What you need to know before upgrading your heating system to a heat pump
As the focus on energy efficiency and sustainability continues to grow, many homeowners are exploring heat pumps as a future-proof and environmentally friendly way to heat their homes. Heat pumps, like the Grant Aerona R290, offer highly efficient heating, lower running costs and long-term warmth and comfort – all while reducing carbon emissions.
However, before making the switch to a heat pump, it’s important to consider key factors such as costs, installation and most importantly whether your home is ‘heat pump ready’.
How Heat Pumps Work
An air source heat pump is a low carbon heating system that transfers heat from the air outside, rather than generating it. This captured heat is then circulated through your home via underfloor heating, or radiators.
Unlike traditional heating systems which burn fossil fuels to generate heat, heat pumps use electricity to operate, making them a greener alternative that can be fully renewable if powered by green electricity. For new build homes, installing a heat pump can also help you achieve compliance, under Part L of the building regulations.
Ensuring Your Home is Heat Pump Ready
Whether for a new build or deep retrofit project ensuring your home is ‘heat pump ready’ is essential. New homes usually meet this standard, but existing homes may need extra insulation – especially in attics, walls, windows and doors – to minimise heat loss.
To ensure maximum efficiency, your heat pump must be correctly sized and specified, and work effectively alongside supporting technologies including radiators, underfloor heating and a suitable hot water cylinder.
Grant offers a free home professional heating design service, which provides homeowners with a fully Integrated Heating System which features Grant heating technologies that have been designed to work seamlessly together. You can avail of this service by sending house plans to [email protected]
Smart Controls and Peace of Mind
The Grant Aerona R290 heat pump comes with an Aerona Smart Controller, allowing users to control their heating system and create personalised heating schedules to suit their lifestyle. It also enables the heating system to be remotely managed and operated by your installer or Grant technical specialists, offering added reassurance. In addition to strong sustainability and performance credentials, heat pumps can significantly improve your home heating experience, once your home is prepared to support them efficiently.
A Future-Ready Alternative
If you are not yet ready to switch to a heat pump and are one of the thousands of Irish homeowners who use oil for heating, a high-efficiency condensing boiler that is HVO biofuel compatible is a low-carbon, future-proof option. Using HVO in place of kerosene can immediately reduce carbon emissions by up to 88%. All Grant Vortex condensing boilers can run on HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil) – a renewable fuel that is made from used cooking oils and other sustainably sourced materials. Choosing an HVO biofuel compatible boiler is both effective and sustainable. Older Grant boilers can also be adapted for HVO use with a minor modification carried out by a qualified serviced engineer.
Visit www.grant.ie for more information on Grant’s range of innovative heating solutions. Follow Grant on Facebook and X @GrantIRL, Instagram @grant_irl and LinkedIn @GrantEngineeringULC. You can also follow Grant on YouTube @GrantEngineeringIE
