Who
are Calorex?
Calorex
heat pumps are the UK 's leading manufacturer
of heat pump technology with an unrivalled international
reputation over 30 years for product design
and development to the highest technical and
engineering standards.
Our
reputation has evolved form the intrinsic reliability
and quality of our products which continue to
be specified in many specialist design and build
applications around the world.
Where
are Calorex based?
We
are a UK manufacturer and from our head office
in Maldon, Essex we have manufactured over 250,000
heat pumps to date. Our continued investment
in research and development now sees us introduce
a brand new range of domestic ground and air
source heat pumps for specific use in the UK
housing marke.
What
is a heat pump and how do they work?
A
heat pump is an electrically powered appliance
which utilises compressor and refrigeration
technology to transfer heat from one place to
another. Similar to your refrigerator which
transfers heat from inside the appliance to
the outside, Calorex heat pumps transfer heat
from outside your home to the inside.
Calorex
heat pumps can transfer heat from either the
ground or air adjacent to your property and
upgrade the temperature so you can use the heat
in your home.
Can
the heat pump supply my domestic hot water and
my space heating?
Yes
it can. Calorex dual temperature heat pumps
are unique in that they can supply all of your
domestic hot water at 65°C directly
from the heat pump itself and all of your heating
requirements at temperatures up to 55°C.
Calorex
heat pumps do not require the use of resistance
heaters to raise temperatures to 65°C and are therefore much more efficient and
economical than other products which are available.
Most imported heat pumps can only supply temperatures
up to 55°C from their circuitry and
use electrical resistance heaters to upgrade
the temperature to 65°C for domestic
hot water storage. This method dramatically
reduces efficiency and increases running costs.
How
does a ground source heat pump collect its energy?
Ground
source heat pumps work on the principle of extracting
low grade solar energy which is stored in infinite
amounts in the ground around us and then upgrading
this energy into useable high grade heat for
use in your home. This is achieved by placing
a heat exchanger (ground collector) made of
special grade pipe into the ground next to your
property and simply allowing it to absorb the
freely available stored solar energy from the
immediate area around it. The heat pump circulates
water (with a small amount of anti freeze) through
the ground collector. The water absorbs energy
and then passes it to the heat pump where the
energy is enhanced and transferred for use in
your home.
Where
does the stored energy come from and how deep
is it?
The
earth has the natural ability to absorb and
store heat from the sun as well as heat from
within the earth. In the UK , just a few feet
below ground there is an average o temperature
between 8°C and 12°C. This
trapped energy is a vast reserve of low grade
heat just waiting to be released and used.
How
do air source heat pumps work?
Calorex
air source heat pumps can be one of the most
cost effective methods of realising a renewable
energy source as free energy is always available
in the atmosphere and there is no necessity
for disruptive and sometimes expensive ground
collector installations as with ground source
systems.
The
principle is exactly the same as with a ground
source heat pump but instead of tapping into
stored thermal energy in the ground, air source
heat pumps take freely available energy directly
from the atmospheric air which surrounds your
home.
Even
though air temperatures vary at different times
of year there is always a vast amount of thermal
energy available for use in the UK .
Calorex
air source heat pumps will operate even when
the outside air temperature is minus 15°C!
Is
this thermal energy in the ground and air really
free?
Yes.
It is free, untaxed and yours to use. It is
always available, renewable and truly sustainable.
You pay only for extracting the heat which is
the electrical running cost of your heat pump.
How
efficient are heat pump installations?
Calorex
heat pumps are designed specifically for use
in UK climatic conditions and UK type properties
and are very energy efficient. Provided that
due care is taken matching up the heat pump
and space heating system with the thermal characteristics
of your property, every kilowatt of energy used
to run the heat pump will deliver three to four
kilowatts of heat into your home. This equates
to rated efficiencies of between 300% and 400%
A
gas boiler is about 85% efficient!
Can
I use a standard 240v electrical supply?
Yes.
All Calorex domestic ground and air source heat
pumps are designed to run on standard UK single
phase 240v supply.
All
of the heat pumps manufactured by Calorex operate
with exceptionally low staring currents.
How
large are the heat pumps?
Unlike
many imported products that are available, Calorex
heat pumps have been designed to have an extremely
small installation footprint, optimising valuable
living space in and around your home.
Is
installation difficult?
No.
Installation is simple and uncomplicated. Calorex
heat pumps are supplied with clear installation
and operating instructions and are straightforward
to install and connect to your home heating
system.
Are
Calorex heat pumps environmentally friendly?
Yes,
absolutely. With almost 30% of the UK carbon
emissions coming from 24 million dwellings in
the UK , there are many opportunities to install
heat pumps and reduce these emissions. Calorex
heat pumps will reduce carbon emissions from
your space and hot water heating by at least
50% versus gas and even more when compared to
oil, LPG and electric heating. The electrical
supply used to power your heat pump may well
generate some emissions at source (power station)
but most electricity suppliers now offer green
electricity from renewable generation sources.
If you use this type of renewable power supply,
your property will be completely heated and
yet produce ZERO carbon emissions!
Are
heat pumps safe and what about servicing?
Heat
pumps are completely safe and a tried and tested
technology. There are no hazardous gas emissions,
no flammable oil, LPG or gas pipes, no unsightly
fuel storage and no flues or chimneys with heat
pump installations? There is no need for regular
servicing or expensive annual safety checks
but we do have a national network of skilled
service engineers just in case you need some
after sales support.
How
do running costs compare with conventional energy
sources?
In
a modern, well insulated property a Calorex
heat pump system offers industry best efficiencies
and low running costs. The very best of modern
condensing gas boilers may only be a little
more expensive to run but with ever increasing
gas prices, regular servicing and maintenance,
the costs soon add up so remember to add these
into your financial calculations when comparing
costs. An oil boiler or LPG system will cost
considerably more to run and electric heating
can be as much as three times more expensive!
Where
do I get more information including pricing?
Simply
contact our sales desk on 01621 856611 or email
us on domestic.heating@calorex.com
and we will ensure you get all the
information you need.
