Heat pumps appear to function without problems during a frost period. A tour of a number of installation companies organized by Techniek Nederland shows that relatively few heat pump malfunctions are reported in the first cold week of 2024. "The expertise of installers in the field of heat pumps is now at a high level," says heating expert Maurice Roovers of the trade association. "As a result, installations are generally well set up. Moreover, consumers are increasingly aware of how to heat a house with a heat pump."
Installation company ST/Warmte from Nieuwkoop received only a few reports of heat pump problems this week. Director Martin Hoekstra: "As soon as the temperature drops below freezing, the number of fault reports from central heating boilers increases rapidly. This is not the case with heat pumps. There we hardly see any differences this week compared to other weeks of the year." Heat pump platform HeatTransformers from Woerden is also fairly quiet. "We installed a lot of heat pumps last year and there are relatively few problems. The heat pumps work fine with the cold, they are made for this kind of weather," says director Stijn Otten.
Hybrid heat pumps
In more and more homes, a hybrid heating system provides heat for the home. This is a combination of an electric heat pump and a natural gas boiler. The heat pump is a low-temperature heating system. In homes that are not very well insulated, this is insufficient on the coldest days of the year to keep the house comfortable. This week, therefore, in many homes with a hybrid heat pump, the central heating boiler will switch on to provide sufficient heat in the house. In a few cases, this can cause problems. 'Many heat pumps were installed last summer. At that time it is sometimes difficult to adjust the system exactly,' explains Stijn Otten. 'Then it can happen that the hybrid heat pump does not switch to heating with gas at the right time. In such a case, the installer has to visit the customer to adjust the installation optimally.'
Heating differently
A heat pump requires a different method of heating than a central heating boiler. The heat pump operates at a low temperature and therefore needs more time to heat up the house. A heat pump is most comfortable and most efficient when the temperature remains constant as much as possible. In most cases, the thermostat only needs to be set 1 or 2 degrees lower at night than during the day. The heat pump can then bring the house back up to temperature in the morning with relatively little energy consumption.
