a level suitable for heating and DHW preparation.
It is important to first understand that if we boil a substance it is changing state from a liquid to a gas / vapour, and in that process it will absorb thermal energy. If we condense a gas / vapour back into a liquid, thermal energy is released in that process.
Inside a heat pump we use a substance called a refrigerant. We can change the boiling point of that refrigerant by changing its pressure. If we compress that refrigerant, we raise its boiling point and if we expand the refrigerant to a lower pressure, we reduce the boiling point of that refrigerant. By lowering the boiling point of the refrigerant, we can make that refrigerant boil at low temperatures. When refrigerant is being boiled, it is converted from a liquid to a gas and in that process, it will absorb thermal energy.
If we then raise the pressure of that refrigerant, by passing it through a compressor, we will raise the boiling point of that refrigerant. Refrigerant in a high pressure gas state will then be able to condense back into a liquid at a higher temperature. In the process of that state change from gas to liquid, thermal energy is released.
The animation below shows the refrigeration cycle, in this example extracting thermal energy from the ground, but the same principles apply to extracting heat from the air or from a body of water. This example uses brine (water + antifreeze) pumped underground (Point 1) absorbing the thermal energy of the ground into the brine solutuon.
This is then pumped to a heat exchanger called an evaporator (Point 2). A heat exchanger allows water to pass one side of it, and refrigerant the other side, without the two mixing together, only allowing thermal energy to pass across. The thermal energy in the brine is able to boil the refrigerant held in the Evaporator, even at low temperatures such as 2C.
The boiled refrigerant, now in a gas / vapour state, is then compressed by the compressor (Point 3) which raises the refrigerant boiling point. That high pressure gas is then sent through another heat exchanger, this time called the Condenser (Point 4).
The job of the Condenser is to allow that refrigerant in a gas state to condense back into a liquid and in the process, release thermal energy across the heat exchanger into the water flowing around it. That water is then circulated around the home to radiators or a hot water cylinder (Point 5).
The refrigerant inside the Condenser (point 4) which is now a liquid, is then sent to the Expansion Valve (Point 6). The job of the Expansion valve is to pass a small controlled amount of high pressure liquid refrigerant through a tiny hole and in the process lowering the pressure of the liquid refrigerant on the other side of the Expansion Valve. This is similar to when an aerosol can is used, the propellant is expelled through a tiny hole. Now the refrigerant is able to pass back through to the Evaporator (Point 2) and the Refrigeration Cycle repeats itself.
