13 Mar, 2017
System Size: 16kW Air Source Heat Pump with a 15/21kW oil boiler
Appliance Used: Grant VortexAir Hybrid
Fuel Used: Electricity for the heat pump and oil for the boiler
Installed: March 2017
Testimonial:
Ayrshire home joins the hybrid revolution with new Grant VortexAir!
A Grant VortexAir oil boiler/ air source heat pump hybrid has been installed at a property in Ayrshire which is now benefitting from the best of both worlds.
Based in Dalrymple, south of Ayr, a four bedroom detached house was in need of upgrading its seventeen year old oil boiler. The one and half story property was built in c. 1990, with a radiator wet system and domestic hot water cylinder being heated by a system oil-fired boiler. When it became apparent that their old oil boiler needed replacing, the homeowners decided that they wanted to incorporate greener heating technology into their home and the Grant VortexAir was their solution.
The new Grant VortexAir Hybrid combines an Aerona³ inverter driven air source heat pump with a VortexBlue oil-fired boiler. Providing a bridge between renewables and traditional heating methods, the Grant VortexAir unlocks the benefits of green energy to off-gas households. The first of its kind on the market, this oil boiler/air source heat pump hybrid allows for the immediate restoration of a property’s heating while also allowing homeowners to introduce cleaner energy into their homes.
This installation was completed by MCA Renewables, a Grant G-One Accredited Installer based in Glasgow. Terry Doherty, of MCA Renewables, writes, “The building’s heat loss calculation was 12.8kW so we decided to install the smaller Grant VortexAir Hybrid which includes a 16kW Aerona³ heat pump with a 15/21kW VortexBlue oil boiler.”
The Grant VortexAir Hybrid provides engineers with flexibility when it comes to installation. The oil boiler and heat pump can either be installed at the same time or in two-stages, when the oil boiler is installed first to quickly restore a home’s heat and hot water with the heat pump being installed at a later date. Furthermore, the Hybrid’s oil boiler can either be sited internally as a stand-alone unit or externally alongside the heat pump depending on the availability of space.
For this installation, both components were fitted at the same time with the oil boiler being installed outside alongside the heat pump (which is always externally sited) to create a single unit. The property’s existing radiator system was already suited to oil so, by installing a Grant VortexAir Hybrid, there was no need to resize and replace the radiators to accommodate the introduction of a heat pump. Instead, the homeowners were able to seamlessly make the change to an oil boiler/renewable hybrid system with minimal disruption to their home.
David Mawhinney, one of the installing engineers, commented on the installation: “We have just completed this installation of a Grant VortexAir Hybrid. It was so easy to install and commission. The Hybrid has been running for a week now and when the air temperature is under 10°C, the oil boiler kicks in to bring up the temperature to assist the heat pump. The customer is delighted.”
The end-users, Mr and Mrs Jones, have rated the installation highly. Mrs Jones writes, “The install was a pleasurable experience with all going well. MCA Renewables can be recommended as nothing was a bother, and I ask a lot of questions! Grant UK have worked with MCA Renewables and ensured that this install, one of the first VortexAir Hybrids to be installed, went smoothly.”
The Grant VortexAir offers householders a choice of fuels, benefitting from the green energy of the heat pump while also providing reliable back-up heating from the oil boiler and its cleaner, blue flame burner technology. Furthermore, the Grant VortexAir utilises an advanced control system which automatically monitors the system temperatures, seamlessly switching the unit to the most effective heating mode (heat pump, oil, or a combination of both). In addition, the Grant VortexAir’s heat pump is eligible for the Government’s Renewable Heat Incentive, being MCS approved and meter ready. Consequently, this unique Hybrid can not only reduce a household’s fuel bills, it can also earn them financial rewards via the Domestic RHI Scheme.
Summarising the install, Terry Doherty writes, “The Grant VortexAir Hybrid is a very impressive appliance and both myself and the customer can see that the long-term benefits will be excellent for the household. MCA Renewables are thrilled to be one of the first companies to install this exciting new product and we have already received further enquiries from local homeowners wishing to learn more about this new hybrid approach to home heating. Grant UK has been very professional and helpful throughout the process, with great support from Karen and the Technical Team in the office.”
For more details, please visit www.grantuk.com.
