A heat pump radiator, when and why?

A heat pump radiator can be seen as a replacement for the traditional wall radiator, but one that works much more efficiently, is energy efficient and works extremely well in combination with a heat pump. Really something of our time. Why and in what situations is a heat pump radiator the perfect choice?

A heat pump radiator is also called an LTV radiator or LT radiator and comes into its own when Low Temperature Heating is used. So like with a heat pump, because it supplies (usually but not always) heating water that is a lot less hot than when using a gas-fired central heating boiler, for example.

New construction or renovation

Precisely because of the lower water temperature, in new construction the heat pump is often combined with underfloor or wall heating. However, this is certainly not the only option and besides, what if it is an existing house? During a renovation the floor can be taken in hand, but the installation of underfloor heating is a radical and expensive operation that not everyone wants. So why not leave the radiators from the old heating system in place? Unfortunately, they usually do not work well with a heat pump or are not even suitable for it.

Easy to place

A relatively simple and less expensive solution, is to install heat pump radiators. This can usually be done one on one, so old radiator out and new one in, just in the same place. As long as the piping and thus the water supply is in order, which should always be checked. A heat pump radiator is sometimes quite similar to a traditional HTV radiator, or the old model that still operates at high temperatures and is much less efficient for the same reason. This is because often a heat pump radiator consists of a front plate and a back plate with fins between them for heat transfer, or perhaps three plates with fins between them as well.

Warm airflow

In addition, so-called axial fans are installed at the bottom of the radiator or under a cover grille at the top. These fans actively blow the air along the warm radiator surfaces, causing a constant flow of warm air to rise from the top of the radiator. These fans engage fully automatically as soon as hot heating water flows through the radiator.

In addition to this convection heat, the front panel is often optimized to emit an extra amount of radiant heat to the environment. In this way, the system consumes as little energy as possible, while at the same time utilizing the heat from the heating water as efficiently as possible, even though the water temperature is considerably lower than before.

Heating and cooling

Unlike old-fashioned HTV radiators, LTV radiators are connected not only to heating pipes, but also to an electrical outlet. Furthermore, thanks to an optional radiator head, the temperature can be controlled separately for each room. This radiator head can be equipped with a K mode, which is then needed if the house is to be cooled instead of heated. The cold water supplied by the heat pump can flow optimally through the radiator in this K mode. So you have something to gain from a heat pump radiator in both winter and summer, or rather all year round.

Fast to temperature

A heat pump radiator is perfectly compatible with underfloor heating. How so? With surface heating, the house heats up quite slowly, so the heating needs to be turned on early enough to give a room the desired temperature in time. In addition, it is much more efficient to keep the room at a constant temperature, instead of heating it up considerably each time. Which, of course, is a lot easier in a well-insulated house because heat loss is low there.

Maintaining a constant temperature is especially ideal in living spaces where people spend a lot of time and for a long time. Think of the living room or a live-in kitchen. But there are always rooms where it only needs to be really warm for a limited time. Or where it needs to be warm during the day and cooler at night. Think of a study or hobby room, bathroom, bedrooms, or the nursery. Just a little less convenient with underfloor heating, but with a heat pump radiator this is no problem at all, because with this a room can be heated or cooled in a short time.

Modern look

Therefore, on the first floor where approximately the same temperature is usually desired for long periods of time, something like underfloor heating can be used just fine. While on other floors or in specific rooms it is better to place heat pump radiators, to bring them to the desired temperature in no time only when needed. A heat pump radiator does need a place on the wall and therefore quickly sits in plain sight. Fortunately, modern radiators are stylishly designed, so they certainly do not look out of place in a contemporary interior.