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Applicable to models:
System S, System S6, System S10, LIA 0608HWCF MS , LIA 0911HWCF MS, System H, HTi8 170 MS, HTi6 170 MS, A6M, A8M, A12M, A16M, A6MX, A8MX, LA6MI, LA9MI, LA12MI, LA16MI, EDL170-520RF, EDL200UK-630RF, EDL270UK-630RF, EDL200UK-630, EDL270UK-630, LI 2M, LI 8AS, LI 8ASL, LI 8AS SAL, LI 8MS, LI 8MSR, LI 9AS, LI 9ASH, LI 9AS SAL, LI 9TE, LI 9TEL, LI 9TES, LI 9TU, LI 11AS, LI 11ASH, LI 11ASR, LI 11AS SAL, LI 11ME, LI 11MER, LI 11MS, LI 11MSR, LI 11TE, LI 11TEL, LI 11TER+, LI 11TES, LI 12TU, LI 15TE, LI 16AS, LI 16ASH, LI 16ASR, LI 16AS SAL, LI 16TE, LI 16TEL, LI 16TER+, LI 16TES, LI 20AS, LI 20AS SAL, LI 20TE, LI 20TEL, LI 20TES, LI 22HS, LI 24AS, LI 24AS SAL, LI 24TE, LI 24TEL, LI 24TES, LI 26HS, LI 28AS, LI 28AS SAL, LI 28TE, LI 28TEL, LI 28TES, LI 40AS, LIH 10TE, LIH 22TE, LIH 26TE, LIK 8ME, LIK 8MER, LIK 8TE, LIK 8TEL, LIK 8TES, LIK 12TU, LIKI 14TE, LA 6MR, LA 6S-TU, LA 6S-TUR, LA 6TU, LA 8AS, LA 8MR, LA 8PMS, LA 9K, LA 9PS, LA 9S-TU, LA 9S-TUR, LA 9TU, LA 10MR, LA 11AS, LA 11ASR, LA 11K, LA 11MAS, LA 11MS, LA 11MSR, LA 11PS, LA 11TAS, LA 12PS, LA 12S-TU, LA 12S-TUR, LA 12TR, LA 12TU, LA 13K, LA 14PMS, LA 15K, LA 16AS, LA 16ASR, LA 16MAS, LA 16MS, LA 16TAS, LA 16TR, LA 17PS, LA 17TU, LA 18I-MU, LA 18PS, LA 18S-TU, LA 18S-TUR, LA 20AS, LA 22HS, LA 22PS, LA 22TBS, LA 24AS, LA 25TU, LA 25TU-2, LA 26HS, LA 26PS, LA 28AS, LA 28TBS, LA 33TBS, LA 35TUR+, LA 40AS, LA 40TU, LA 40TU-2, LA 60TU, LA 60TU-2, LA 60TUR+, LA60STU, LA60STUR, LAC 12TR, LAC 16TR, LAJ 11MUR, LAJ 16MUR, LAJ 60TUR+, LAK 10M, LAK 10MR, System M, LAK 3IMR, LAK 6IMR, LAK 9IMR, LAK 14IMR, LAK 14ITR, LAW 6IMR, LAW 9IMR, LAW 14IMR, LAW 14ITR, LIA 7IM, LIA 9IM, LIA 12IM, LIA 14IM, LIA 16IM,LSA60TUR,LSA60TPR,LSA60TPR2,LSA100TUR, SI 5BS, SI 5CS, SI 5ME, SI 5MER, SI 5MS, SI 5MSR, SI 5TE, SI 5US, SI 5USR, SI 6TU, SI 7BS, SI 7CS, SI 7KS, SI 7ME, SI 7MER, SI 7MS, SI 7MSR, SI 7TE, SI 7US, SI 7USR, SI 8MR, SI 8TU, SI 9BS, SI 9CS, SI 9KS, SI 9ME, SI 9MER, SI 9MS, SI 9MSR, SI 9TE, SI 9US, SI 9USR, SI 10MER, SI 10MR, SI 11BS, SI 11CS, SI 11KMS, SI 11KS, SI 11ME, SI 11MER, SI 11MS, SI 11MSR, SI 11TE, SI 11TU, SI 11US, SI 11USR, SI 12TR, SI 14BS, SI 14CS, SI 14KS, SI 14ME, SI 14MS, SI 14TE, SI 14TR, SI 14TU, SI 14US, SI 14USR, SI 16KMS, SI 16TR, SI 17BS, SI 17CS, SI 17TE, SI 18TU, SI 20TR, SI 21CS, SI 21TE, SI 22TU, SI 24TE, SI 26TU, SI 30CS, SI 30TE, SI 30TER+, SI 35TU, SI 35TUR, SI 37TE, SI 40HS, SI 50TE, SI 50TU, SI 50TUR, SI 50ZS, SI 70CS, SI 70TUR, SI 75TE, SI 75TER+, SI 75TU, SI 75ZS, SI 75ZSR, SI 90TU, SI 100TE, SI 100ZS, SI 130TE, SI 130TU, SI 130TUR+, SI 130ZS, SIH 6ME, SIH 6TE, SIH 