Berlin.
Use the heat pump as an air conditioner – this is possible with some models. But can an existing device also be upgraded?
The year 2022 was marked by the energy and price crisis. The costs for classic fuels such as heating oil and gas rose massively in the spring. At times, a liter of heating oil cost over two euros and a kilowatt hour (kWh) of gas over 40 cents. The situation has since calmed down a bit. Heating oil prices have been on a downward trend since the beginning of January, and gas prices also settled at pre-war levels in December. However, it is unclear how energy prices will change in Germany will continue to develop.
Using a heat pump as an air conditioner: when you should make this decision
With regard to heating oil, a problem could have a massive impact on heating oil prices in 2023 – at least according to the assessment of one market analyst. The trend to a new heating technology is fueled by such developments. As the renewable heating system, the heat pump is the alternative to oil heating for some consumers. However, the costs of a new heat pump should not be underestimated. Because only over the years is it superior to oil heating in terms of costs.
The costs will be amortized over time. The same phenomenon can also be observed when comparing the costs of heat pumps and air conditioning. In fact, some heat pumps can also be used as air conditioner be used. However, not all systems have a cooling function – so the decision should be made before installation. Retrofitting the cooling function on a heat pump is reported by “heizung.de” according to costly.
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Heat pump and air conditioning in one system: How the cooling function works
The answer is simple: the principle of operation of the heat pump is simply reversed. That means: Instead of the heat from the environment, the heat in the residential building is drawn off by the system. The advantage to classic air conditioning is obvious: The heat pump does not require more energy for this process than with the heating function. In addition, there is no need to install an external air conditioning system using an exhaust air hose – the air conditioning system and the heating function are integrated in one system.
The whole procedure is called active cooling and it works exactly like the refrigerator principle: The heat in the interior is absorbed and heat exchanger transported by the heat pump. From there, the heat is released to the outside air. In normal “heating” mode, the outside air is sucked in by the heat pump and routed to the heat exchanger. An additional valve is required for the system to reverse this function.
Heat pump for heating and cooling: This is how the devices work:
Heat pump with cooling function: Two components make the device an air conditioner
Two components in the heat pump make it possible to reverse the function and thus use it as an air conditioner: an expansion valve and a 4-way valve. The expansion valve has in heat pumps and cooling devices an important function – it regulates the refrigerant supply. Because in every device it must be ensured that only as much coolant flows to the evaporator as can be evaporated. The 4-way valve, in turn, is used to reverse the cycle in a heat pump.
Report “danfoss” – a producer of heating technology – according to a 4-way valve can completely reverse this cycle. “The design is uncomplicated and based on the dimensions of the suction line,” reports the group. So can a heat pump simply be retrofitted – maybe even on your own? In online shops like “Amazon” or “ebay” there are at least offers from 100 euros. For comparison: An external air conditioning system can quickly cost between 300 and 800 euros.
Heat pump with active or passive cooling: These requirements apply
The second possibility is this passive cooling. This is an option for owners of a brine-water heat pump and water-water heat pump – because with this type of cooling, the heat is transferred to the water. In contrast to active cooling “net4energy” according to the actual function of the heat pump is ignored. Rather, part of the room heat is absorbed via the surface or underfloor heating and transported to the heat exchanger via the pipe system.
From there, the heat reaches the water or the ground. The difference to active cooling: There is no exchange of air – meaning: the air is neither drawn in nor actively released. Therefore, passive cooling is not as efficient as the “active method” – but it saves more energy. Regardless of the method, the heat pump but not be retrofitted on your own – one reason is the requirements to be met. These must be observed and checked by a competent person:
- Surface heating on the wall or in the floor must be designed for cooling and adjusted if necessary
- Thermostats and pipes in the heating system must be able to adapt larger air flows
- Flow temperature and condensate discharge should be set correctly for the heat pump
Retrofitting a heat pump and using it as an air conditioner: This is how much a conversion costs
Retrofitting the heat pump with a cooling function is therefore not cheap either. According to information from “net4Energy”, the costs depend on several factors. This includes the local conditions or the above-mentioned requirements. Retrofitting active cooling in an air heat pump is cheaper than the passive method in a brine-to-water heat pump and water-to-water heat pump. Roughly you have to calculate with the following amounts:
| cooling function | costs in euros |
|
active cooling |
500 to 1,000 |
|
passive cooling |
2,500 to 3,500 |
Not cheap – however, compared to a classic air conditioning system, differences quickly become apparent when it comes to consumption. For an area of 60 square meters, according to a sample calculation of “house controllers” one air conditioner with 4,500 watts of power required. In total, almost 1,100 kWh of electricity is consumed on 30 hot days. For comparison: the heat pump with a cooling function is sufficient for around a third of the electricity. According to calculations by “net4Energy” it is even significantly less with passive cooling.
Heat pump vs. classic air conditioning: Where consumers save a lot
In addition, a heat pump in combination with a solar system be used. On hot summer days with lots of sunshine, there is no need to ask about the electricity costs – with regard to the amortization of the operating costs, a heat pump is therefore also an option in old buildings as a supplement to an oil heating system. A YouTuber has saved more than 50 percent heating oil thanks to his heat pump. In addition, the investment in a new heat pump is subsidized by the state – here is an overview:
| designation of the grant | Percent grant |
|
Basic subsidy (“basic subsidy”) |
25 |
|
Heating exchange bonus |
10 |
|
Heat pump bonus |
5 |
|
Sum of all government grants |
40 |
Investing in a cooling function with a heat pump can be worthwhile. Just as with the heating function, the investment costs are higher – but over time these are amortized through energy prices. You should also consider: The Summer tend to get hotter and the number of days with record temperatures is increasing. Investing in an air conditioner or a heat pump with a cooling function will become unavoidable for many in the future.
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