Hydronic heat pump
A hydronic system refers to the most common type of heating systems that uses heated water, which is then circulated through pipes to warm a building via a network of radiators, baseboard heaters, radiant floor systems etc. Hydronic heat pumps are effectively the correct name for what is commonly referred to as a standard heat pump system, although in reality there are a number of of different possible heat pump typologies such as air to air, air to water, ground to water etc..
Hydronic heat pump system use the heat pump to pulls thermal energy from the outside air (or the ground, for example in ground-source systems) using a refrigerant to transfer and move that heat. The heat extracted in that refrigerant is then transferred to a heat exchanger, where the heat is transferred to the water (the hydronic element). The heated water can then be stored in a buffer tank for use directly as hot water or indirectly for a heating system, where it may be transferred to water that circulates through the pipes to radiators to warm different parts of a building. Such systems may also be used during summer months to cool a home, where by the process is reversed, and pulls heat from the inside and released it outdoors via the hyrdonic system.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
- Boiler Upgrade Scheme update and consultation.
- BSRIA definitions.
- Building services engineer.
- Building services.
- Chilled water.
- Hydronic system.
- Low temperature hot water
- New building services publications set to revolutionise design practices.
- Rules of Thumb - Guidelines for building services.
- Space and Weight Allowances BG84 2024.
Featured articles and news
Edmundson Apprentice of the Year award 2026
Entries now open for this Electrical Contractors' Association award.
Traditional blue-grey slate from one of the oldest and largest UK slate quarries down in Cornwall.
There are plenty of sources with the potential to be redeveloped.
Change of use legislation breaths new life into buildings
A run down on Class MA of the General Permitted Development Order.
Solar generation in the historic environment
Success requires understanding each site in detail.
Level 6 Design, Construction and Management BSc
CIOB launches first-ever degree programme to develop the next generation of construction leaders.
Open for business as of April, with its 2026 prospectus and new pipeline of housing schemes.
The operational value of workforce health
Keeping projects moving. Incorporating unplanned absence and the importance of health, in operations.
A carbon case for indigenous slate
UK slate can offer clear embodied carbon advantages.
Costs and insolvencies mount for SMEs, despite growth
Construction sector under insolvency and wage bill pressure in part linked to National Insurance, says report.
The place for vitrified clay pipes in modern infrastructure
Why vitrified clay pipes are reclaiming their role in built projects.
Research by construction PR consultancy LMC published.
Roles and responsibilities of domestic clients
ACA Safety in Construction guide for domestic clients.
Fire door compliance in UK commercial buildings
Architect and manufacturer gives their low down.