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Air Source Heat Pumps

Air Source Heat Pumps are becoming an increasingly popular choice for home heating. They can be installed in new homes and just as easily retrofitted into renovation projects. But what makes air source heat pump such a viable heating alternative, and how do they work? Quite simply, the air source heat pump has a motor powered by electricity that supplies more energy than it consumes. For every kw unit of energy purchased as electricity, around 3.75 units of heat are delivered.

Heating System

Air from the outside.

The unit itself works on pressurising refrigerant to create a heat output. Imagine a refrigerator but working backwards. Air source heat pumps use electricity to power a compressor, which forces gaseous refrigerant through small holes to create heat. This heat is transferred to your heating system, and it's this cycle which make air source heat pumps so efficient.

We recommend air source heat pumps as a viable alternative to ground source heat pumps. Air source heat pumps do not require any land or ground works so are considerably cheaper to install. They are around 15% less efficient than the ground source heat pump alternative, but even with this taken into account the payback periods are extremely low.


CB Heating can integrate Air Source Heat Pumps with your new system by incorporating a Thermal Store as the centre point of the installation. The air source heat pump would directly heat the thermal store or buffer tank, with the heating and hot water being taken from that cylinder.

A backup heat energy is often needed for air source heat pump systems to work correctly. Because of the temperamental weather, the air source heat pump will need a backup heat source in extreme loading conditions. This backup heat can be provided by many different fuel types and renewable energies. We can design a system around your wants and requirements, giving a fully automated efficient heating system all year round.

With NIBE air source heat pump systems, we would usually see the use of backup electricity for the home heating at around 200kwh's per year; so an extremely low amount. It would usually be provided in the form of a 3-stage electric immersion heater.

Air Source Heat Pump Cost

The typical cost for an air source heat pump installation is £8,500. All systems we quote will come with a NIBE heat pump energy savings and running cost comparison sheet; which takes into account all variables to give an extremely accurate prediction on the eventual savings. Against an existing oil, LPG or electricity system, air source heat pumps have proven to have excellent payback periods, usually less than 6 years.