Heat pump myths part 1 – Separating the facts from hot air

We encounter a lot of misconceptions regarding heat pumps and, as the experts in renewable technology with more than 12 years’ experience, we are happy to dispel these many myths. Here’s part one in our series of Finn Geotherm myth busting blogs.

Myth 1: The collector loop for ground source will freeze my lawn

Correct answer: This has only been known to happen where too much ground loop is placed in too small an area. Slinky loops, which are laid via overlapping coils of pipes, can be prone to this problem – even generating permafrost (a thick sub-surface layer of soil that remains below freezing point) in the ground in which they are laid. However, a collector loop properly installed by experts such as Finn Geotherm will not have any effect on the ground in which it is laid. Loops are typically laid 1 – 1.2 metres deep in a series of individual parallel trenches, which are no closer than 1 metre apart. Once the soil has settled after installation, the ground can return to its former use as a lawn, paddock etc. The loop will not stop or impede any plants from growing in the soil and visually, you shouldn’t be able to tell anything has been installed there. The only thing it might affect is moles – we’ve heard that a collector loop can deter them from making molehills!

Myth 2: Ground source heat pumps only work with underfloor heating

Correct answer: As ground source heat pumps deliver low level, steady state heating, they are ideally suited to underfloor heating. However, correctly sized radiators are also perfectly effective when used with heat pumps.

Myth 3: I will need to replace all my radiators

Correct answer: Heat pumps operate at a lower temperature than conventional combustion boilers so the size of some of your radiators may need to be increased in order to meet the output temperature required in each room. However, as part of your survey, we would always check the size of your existing radiators against the required heat output and keep all that are adequate. We are typically able to retain at least half of the radiators already installed. Some customers choose to replace old radiators anyway as part of their heating renovation project.

Read our myth busters 2 and myth busters 3 blogs.

See our FAQs page for more common questions or contact us.

25th April 2019