{"id":3205,"date":"2026-06-04T11:59:06","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T11:59:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mywarmhome.co.uk\/stage\/?page_id=3205"},"modified":"2026-10-15T06:55:40","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T06:55:40","slug":"heat-pump-types-wshp","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/mywarmhome.co.uk\/stage\/heat-pump-types-wshp\/","title":{"rendered":"Heat Pump Types WSHP"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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RENEWABLE HEATING \/ WATER-SOURCE SYSTEMS<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Water Source Heat Pumps<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

How water provides useful heat for your home \u2014 from underwater collectors to the plant room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Heat pumps do not create heat by burning fuel; they move it from one place to another.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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01<\/p>\n\n\n\n

THE PRINCIPLE<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

How heat is extracted and upgraded<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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02<\/p>\n\n\n\n

COLLECTORS<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Coils, mats and water sources<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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03<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SYSTEM DESIGN<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Manifolds, plant and permissions<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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04<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PERFORMANCE<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Efficiency, costs and suitability<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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SECTION 01<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How a water-source heat pump works<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A water-source heat pump (WSHP) operates much like a refrigerator in reverse. Instead of extracting heat from food and releasing it into a kitchen, it absorbs low-grade heat from water and transfers useful heat into a building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even cool water contains thermal energy. Depending on the system, heat may be collected from a lake, river, canal, pond, flooded quarry or a groundwater source. Closed-loop systems<\/strong> circulate fluid through submerged collectors; open-loop systems<\/strong> abstract water through suitable heat exchangers and may need different permissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The four stages<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

1. Collect<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A submerged circuit circulates a water\/antifreeze mixture and absorbs heat from the surrounding water. In an open-loop system, water is instead passed through a suitable heat exchanger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Evaporate<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The heat collected is transferred to a refrigerant within the evaporator. Because the refrigerant boils at a low temperature at the operating pressure, it changes from liquid to vapour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Compress<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

An electrically driven compressor raises the refrigerant pressure and temperature. This is a major part of the system\u2019s electricity demand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Condense<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The hot refrigerant gives up heat through the condenser to radiators, underfloor heating or a hot-water circuit. It then passes through an expansion device and the cycle repeats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Important:<\/strong> Refrigerant boiling points depend on the particular refrigerant and operating pressure; a single boiling-point figure does not apply to every heat pump.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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SECTION 02<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Underwater collectors: coils and mats<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A correctly designed collector must deliver sufficient heat without excessively cooling the source. The available water volume, movement, depth, seasonal temperature and environmental constraints all matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Collector coils<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Large loops of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe can be placed on the bed of a pond, lake or quarry. The closed circuit is secured and connected back to the property.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Water-source heat-pump collector installation<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Design considerations:<\/strong> pipe diameter and length, circuit spacing, fluid flow, anchoring, depth, access for installation and the effect on aquatic habitats. Exact values must come from the site survey and heat extraction design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Collector mats<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Collector mats secure pipework into flatter, modular assemblies rather than free-standing coils. They may help when a particular bed geometry or available water area suits this approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coils or mats?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Consideration<\/th>Coils<\/th>Mats<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Installation<\/td>Flexible loops that need suitable restraint and spacing<\/td>Modular structures that need suitable anchoring<\/td><\/tr>
Design<\/td>Can offer a relatively simple layout<\/td>Can offer repeatable geometry<\/td><\/tr>
Constraints<\/td>Access, sediment, damage risk and available footprint<\/td>Structure, anchoring, access and capital cost<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Neither option is automatically more efficient or cheaper: performance and costs depend on the water body, design and installation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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SECTION 03<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Manifolds, inspection access and plant<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Most WSHP installations have more to them than the heat-pump unit. Collector hydraulics, pumps, valves, controls and access for maintenance all influence reliability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Manifolds<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A manifold is a junction for several collector circuits. It distributes and combines flow, and may incorporate isolation valves, balancing equipment and test points. Manifolds may be housed in suitable accessible chambers, kiosks or plant rooms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n