What to Watch for When Buying a Heat Pump

Choosing the right type of heat pump and the right supplier can be a challenging decision. Each dealer will try to convince you that their product is the best and that it is the one you should go for. In order to make your decision-making process easier, we have provided a series of general tips and guidelines that can help you make your choice.

Heat Pump Capacity Sizing

The correct sizing of your heat pump's capacity and the capacity of the primary heat source is extremely important. Although an undersized heat exchanger can significantly reduce the total installation cost (for example, it costs about CZK 1,000 per new meter of a bore hole), the real problems will crop up later as the owner realizes what they have paid for wasn't an efficient system but rather a very expensive electric boiler. Ground collectors that fail to provide a sufficient amount of heat cause the electric boiler to come on line at temperatures as low as 0 °C. This has an extremely negative impact on the operating economics of the system.

The Heat Factor of a Heat Pump and How It Affects Your Costs

ften, a dealer will claim that their heat pumps are the best because they have the highest heat factor. Before you jump to any conclusions, you should consider the following advice:

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  • Know what you're comparing! - Každý prodejce by vám měl doplnit informaci, under what type of conditions the product parameters that they are advertising have been measured. This is because the higher the temperature of the primary heat source and the lower the temperature of your home's heating system, the higher (and better) the heat factor.
  • The basic design of most heat pumps is the same. - Most heat pumps consist of two heat exchangers (a condenser and an evaporator), a storage and expansion tank, a compressor, equitherm controls, etc. Most manufacturers also use the same supplier for the most important part of the heat pump – the compressor – and yet, it is astounding by how much the advertised heat factor values can vary from product to product. The fact is – all of the products operate under the same laws of physics.
  • The importance of the heat factor of the heat pump itself is often overblown. - . What is much more important is the heat factor of the entire heating system during the heating season. Only a properly sized system and proper installation will give you the greatest levels of efficiency and cost savings.

Air-Water Heat Pump Noise Levels

One of the most important criteria in choosing the right type of air-water heat pump is the noise level of the exterior unit. This is especially important if your home is located in a more densely populated area. Many dealers will provide the noise level information for their exterior units without telling you about the conditions under which the values were measured. There is a big difference in measuring the noise level from a distance of 5 meters and from a distance of 20 meters. You should always ask for the noise level information to be provided as the sound pressure of the unit (measured in "dB(A)") and the distance at which this value was taken. For more information, visit this section of our website discussing the noise levels of MasterTherm CZ heat pumps.

Comparing Different Offers

The price of the heat pump itself doesn’t really tell you much, because often people receive a pricing proposal for a heat pump installation, which lacks domestic hot water heating or another important part of the system. These additions usually have to purchased and paid for at a later date.