A hot water heat pump, also known as a domestic hot water heat pump, works independently of the heating system. It draws most of its energy from the air. This is usually the air in the boiler room or utility room. This is where the refrigerant circuit, which you can also find in a similar form in your refrigerator, comes into play. However, it works in the opposite direction. In the refrigerator, the circulating refrigerant transports the heat outside via several stations, while in the hot water heat pump it is transported inside the cylinder to heat the water. Important to know: Refrigerants evaporate at very low temperatures, so the energy of the ambient air is sufficient to bring it to boiling point. This happens in the first important component, the evaporator. The compressor then increases the pressure and therefore also the temperature of the refrigerant. In the next step, the hot refrigerant transfers the energy to the water tank via a heat exchanger and cools down in the process, becoming liquid again. The refrigerant is completely expanded by an expansion valve and the cycle starts all over again. You can find everything you need to know about the operating principle of the heat pump in a separate article.

A hot water heat pump is extremely flexible in terms of installation location and energy source. Boilers or electrical appliances such as tumble dryers or washing machines act as unwanted heating in the boiler room or utility room. Hot water heat pumps use this passive energy in the air to heat the hot water. In general, the warmer the ambient air, the more efficiently the heat pump works. There are two types of hot water heat pump:

CIRCULATING AIR HEAT PUMPS

Circulating air heat pumps draw in air directly from their installation room. They are particularly quiet and efficient, as the fan only has to cope with a low volume flow. Their compact design makes them an ideal choice for renovation projects.

DUCTED HEAT PUMPS

These heat pumps draw air from outside via connected air ducts. This gives you more flexibility in terms of placement, but additional duct connections must be taken into account. Ducted heat pumps can often also be connected to existing ventilation systems.

If you already use photovoltaics or solar thermal energy, your hot water heat pump can be perfectly integrated into these systems. The electricity generated in the photovoltaic system can be used directly to operate the heat pump, while the solar thermal system provides additional heat for the storage tank. This combination means that your solar systems work more efficiently and you also reduce the CO2 footprint of your hot water heating to a minimum.

Hot water heat pumps are a real option for providing and heating hot water in your home, as they have numerous advantages:

ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY AND ENERGY EFFICIENT

As hot water heat pumps do not use fossil fuels and instead largely use free, renewable ambient heat, they actively contribute to climate protection. If you compare the electricity required to operate the compressor with the heating energy generated, they achieve efficiencies of between 300 and 500 percent. No conventional boiler can achieve this. How efficiently domestic hot water heat pumps actually work depends on many factors such as the output of the selected model, the water temperature, the water consumption and the temperature at the installation site.

LOWER OPERATING COSTS

Using free ambient heat as an energy source significantly reduces your running costs for water heating. You can also save costs by combining it with a photovoltaic or solar thermal system.

EASY INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE

Hot water heat pumps have a compact design and require neither gas nor oil connections. This makes installation uncomplicated and flexible. Maintenance costs are also low.

DEHUMIDIFICATION AND MOLD PREVENTION

By operating a hot water heat pump, the room air is continuously dehumidified and cooled. This “side effect” prevents the formation of mold and creates a healthy indoor climate.

In contrast to hot water heat pumps, conventional heat pumps are designed as a complete system for heating and hot water preparation. They must therefore have a significantly higher output, which is reflected in higher costs for purchase and operation.

Hot water heat pumps, on the other hand, concentrate on their core competence - efficient and cost-effective hot water preparation. To ensure that there is enough hot water for the whole family, the hot water heat pump usually has a cylinder with a capacity of between 150 and 300 liters of water. By the way, every alpha innotec hot water heat pump has an integrated, programmable legionella function. It briefly heats the water in the cylinder to up to 65 degrees Celsius using an electric heating element.

For heat pumps, whether for domestic hot water or space heating, two key figures are crucial for assessing efficiency:

COEFFICIENT OF PERFORMANCE (COP)

The coefficient of performance (COP) indicates how much heat energy a heat pump can generate per kilowatt hour of electricity. For example, a COP of 4 means that the heat pump provides 4 kWh of heat with 1 kWh of electricity. The remaining 3 kWh come from the ambient heat.

ANNUAL COEFFICIENT OF PERFORMANCE

As factors such as the outside temperature and heat demand change over the course of the year, the efficiency of a heat pump also fluctuates. The seasonal performance factor takes these seasonal fluctuations into account and indicates the average efficiency across all operating states.

Generally speaking, the higher the coefficient of performance and seasonal performance factor, the more efficient and environmentally friendly your domestic hot water heat pump is. An efficient domestic hot water heat pump achieves an annual coefficient of performance (COP) of between three and four: it therefore generates three to four kilowatt hours of heat from one kilowatt hour of electricity, while the air takes care of the rest.

You don't want to replace your existing heating system just yet or are planning to renovate your home before installing a heat pump just in case? Then a hot water heat pump is a good interim solution to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels. You can replace old instantaneous water heaters and boilers or switch off your oil or gas heating completely in summer and let the domestic hot water heat pump provide the hot water. Installing a domestic hot water heat pump is generally very simple, as no gas connections or oil tanks are required. Our experienced specialist trade partners plan the installation and commissioning quickly and easily.

Hot water heat pumps are a pioneering technology for environmentally friendly and cost-effective water heating. They use renewable ambient heat, save fossil fuels and reduce your ecological footprint. And last but not least, investing in a hot water heat pump will save you money in the long term thanks to the low operating costs. But maybe instead of a hot water heat pump, a solution with an alpha innotec heat pump that can heat and warm water at the same time makes sense? Get started now and get detailed advice.