9ME, SIH 9TE, SIH 11ME, SIH 11TE, SIH 20TE, SIH 40TE, SIH 90TU, SIHJ 90TU, SIJ 10MER, SIJ 75TER+, SIJ 130TUR+, SIK 6TES, SIK 7TE, SIK 7TE-2, SIK 8TES, SIK 9TE, SIK 9TE-2, SIK 11ME, SIK 11TE, SIK 11TE-2, SIK 11TES, SIK 14TE, SIK 14TE-2, SIK 14TES, SIK 16ME, SIKH 6TE, SIKH 9ME, SIKH 9TE, SIW 6MU, SIW 6TES, SIW 6TU, SIW 8MU, SIW 8TES, SIW 8TU , SIW 11MU, SIW 11TES, SIW 11TU, WI 9CS, WI 9ME, WI 9TE, WI 10TU, WI 14CS, WI 14ME, WI 14TE, WI 14TU, WI 18CS, WI 18TE, WI 18TU, WI 22CS, WI 22TE, WI 22TU, WI 27CS, WI 27TE, WI 35TU, WI 40CS, WI 45TU, WI 50TU, WI 65TU, WI 90CS, WI 95TU, WI 100TU, WI 120TU, WI 140TUR+, WI 180TU, WIH 120TU, AWP 30HLW, AWP 300 LW, BWP 20A, BWP 30H, BWP 30HLW, BWP 30HM, BWP 30HMW, BWP 30HS, BWP 30HSD, BWP 300, BWP 300LW, BWP 300M, BWP 301L, DHW 300, DHW 300+, DHW 300D, DHW 300D+, DHW 300VD+, DHW 400+, HPWH 300, HPWH 300HE, LBW 300, LBW 300LW, CEHK 25, CEHK 45, CEHK 60, CEHK 75, DDV 25, DDV 32, DDV 40, DDV 50, DFS LAK9, DFS LAK14, FLH 60, HPK 200S, HVL 25-50, HVL 25-75, HVL 25-100, HVL 25-150, HVL 32-150, HVL 32-200, HVL 32-250, KPV 25, MMB 25, MMB 32, MMH 25, MMH 32, MMH 50, PKS 14, PKS 14 Econ, PKS 25, PKS 25 Econ, SMF 25, SMF 32, SMF 40, SMF 50, SVT 200, SVT 200KV, SVT 300, SVT 300KV, SVT 400, SVT 400KV, SWPR 500, SZB 40F-18, SZB 40G-18, SZB 65F-25, SZB 65F-35, SZB 65F-50, SZB 80F-50, SZB 140E, SZB 180E, SZB 220E, SZB 250, SZB 300, SZB 400, SZB 500, SZB 680, SZB 690, SZB 700, SZB 710, SZB 720, SZB 730, SZB 750, SZB 1000, SZB 1300, UP 75-25PK, UP 75-32PK, UPE 60, UPE 70-25, UPE 70-25PK, UPE 70-32, UPE 70-32PK, UPE 80-25, UPE 80-32, UPE 100-25K, UPE 100-32K, UPE 120-32, UPE 120-32K, UPH 60-25, UPH 60-32, UPH 70-25P, UPH 80-25P, UPH 90-25, UPH 90-32, UPH 100-25P, UPH 100-25V, UPH 100-32P, UPH 100-32V, VSH LAK9, VSH LAK14, VSW LAK, VTB 25, VTB 25-2, VTB 25-3, VTB 32, VWU 32E, VWU 40E, VWU 50E, VWU 65, VWU 80, WMZ 25, WMZ 32, WWM 25, WWM 32, WWM 50, ZKP 40F-18, ZKP 40G-18, ZKP 65F-25, ZKP 80F-25, LKB 500, LKB 600A, LKB 700A, LKB 800A, LKB 900, LKL 500A, LKL 600A, LKL 700A, LKL 800A, LKL 900A, LUS 11, LUS 16, CWWSP 308 SOL, CWWSP 411 SOL, HPK 300, HWK 230Econ5S, HWK 332 , HWK 332Econ, HWK 332Econ-E, HWK 332Econ5P, HWK 332Econ5S, PSP 50E, PSP 100E, PSP 100K, PSP 120E, PSP 140E, PSP 300E, PSP 890, PSW 100, PSW 200, PSW 500, PSW 1000, PSW 1000 SOL, PWD 750, PWD 900, PWD 1250, PWS 332, PWS 650, WWSP 229, WWSP 229E, WWSP 332, WWSP 335, WWSP 400K, WWSP 442, WWSP 442E, WWSP 540 SOL, WWSP 556, WWSP 770, WWSP 880, WWSP 885S, WWSP 900, CTHK 630, CTHK 631, CTHK 632, CTHK 633, CTHK 634, CTHK 635, CTHK 636, FLH 25M, FLH 90, FLHU 70, WPM 2006plus (H), WPM 2006plus (L), WPM 2006R, WPM ACU, WPM Basetec, WPM Econ5, WPM Econ5Plus, WPM Econ5S, WPM EconPlus, WPM EconPlus-E, WPM Econ SOL, WPMJ ACU, WPMJ EconPlus, WPMJ EconPlus-MD, WPM PK
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