A heat pump and a backup heat source: fireplace, boiler or electricity

Most air-to-water heat pumps have a built-in electric backup heater, which helps in the hardest frosts or if there is a fault. In addition, another heat source may remain in the house – a boiler or fireplace. Whether this is necessary depends on the system design.

The bivalent point

The design determines the outdoor temperature below which the heat pump alone cannot meet the heat demand and a supplementary source helps it. If the heat pump is designed correctly, the supplementary source only runs briefly during the coldest days. Read more in the article What heat pump output do I need?.

Electric backup heater

• it switches on automatically according to the control settings,
• it is simple, but less economical than the heat pump itself,
• if it runs often, it signals a problem with the output or settings – Heat pump heating costs: what increases and reduces them.

Keep the gas boiler?

When replacing a boiler with a heat pump, the boiler can be kept as a backup source (a hybrid solution). This makes sense mainly in older houses with a higher heat demand. The disadvantages are the cost of maintaining the boiler and the gas connection. Read more in the article Replacing a gas boiler with a heat pump: step by step.

A fireplace or stove

A fireplace can provide extra heat in frost and creates atmosphere. However, bear in mind that when heating one room with a fireplace, the heat pump controls may conclude that the house is warm. We therefore adjust the settings accordingly.

Power cuts

A heat pump does not work without electricity. If power cuts are frequent in your area, a backup source independent of electricity may be a reason to keep a fireplace or boiler.

Related

Does a heat pump work in frost? Output, defrosting and myths · A heat pump for an old house with radiators

We will design a Daikin heat pump so that the backup source only runs exceptionally. Contact us.