Hard to heat Oxfordshire home welcomes Aerona³ heat pump & QR Cylinder

A large property in Oxford has updated its heating system, opting for a renewable solution featuring a Grant Aerona³ air source heat pump, a Quick Recovery hot water cylinder and underfloor heating laid throughout the home.

The Project
Property: four bedroom, detached property
Heat Source: air source heat pump 
Products installed: Grant Aerona³ 17kW air source heat pump and Grant Quick Recovery 300 litre hot water cylinder 

Why the homeowner chose a renewable heating solution

In December 2021, a four bedroom, detached Oxfordshire home made the decision to upgrade its central heating system. The property had previously been heated by an oil boiler and the homeowners, who are passionate about the environment, wanted to make the change from oil and choose a low carbon alternative. Like so many consumers nowadays, the homeowner wanted the new system to be more sustainable so they looked into a renewable heating solution.

Their G1 installers, Busy Energy Ltd, were on hand to provide the advice and guidance they needed to select the most suitable system for their requirements. “The property was your typical “hard to heat” home,” explains Adrian Liddell, Managing Director at Busy Energy Ltd. “The property had smaller pipework and radiators to suit a higher temperature fossil fueled system which meant it was not possible to simply disconnect the boiler and re-connect a heat pump with the upgraded cylinder.”

Adrian continues, “Also, the property is in a very rural, quiet location and the outside of the property is tastefully finished so the aesthetics had to match the property’s character as well as being designed to provide the correct comfort levels whilst remaining affordable to operate. The property where the Aerona³ heat pump is fitted has a large downstairs area then upstairs is similar to a large dormer where in effect most of the rooms are in the roof, so the correct insulation levels had to be installed ahead of the heat pump installation. A heat pump may not have been the obvious answer for this home but we were able to design a system that meant that an air source heat pump could be successfully installed to meet the household’s heating demand.”

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Products installed within the heating system

The system installed included an Aerona³ 17kW R32 air source heat pump which is the largest output available in Grant’s heat pump range. This 17kW model is a twin-fan unit that achieves excellent efficiencies while also being compact in design. Alongside the heat pump, Busy Energy Ltd also installed a Grant Quick Recovery 300 litre pre-plumbed cylinder which is ideally suited to complement the heat pump as it incorporates a large stainless internal coil which allows for efficient heat transfer within the cylinder. The Quick Recovery cylinders also have a high level of insulation which ensures low standing heat losses.

“We also installed solar PV as part of this installation,” continues Adrian. “The solar PV was installed with an 8.2kW battery store system which diverts power to the property or the heating as required and stores power for evening use. 900m of underfloor heating pipework was also fitted alongside new radiators throughout the upstairs of the property – this was all designed to MIS3005 standards.”

How to select the right heat pump for a hard to heat home? 

As this case study shows, installers should work closely with homeowners to ensure the correct selection of air source heat pump model is chosen to meet the heating demands of a property. For hard to heat homes (and other types of properties), the amount of heat escaping through the walls and roof will contribute to the size of heat pump that is needed – typically, homes with higher heat losses will require a larger air source heat pump model with a greater heating capacity. Where possible, heat loss should be minimised either through wall insulation, double or triple glazed windows or roof insulation. Please visit our Knowledge Hub Tips and Advice zone to learn more about the different sizes of heat pumps available and how to choose the right one for your home. 

Feedback on the installation

The installation of the new heating system was completed in February 2022. The Aerona³ heat pump is performing very well and the homeowner is incredibly pleased. “The heat pump is currently outperforming an oil boiler which is fitted in a neighbouring property which is also owned by our client,” concludes Adrian.

Learn more about package solutions

Hard to heat homes can be kept warm with sustainable heating systems provided the systems are correctly designed and sized. If you have an older home and you are wondering whether a low-carbon heating system, such as an air source heat pump, could be suitable for your property, please read through some of our useful resources and blogs here:

• Discover how to get your home heat pump ready
• Learn the truth about heat pumps by dispelling some common myths
• Read our 10 top questions to ask before buying a heat pump
• Explore Grant’s range of renewable heating products including air source heat pumps and hot water storage solutions.