Air Source Heat Pump Installation
VAYU designed and installed a complete air source heat pump heating and hot water system at this property
The project included a Viessmann Vitocal 150-A Compact, providing both heating and domestic hot water, underfloor heating to the ground floor and new cast iron radiators to the first floor.
Due to the location of the property and the position of the outdoor unit, a crane was used to safely lift the heat pump into place.
This was a project where the heating system had to be designed around the property rather than simply replacing the existing boiler.
Project Details
Location: Copley, Halifax
System: Viessmann Vitocal 150-A Compact
Heat pump size: 16kW
Heat loss: Approx. 11kW
Hot water: Viessmann indoor unit
Design flow temperature: 45°C
Monitoring: OpenEnergyMonitor
Project value: £36,000
BUS grant: £9,000
Cost to customer: £27,000
The Brief
The aim was to create a complete low-temperature heating system that would provide efficient heating and hot water while working with the character and layout of the property.
Rather than trying to make the existing heating system work with a heat pump, we looked at the property as a whole and designed the emitters and heat pump system together.
The ground floor was to be heated using underfloor heating, while the first floor would use new cast-iron radiators.
This allowed the heating system to be designed around the required heat output of each area and the lower flow temperatures associated with heat pump operation.
Ground Floor Underfloor Heating
The ground floor presented an opportunity to introduce underfloor heating as part of the heat pump installation.
In the kitchen, the solid floor couldn’t be raised so we carried out milling work to the existing kitchen floor to accommodate the underfloor heating pipework
This provided a practical way of introducing underfloor heating while keeping the floor build-up to a minimum.
The result is a large, low-temperature heating surface that works particularly well with an air source heat pump.
First Floor Cast-Iron Radiators
The first floor was designed around new cast-iron radiators.
Radiator sizing is particularly important when installing a heat pump, as the system operates at lower temperatures than a traditional boiler.
The new radiators were selected to provide the required heat output at the design flow temperature, allowing the heat pump to operate efficiently while maintaining comfort throughout the property.
Viessmann Vitocal 150-A Compact
At the heart of the system is a Viessmann Vitocal 150-A Compact.
The unit provides both space heating and domestic hot water from a single integrated system.
The system was designed around the calculated heat demand of the property, rather than simply matching the output of the previous heating system.
This allows the heat pump to operate at the temperatures it was designed for, helping to maximise efficiency while providing consistent heating and hot water
Crane Installation
The location of the outdoor unit meant that a conventional installation method wasn’t practical.
A crane was used to lift the outdoor unit safely into position.
Using a crane allowed the unit to be placed exactly where it had been designed to go, without compromising the position of the heat pump simply to make installation easier.
Planning the lift was an important part of the installation, ensuring the equipment could be delivered safely and accurately into position.
The Result
The property now has a complete low-carbon heating and hot water system centred around a Viessmann Vitocal 150-A Compact.
The ground floor is heated through newly installed underfloor heating, with new cast-iron radiators providing heating to the first floor.
The outdoor unit was crane lifted into its final position, allowing the installation to follow the original system design rather than compromising on location.
From the floor milling carried out by JK Flooring through to the final heat pump installation, the project demonstrates the importance of coordinating the different elements of a heat pump installation.
At VAYU, we believe the best heat pump installations start with the design. The equipment, emitters, pipework and property all need to work together.
Customer Controls
The customer can control the system through the Viessmann ViCare app.
This allows them to:
- See the current hot water temperature
- Boost hot water when needed
- Change hot water schedules
- Change heating schedules
- Adjust heating modes
- Use comfort, normal and reduced settings
The aim is to give the customer simple control over heating and hot water, without making the system complicated to use.
Real-World Monitoring
The system is connected to OpenEnergyMonitor, allowing performance to be checked after installation.
This lets us see how the heat pump is actually running in real life, including electricity use, flow temperatures, hot water cycles and heating performance.
For VAYU, monitoring is important because good design should not stop once the installation is finished.
It allows us to check performance, make improvements where needed and learn from real data.
