Many homeowners worry that heat pumps may struggle to efficiently heat their homes during the winter. However, with proper care and maintenance, there’s no reason to be concerned!
Heat pumps are actually very popular in colder countries such as Norway, Finland, and Sweden, where temperatures can drop as low as -20°C. Despite these extreme conditions, heat pumps continue to perform well. In the UK, where winter temperatures typically range from 2°C to 7°C and rarely dip below 0°C, your heat pump should have no trouble handling the cold.
While heat pumps can operate efficiently in winter, it’s still important to take steps to ensure proper winter care. Understanding the automatic functions of your pump that help it to keep running smoothly can also give you peace of mind.
Annual Servicing
One of the most important things you can do to ensure your heat pump continues to work efficiently is to keep up with annual servicing and maintenance. During this service, your engineer will check that all components are functioning properly. Because heat pumps extract heat from the outside air, they need to work harder in colder conditions. Regular servicing is the best way to ensure your pump remains efficient.
As a homeowner, there’s very little you need to do to ensure your pump continues to work through the winter. The main responsibility is to keep the area around the pump clear of debris, such as leaves or snow, that could block the airflow into the fan.
Preventing Frozen Pipes
All pipes connected to your heat pump are insulated, and your installer will take additional precautions to prevent the water in the system from freezing. Many installers use antifreeze within the system itself to protect against this. However, this can reduce the heat capacity of the system and may prevent it from reaching the target flow temperature. It can also create mess if it leaks, and the antifreeze will need to be topped up.
At Your Energy, we use antifreeze-treated pipes, which are designed to automatically release water if the temperature drops below -4°C. This prevents the pipes from expanding and bursting. However, with proper insulation, it is unlikely for the temperature to ever drop that far.
Defrost Cycle
One common concern for new heat pump owners during winter is the appearance of steam coming from the pump. This is nothing to worry about—it’s simply the defrost cycle in action. When the condenser inside the pump begins to freeze, the system automatically reverses the refrigerant cycle, using heat from the house to melt and evaporate the ice. The steam you see is the result of this process. The cycle typically lasts about 10-15 minutes and will automatically repeat whenever the pump detects ice build up in freezing temperatures.
Reliable Winter Warmth
To keep your heat pump running efficiently throughout the winter, the most important step is regular annual servicing. This ensures all components are working properly and helps prevent unexpected issues.
Remember, your heat pump is already built to withstand cold temperatures. With simple maintenance it will continue to provide reliable warmth for your home, no matter how low the temperature drops.
By staying on top of servicing and basic upkeep, you can rest assured that your heat pump will keep your home warm and comfortable all winter long!
