---
title: "Heat Pump Basics"
url: https://betterhomebetterplanet.com/catalogue/heat-pump-basics/
description: "How a heat pump changes the way a house is heated, and what has to be ready first."
---

# Heat Pump Basics

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| »Categories[Building Envelope](https://betterhomebetterplanet.com/catalogue/building-envelope/)5[Heating, Cooling & Water](https://betterhomebetterplanet.com/catalogue/heating-cooling-water/)6[Water & Outside](https://betterhomebetterplanet.com/catalogue/water-and-outside/)4[Materials & Finishes](https://betterhomebetterplanet.com/catalogue/materials-and-finishes/)3»Project Types[Sealing and draughtproofing](https://betterhomebetterplanet.com/catalogue/air-sealing-gaps-and-cracks/)[Insulating](https://betterhomebetterplanet.com/catalogue/attic-and-loft-insulation/)[Water and pipework](https://betterhomebetterplanet.com/catalogue/hot-water-pipe-insulation/)[Planting and drainage](https://betterhomebetterplanet.com/catalogue/drainage-and-ground-levels/)[Surfaces and finishes](https://betterhomebetterplanet.com/catalogue/low-voc-paints-and-finishes/)»Quick FindJump straight to the entry that covers a common complaint.[Lower electricity bills](https://betterhomebetterplanet.com/catalogue/how-to-reduce-electricity-bill/)[Draughts](https://betterhomebetterplanet.com/catalogue/air-sealing-gaps-and-cracks/)[Cold rooms](https://betterhomebetterplanet.com/catalogue/wall-insulation-choices/)[Condensation](https://betterhomebetterplanet.com/catalogue/secondary-glazing-and-films/)[Damp at low level](https://betterhomebetterplanet.com/catalogue/drainage-and-ground-levels/)[Noise between floors](https://betterhomebetterplanet.com/catalogue/floor-underlay-and-acoustics/)[Slow hot water](https://betterhomebetterplanet.com/catalogue/hot-water-pipe-insulation/)[Summer overheating](https://betterhomebetterplanet.com/catalogue/planting-mulch-and-shade/) | HW-05Trade work · Any seasonHow a heat pump changes the way a house is heated, and what has to be ready first.Section[Heating, Cooling & Water](https://betterhomebetterplanet.com/catalogue/heating-cooling-water/)ReferenceHW-05DifficultyTrade workSeasonAny seasonTypical scopeA design-led installationWhat it affectsEmitter sizing, insulation requirements, running patternWhat this isA heat pump moves heat from outside air or from the ground into the house rather than producing heat by burning something. Because it works by moving heat, it delivers water at a lower temperature than a conventional boiler, and that single fact changes almost everything else about how the system has to be designed.Telling whether your home is readyLower water temperature means each radiator gives out less, so emitters usually need to be larger, and the shell of the house needs to be losing less heat in the first place. That is why the envelope entries in this catalogue come first. A house with thin loft insulation, leaking draughts and radiators sized for a hot boiler is not yet in a position to make this decision.What the job involvesThe work begins with a room-by-room heat loss calculation rather than a product choice. That calculation sets the flow temperature, which sets the emitter sizes, which sets whether pipework needs changing. There is also an outdoor unit or a ground loop to site, a hot water cylinder to place, and controls that suit steady low-output running rather than short bursts.Things to watchThe habit of turning the heating on and off through the day suits a boiler and does not suit a heat pump, which works best running gently for long periods. Outdoor units need clear air around them and a position where noise and defrost water are not a problem. This is design-led work: the calculation is the deliverable that matters, and it should exist before any equipment is chosen.**More in Heating, Cooling & Water:** [How To Reduce Your Electricity Bill](https://betterhomebetterplanet.com/catalogue/how-to-reduce-electricity-bill/) · [Thermostat Settings And Zoning](https://betterhomebetterplanet.com/catalogue/thermostat-settings-and-zoning/) \| [All Heating, Cooling & Water entries](https://betterhomebetterplanet.com/catalogue/heating-cooling-water/) \| [Catalogue index](https://betterhomebetterplanet.com/catalogue/) | »Catalogue StatusThis catalogue holds **18** entries across **4** sections.Entries are written to be read and worked from. Nothing here is ordered, priced or supplied.»Start Here[Air Sealing Gaps And Cracks](https://betterhomebetterplanet.com/catalogue/air-sealing-gaps-and-cracks/)[Attic And Loft Insulation](https://betterhomebetterplanet.com/catalogue/attic-and-loft-insulation/)[Weatherstripping Doors](https://betterhomebetterplanet.com/catalogue/weatherstripping-doors/)[Thermostat Settings And Zoning](https://betterhomebetterplanet.com/catalogue/thermostat-settings-and-zoning/)[Radiator And Baseboard Care](https://betterhomebetterplanet.com/catalogue/radiator-and-baseboard-care/) |
|---|---|---|
|  | HW-05Trade work · Any seasonHow a heat pump changes the way a house is heated, and what has to be ready first. |  |
| Section | [Heating, Cooling & Water](https://betterhomebetterplanet.com/catalogue/heating-cooling-water/) |  |
| Reference | HW-05 |  |
| Difficulty | Trade work |  |
| Season | Any season |  |
| Typical scope | A design-led installation |  |
| What it affects | Emitter sizing, insulation requirements, running pattern |  |

4 sections · 18 entries · 5 index pages

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[Building Envelope](https://betterhomebetterplanet.com/catalogue/building-envelope/)

[Heating, Cooling & Water](https://betterhomebetterplanet.com/catalogue/heating-cooling-water/)

[Water & Outside](https://betterhomebetterplanet.com/catalogue/water-and-outside/)

[Materials & Finishes](https://betterhomebetterplanet.com/catalogue/materials-and-finishes/)

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