Can Air Source Heat Pumps Cool Your Home?

Can a heat pump cool your home? Absolutely, but not all systems can or are set up to do so out of the box. With the correct configuration, including fan coil units or chilled water systems, air source heat pumps (ASHP) can efficiently cool homes across the UK.

In this article, we’ll explore how they provide cooling, the types of systems that work best, and why they’re a smart, sustainable solution for heating and cooling.

While a heat pump can cool a home, it must be set up to do so, often requiring fan coil units, extra ducting, and reversing valves. 

Still, Air Source Heat Pumps can be run in reverse, absorbing warmth from your home and sending it outside. They’re not as effective as air conditioners, but they use far less energy and perform exceptionally well in the mild UK climate. 

Air-to-air systems use outside air to warm a refrigerant, which is then compressed and circulated indoors to warm the home. In summer, you can transfer heated indoor air to the outdoors with a reversing valve.

An air-to-water heat pump extracts energy from the air to warm water, which is then used for heating via underfloor heating and radiators. 

They can also be used to cool your home by circulating chilled water instead. However, traditional radiators and underfloor heating aren’t as effective at cooling, so you need fan convectors to circulate the cool air, and pipes must be insulated to prevent condensation. 

Solar energy can power any ASHP when combined with an EcoFlow Home Battery, allowing for even greater savings and a reduced carbon footprint. 

A ground-source heat pump extracts warmth from the ground, where temperatures remain relatively stable, using it to warm the home through radiators, underfloor heating, and fan coil units. In summer, they can extract warmth from indoors and transfer it to the ground.

The hybrid heat pump utilises an air-to-water system with a gas condensing boiler. These can be used for heating, cooling, and hot water.

An ASHP works by extracting warmth from the air, even if it’s cold outside, and condensing it to warm it further. Then, it transfers the thermal energy to air ducts for circulation or water, which is run through in-floor heating or radiators.

To cool your home, they run in reverse, extracting warmth from the inside air and sending it outdoors. However, it requires a fan coil unit as radiators are not very practical for cooling.

ASHPs are very energy-efficient compared to fossil fuels. While they lose some efficiency in very hot climates, they work exceptionally well in the mild UK climate.

Heat pumps save money because they’re more efficient. They can reduce cooling costs by up to ⅔, and they can be used for heating and hot water, saving additional money.

Their exceptional efficiency reduces fossil fuel use, reducing air pollution and carbon emissions. 

For even greater environmental (and financial) benefits, you can power your ASHP with solar and the EcoFlow PowerOcean (Single-Phase) battery. 

The average lifespan of ASHPs is 10-15 years or longer.

ASHPs are easy to use and maintain and typically come with smartphone apps.

ASHPs provide heat, hot water, and cooling.

Modern ASHPs easily integrate with smart home systems, which learn your habits and automatically adjust the temperatures. It saves additional energy, maintains a comfortable temperature, and allows for remote access.

You can integrate your ASHP with the EcoFlow PowerOcean (Three-Phase) and then control both from the EcoFlow app. 

The total cost for an ASHP installation that also provides cooling ranges from £4,000 to £18,000. It varies with system size, the required emitters, brand, efficiency ratings, whether existing ductwork can be utilised, and whether the home requires wiring upgrades.

• The Boiler Upgrade Scheme provides grants of up to £7,500 to encourage property owners to replace inefficient boilers with low-carbon alternatives like ASHPs.
• ECO4 helps low-income households in England, Scotland, and Wales with an Energy Performance Certificate rating of D or lower, covering up to 100% of the cost. 
• Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan allows homeowners to access grants and interest-free loans for ASHP installations.

Yes, air source heat pumps can be run in reverse to cool a home, and they work very well in the mild UK summers. However, depending on the system's design and configuration, they may require fan coil units and additional ducting.

The cooling capacity of a heat pump depends entirely on how your system was designed, as well as the outside temperature and humidity, making it impossible to provide a specific answer. Still, in the relatively mild UK summers, they work exceptionally well.

Heat pumps can be used to cool a house if they’re set up to do so. In the summer, instead of bringing warm air into the home, they run in reverse, absorbing warm air from the house and moving it outdoors.

Air source heat pumps aren’t just for heating; they’re also an efficient and eco-friendly way to cool your home. With proper setup, they offer a low-maintenance, low-carbon alternative to traditional cooling systems. 

They work exceptionally well in the UK’s mild summers and become even more cost-effective when paired with renewable energy and smart home technology. Consider combining your ASHP with an EcoFlow PowerOcean (Single-Phase) home battery for seamless, efficient climate control.