9th May 2023

All you need to know about Air Source Heat Pump

“Pump” is a really common equipment in the world. We all know that if you want to increase the water pressure, we can use a water pump.  

But what is an air source heat pump (ASHP)? A pump only for heating? Most of you may not really know. And here we at Harnitek will help you get the most important info about it. 

1. What is an “air source heat pump”?

ASHP does not produce heat itself, but is a heat porter. Its main working process is to absorb heat from the surrounding air, and transfer the absorbed heat to the medium through the cooperation of compressors, heat exchangers and other components, so as to achieve the purpose of heating.

2. Can air source heat pumps only be used for heating?

The air source heat pump is actually not limited to heating. It also has the cooling function like a traditional air conditioner, and includes the function of domestic hot water, too.

3. What principle does the ASHP use to work?

The professional theory is called “Reverse Carnot Principle”. The air source heat pump unit stores a certain amount of refrigerant inside. Its temperature in the liquid state is lower than -20°C. Due to the huge temperature difference, refrigerant can be released from the external environment when it is vaporized. A large amount of heat is absorbed in the medium, and the function of the heat pump unit is to raise the temperature of the refrigerant, and then through the heat exchange plate, the interceptor and other devices, the refrigerant will release a large amount of heat from the gaseous state to the liquid state, and the heat can heat the water in the water tank to achieve heating Effect.

4. What are the advantages of ASHP compared to other heating methods?

The main advantages of air source heat pump are energy saving, environmental protection, safety, separation of water and electricity, and no waste gas or waste water will be generated during operation. Under normal circumstances, the average cost of heating water with a air source heat pump is only It needs 1/4 of the electric water heater and 1/2 of the gas water heater, so now many high-end hotels have begun to refit the air source heat pump to provide 24-hour hot water for the hotel, or provide constant temperature guarantee for the hotel’s swimming pool.

5. Everyone says that the air source heat pump is energy-saving, so how much electricity does it need to heat a ton of water?

Normally the air source heat pump’s  COP (Energy Efficiency Ratio) is generally around 3 in the market, that is, it can transfer 300% of heat energy from the air by consuming one electricity. As for we Harnitek, for example, the COP of a 6KW air source heat pump can reach 4.61. We uniformly calculate by heating one ton of water from 0°C to 40°C. Air source heat pumps generally consume 9-15 degrees of electricity, while ordinary electric water heaters generally consume 52 degrees or more of electricity. For such a comparison, you will have a clearer understanding of the energy saving of air souce heat pumps.

This is because the ASHP does not directly use the electric heating tube to heat water to heat water. The electricity is only used to drive the compressor to do the work. The real heat comes from the inexhaustible air, so its thermal efficiency is higher than that of the traditional water heater. For an ordinary water heater, if the COP can reach 0.7, it is considered an excellent product.

6. The outside temperature is super low in winter, there is no heat at all, how does the ASHP work?

Many people think that the outside is too cold to get heat energy in the winter. This is the wrong inertial thinking. Cold and hot are just subjective feelings of people. In fact, cold does not mean that there is no heat.

For example, the freezing point of salt water is lower than that of pure water. When the external temperature drops below 0°C, the salt water will gradually freeze. During the freezing process, the heat stored in the salt water is continuously dissipated and absorbed by the air. This is a heat conduction process. Is the freezing salt water cold? In terms of human feelings, it is icy cold, but can it be said that there is no heat in salt water? Obviously not.

In addition, the absolute zero in the universe is -273.15°C, and only at this time can it be said that there is no heat at all.

Therefore, there is heat in the outside air in winter, and the air source heat pump can naturally continue to use the heat energy in the air to provide users with heating or domestic hot water.