Boiler vs. Heat Pump
With the growing popularity of renewable energy sources, the use of non-traditional heating systems has also shown an increasing interest for homeowners. The reasoning behind the current increase in popularity of heat pumps, solar panels, and boilers depends on cost-effectiveness. Even some would like to assume that some heating systems are better than others. So, what’s the better choice? In the article below, McQuillan Bros, a St. Paul plumbing and heating company, shares the differences between boilers vs. heat pumps in your Twin City home.
Boilers
Boilers are commonly found in older homes. You can think of a boiler as a sealed chamber that is heated to a particular temperature. Combined, this is used to produce heat and provide hot water. If you are searching for a boiler, you may want to consider the following technical criteria that will help the customer compare the boilers easily and pick the one that best suits his/her needs and budget.
Boiler Pump Features to Consider:
- The performance of the power (rated power)
- The rate of efficiency (COP)
- Form of coolant to be used
- The working temperature of the coolant
- The operating pressure of the coolant
- Hydraulic Power
- We will not avoid explaining each of the technical criteria as it does not serve the intent of this blog post, but we invite you to take a close look at the sections on boilers and other renewable energy technologies on our website.
Types of Boilers
- Boilers for Biomass
- Wood Pellet Boiler
- Boiler condensation
- Combi Boiler
- Electrical boilers
- Carbon (Conventional) Boiler
- Thermal pumps
The heat pump is a more complicated system compared to the boiler, but the main purpose behind the operation of the pump is more or less the same. The function of the heat pump is based on the absorption and transfer of thermal energy (high to low).
Most heat pumps use a liquid refrigerant as a coolant, which is pumped through underground pipes or through an external ventilator cover tube. This absorbs air or underground heat, which is later passed through a compressor, then further heated.
Heat Pump Features to Consider:
- Initial installation cost
- The refrigerant pump
- The size of the pump (BTU-British Thermal Unit)
- Functional characteristics of the pump-SEER Rating (seasonal energy efficiency ratio) and HSPF Rating (heating seasonal performance factor)
- The warranty terms of the pump
Types of Heat Pumps
- Air Source Heat Pump
- Ground Source Heat Pump
- Water Source Heat Pump
- Air to Water Heat Pump