You might think of heat pumps as something just for warmer places. For a long time, you’d have been right! Their use was traditionally limited to areas with mild winters where cooling loads are greater than heating.
However, recent technological leaps have shattered those old limitations. Modern systems, especially advanced air-to-water heat pumps, are now designed to perform efficiently even when temperatures dip low. This breakthrough is paving the way for a huge increase in heat pump adoption everywhere.
Electrification is here, and heat pumps are leading the charge (see IDC’s Heat Pump offering here). Government rebates and new regulations are speeding up the transition from natural gas.
This article focuses on one fast-growing solution: air-to-water heat pumps. It’s a system that works in perfect harmony with IDC’s unique product ecosystem.
Air-to-Water Heat Pumps: Efficient and Versatile
Air-to-water heat pumps offer the same large efficiency advantage over electrical resistance heating that other heat pumps provide. When the weather is warm, they can pull as much heat from the air as the energy used to drive the compressors. The manufacturer rates this ability for each type and calls it the Coefficient of Performance, or COP for short. This translates into huge utility savings compared to straight resistance-type heaters or boilers.
Air-to-water heat pumps act much like familiar air conditioning systems but use water as an intermediate transfer medium. In cooling mode, the refrigeration process chills the water in the appliance and transfers the chilled water around a hydronic cooling system. When in heating mode, it pulls heat from the outside air through a reverse refrigeration process and transfers it to water that circulates through a hydronic heating system.
In cooling mode, these pumps typically produce chilled water temperatures down to 40°–45°F. They can also supply heating water temperatures up to 140°F, even at outdoor air temperatures as low as -22°F (depending on the equipment used), though their heating output capacity falls off greatly from their rated values as outdoor temperatures drop. These heating water temperatures are suitable for space heating with radiant in-floor systems, low-temperature air handlers, and even pre-heating domestic hot water.
IDC Associates’ Compatible Products for Air-to-Water Heat Pumps
IDC Associates can supply a wide range of products that are complementary to a well-designed, efficient, and easy-to-install air-to-water heat pump system. Some are residential products, while others can be used in commercial systems.
Thermo 2000
- BuffMax – Buffer Tank
The BuffMax is a carbon steel tank that can function as a hydraulic isolator and a buffer tank for heating or cooling. Note: For chilled water, customers must order the tank with special insulation.
- TurboMax – Reverse Indirect Water Heater
The TurboMax, a multi-use indirect tank, serves as a heating buffer tank, hydraulic isolator, and domestic water pre-heater. Inside, the carbon steel tank stores the closed-loop water, while the copper coils carry the domestic water on a single path for pre-heating. Hence, “reverse indirect”. It is available in 30, 50, 80, and 120-gallon sizes.
Product Spotlight: TurboMax (Blog Post) >
- AltSource – High-Mass Electric Boiler
The AltSource is a high-mass electric boiler available in 50- or 70-gallon models. It pairs with an alternate external heat source, such as an air-to-water heat pump. It includes electrical heating elements available in sizes from 4.5 to 29 kW (the 50-gallon model is available up to 24 kW), which can serve as either a heat pump backup or to augment its output.
Product Spotlight: AltSource & ComboMax (Blog Post) >
- VenTum – Hydronic Air Handler
The VenTum is a 4-row coil air handler with a variable speed ECM fan motor and a three-speed integral pump. The coil’s entire water path handles water temperatures as low as 100°F and supports use with either domestic or closed-loop water as a heat source. It is a perfect match for air-to-water heat pump systems that also require cooling. The air handler accommodates either a DX coil or hydronic coil for air conditioning. When the system uses chilled water from an air-to-water heat pump, dampers can zone the system to provide rooms with different temperature setpoints.
Optimal
The Optimal Electric Tankless Water Heater is an on-demand, modulating water heater that integrates with air-to-water heat pump systems (in conjunction with some of the other products mentioned above) to provide finished hot water temperatures. It works especially well with water pre-heated via an air-to-water heat pump using a TurboMax or AltSource. It can also serve as a heat pump backup or as a primary heat source for a VenTum air handler when using domestic water in the VenTum coil.
Product Spotlight: Optimal (Blog Post) >
Take a look at this drawing to see how you can use all the above products together to create a very efficient electric-powered system that’s capable of providing heating, cooling, and domestic hot water!
Request a quote or call us at 303-232-2664 to discuss a project you are working on.
You can also email sales@idcassociates.com. We’re happy to help!
