How Water Source Heat Pumps Work

Water stores an enormous amount of solar energy which can be extracted at very high levels of energy efficiency by using a heat pump. Underground water sources are typically a constant 7-12 degrees C throughout the year.

The beauty of heat pumps is that they are extremely efficient, require very little maintenance and have a life expectancy of at least 20 years. Water source heat pumps are quiet, maintenance needs and costs are negligible and there are no visible external units.

Water source heat pumps can be installed in existing properties, and are recommended for new builds and larger homes or business/community use premises.

There Are Two Main Types of Water Source Heat Pump Systems:

Open Loop:

Uses ground water from an aquifer or well.

In an open loop system water from the aquifer/well is extracted and it is fed directly into the heat pump where the energy raised through compression is extracted as heat. This increased heat is transferred by the heat exchanger to your property's heating/hot water system where it is readily available for use. A key consideration is you may need environment agency consent to extract and discharge water from these sources.

Closed Loop:

Uses water/food-grade anti-freeze mixture in a closed loop to extract energy/heat from the water source eg a lake.

Pipes are laid in the lake. The pipes are filled with a special mix of water and food-grade anti-freeze, which is the heat transport fluid. The fluid extracts heat from water and releases it into your heat pump. The fluid is compressed which increases the temperature of it further and via the heat exchanger this makes it available for you to use in your property as space heating or hot water.

The pressure of the fluid is then lowered via an expansion valve and the process starts again.

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