ᐅ Experiences with Air-to-Air Heat Pumps?

Created on: 23 Jan 2017 09:04
L
laurooon
Hello everyone,

Since we are interested in building with Weberhaus, we are currently looking into different heating technologies. Weberhaus offers all houses with an air-to-air heat pump as standard directly from the factory. This is their standard system and is already included in the price. Weberhaus calls this the so-called "comfort heating technology."

What bothers me about this is that it is basically an electric heating system. The heat pump electrically heats the water and also the rooms via air ducts. These air ducts also have heating wires that can be activated if the recovered heat is not sufficient.

I wonder if this is the right technology for us. Here are some disadvantages that come to mind without having experienced the air-to-air heat pump in winter:

1. Air is a poor heat carrier. It cools down too quickly and hardly stores any heat energy. Water is better in this regard.

2. I imagine the air being very dry in winter?

3. Because of the air movement, I imagine there could be increased dust buildup despite filters?

4. The system seems to rely on, or even require, that I do not ventilate myself but leave it to the system? However, occasional airing out (through shock ventilation) is a comfort factor for me (bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, etc.).

5. Electricity prices have only risen over the years (which makes no sense, since we have enough electricity). If electric vehicles become widespread and the government raises electricity taxes similar to fuel taxes, that could be the end of electric heating.

6. Thinking about people who relied on storage heaters in the 70s and now cannot sell their homes, I get uneasy about electric heating...

7. Retrofitting the heating system later, for example to gas or water-based heating, seems likely to be very expensive since everything would need to be gutted.

8. The air outlet vents somewhat spoil the walls for me. Especially with patterned tile wallpaper, I imagine this looks unattractive.

The clear advantage is the price! It seems to be excellent. No other heating technology is available so cheaply.

What else comes to your mind? Do you have any suggestions for me? Of course, I am also interested in experiences from owners of such heating systems.

Good luck
laurooon
S
Stockheim
25 Jan 2017 10:09
What about an air-to-water heat pump for indoor installation?
laurooon25 Jan 2017 10:14
Is the question directed at me? I don't know the answer. Do you mean that the "fan" is located inside the house? Is that possible? Wouldn't that make the noise problem worse for me personally?
S
Stockheim
25 Jan 2017 10:17
There are devices where the heat pump is installed entirely inside the utility room. Unfortunately, I don’t know how loud they are for the residents.
laurooon25 Jan 2017 10:48
Okay, I can look into that now. Thanks!
H
HERR_bau
25 Jan 2017 16:18
Yes, they do exist. They are called compact systems.
As I mentioned in previous posts, I have been considering exactly the same points and eventually decided on a KfW 40+ house with an air-to-water heat pump as a compact system. This means it has no outdoor unit and therefore cannot freeze... According to my information, this is only possible for living areas up to 150–160 m² (1600–1700 sq ft).

Regarding the noise, it is supposedly minimal; we will see if this holds true in practice. House construction is scheduled for mid to late this year...
laurooon26 Jan 2017 06:48
Can anyone share their actual figures? I’m interested in your type of heating system and your annual consumption. Of course, also in combination with the type of house you built and its size in square meters.