Contact: info@eheatgroup.com, 07766 714496

Frequently asked questions

How efficient is the Energy Saver?

As it uses heat pump technology it provides about 4 times as much thermal energy as it consumes. This is easily the most efficient technology available today.

Further as it uses forced air, i.e. a powerful fan to distribute the heat it is much more efficient than normal radiant heat type solutions. We estimate this increases the efficiency a further 50%.

Finally, it uses state of the art inverter technology further reducing the energy consumption by about 70%.

This means that in real use you can expect it to use only about 10-15% energy of what traditional heating systems use.

What sort of running costs can I expect?

Running costs will be dependent on what level of temperature you would like, what level of insulation you have and for how many hours a day you heat your house. The electric consumption is very low as our units have been optimised for heating. Long-term measurements have given a consumption of between 500 W and 1.0 kW depending on the unit's capacity.

Let's assume you heat your house for 10 hours a day & for 7 months of the year. If you pay 12p per kWh you would then pay about £ 146 for a year's worth of heating.

This compares very favourably with other types of heating. The same amount of spend on electric underfloor heating will only be sufficient for about 5-10 square metres (a small room). If you were to use electric storage heaters you would spend 10-20 times as much on your space heating. Gas central heating is cheaper so 5-15 times. Using oil falls in between.

Without doubt using the Energy Saver is the most efficient and cost effective heating solution on the market today.

Do I need to have a high level of insulation?

Our solutions will work with any level of insulation however a poorly insulated house will loose a lot of heat so it is important to have an efficient heating solution such as our energy saver.

Some insulation measures can be quite cheap but still give high levels of benefits such as adding insulation strips around the door frames and windows. This can be done for a few pounds by yourself.

The next level would be to look at your windows. Single pane windows need to be improved with a second layer but having the whole window replaced can of course be costly and intrusive, so consider secondary glazing. There are now a number of different types on the market including lift-outs, hinged unit, horizontal and vertical sliders. It is in fact the layer of air between the two panes that provide the insulation. If you already have double glazing you should be OK if they are in decent shape. Investing in triple glazing is normally not cost-effective in the UK.

Adding decent loft insulation would be a decent third step. Finally cavity wall insulation should also be considered if you don't already have it.

How is the Energy Saver different from other similar products on the market?

Other products have not been optimised for heating purposes. They will provide heating but won't be as efficient. This means that you will need more units than you need with the Energy Saver, possibly as many as one per room.

Can I buy the Energy Saver from anybody else?

No, Environmental Heating Solutions Ltd is the sole supplier in the UK.

What is the size of the unit?

Please see our downloads page

Where should the outdoor unit be placed?

The outdoor unit must be placed in an area that has a fresh supply of air, which means you cannot put it in a garage, shed or conservatory. It should be placed where there is more than 1 metre (40“) of free space in front and above the unit. It is also a good idea to place it raised above the ground, most units are installed on brackets bolted to an outdoor wall.

Where should the indoor unit be placed?

The placement of the indoor unit isn't critical, but it should be placed in an open area giving the unit a good ability to circulate the air in the house.

Can I install it myself?

The Energy Saver must be installed by a professional installer holding a valid refrigerant handling certificate following the installation instructions supplied with the unit. This is a legal requirement. We will assign you a qualified installer local to your area.

How many units do I need to heat up my house?

Normally one outdoor and one indoor unit is sufficient for a house of a size up to approximately 130 m² (1400 square foot) for the medium unit and 170 m² (1800 square foot) for the large unit. Some properties may require two units.

Comparable units from other suppliers and manufacturers that have not been optimised for indoor heating in the way the Energy Saver has are unlikely to be able to heat a whole house with one unit.

Is the unit noisy?

The Energy Saver has been optimised for quiet operation. The indoor unit's noise level is between 21 and 40 dB(A), measured one metre in front of and one metre below the unit. 21 dB (A) compares to slightly less than the noise you would hear in a theatre when nobody is talking, 40 dB (A) compares to a residential area at night.

Do I need to maintain the unit?

It is a good idea to regularly clean the air filter in the indoor unit, otherwise the efficiency of the unit with decrease. Full instructions are provided when you purchase the unit. Also see our maintenance page.

How long will the unit last?

We expect the unit to last approximately as long as a domestic fridge.

Will the unit work when if the temperature drops below -5º C?

This is an important question to ask when considering an air source heat pump (ASHP). The majority of ASHPs on the market have been designed for cooling or air conditioning purposes, and to be installed in climates with a relatively high ambient temperature. In such a location there would be little need to a) have an efficient heating capability, and b) design the unit so that it works at low temperatures. Non Energy Saver ASHPs are always designed to work down to an ambient of -5º C. The unit's electronic controls will shut down the unit to protect it when the temperature drops below -5º C. Further, the efficiency drops off very quickly once the temperature falls below + 7º C, with only 50 % of the total capacity at - 4 º C. With other words, non Energy Saver ASHPs do not provide sufficient heating when the heating is needed.

In contrast, the EHS Energy saver retains 80 % of the total capacity at - 4 º C, and is certified to work down to minus 15º C, where it still retains 65-70 % of the total capacity.

Does it use any dangerous substances such as gas?

No, it uses a refrigerant. The refrigerant used is R410-A. R-410A is an azeotropic mixture of difluoromethane and pentafluoroethane which is used as a refrigerant in heat pump applications. Unlike many haloalkane refrigerants it does not contribute to ozone depletion, and is therefore becoming more widely used as ozone-depleting refrigerants are phased out.

What is inverter technology?

Cheaper heat pumps from other manufacturers use a compressor that only has two states, on or off. The Energy Saver instead uses a compressor that varies its speed depending on the heating need, giving much higher efficiency, as well as a substantial reduction in energy consumption - often as much as 70%.

I have heard of ground source heat pumps and air-to-water heat pumps. Should I consider these?

Ground source heat pumps are approximately 5-10 times more expensive to install compared to the Energy Saver, this means you will have a long pay back period. We recommend Ground source heat pumps only for very large houses,400 m² (4,300 square foot) or more.

Air-to-water heat pumps will remove the need for a separate hot water boiler. These units also work well with under floor heating. However this type of unit is 3-5 times more expensive than the Energy Saver, and the running costs have been proven to be five to ten times higher.

Contact: info@eheatgroup.com, 01628 566105

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