Heat pump still going strong after 40 years

Our friends at Lämpöässä in Finland shared this amazing story of a fully operational heat pump which was replaced after 40 years’ unfaltering service for Finnish sculptor Antti Maasalo.

Sculptor, Antti Maasalo, is famous for his light and kinetic motion works. He lives and works in Lehtimäki,South Ostrobothnia in Finland. Maasalo’s home, completed in July 1977, had a very early Geotherm ground source heat pump, which is an ancestor of the Lämpöässä units we know and love today. The heat pump was still fully operational after 40 years but in early 2017, Maasalo decided it was time for an upgrade.

Maasalo said:

“The old Geotherm heat pump is still in use, but according to expert advice, the new ones are more economical, as the heat pumps have undergone considerable technological development over the years. At that time, in July 1977, many of them went wildly doubting if so much heat came from the ground that it could heat the house. Today, the speeches have changed.”

Geotherm geothermal heat pumps were produced in South Ostrobothnia from the 1970s. Later, in 1983, the young men who manufactured and sold Geotherm systems founded the Lämpöässä heat pump plant in Lapua, which remains the Lämpöässä factory today.

The heat pump has required very little maintenance in the past 40 years, with the exception of a new compressor and topping up liquids. In 2013, a drum well 220m deep was introduced for a new collector loop.

Last year, Maasalo decided to upgrade his heat pump with a modern Lämpöässä Vmi system which is ideal for heating larger properties. The new system is working well, providing energy efficient heating and hot water from renewable sources.

Maasalo believes his house is Finland’s first multi-energy eco-house which also uses solar heat, wind turbines and a wood burner. He adds:

“Should we not think that what leaves a legacy for future generations, I’ve done a good job for my part.”