Daikin Europe has extended its Altherma heat pump heating and domestic hot water system with a new 'Monobloc' version, which retains all the existing system advantages whilst simplifying installation.
Whereas the original Altherma system comprised an outdoor heat pump and an indoor 'hydro' unit, the new Monobloc model contains both within the outdoor unit. Thus, all the main hydraulic components required for a heating system - circulating pump, expansion vessel, back up heater and built in Daikin controller - are located within the same enclosure. Installation is therefore considerably simplified without compromising the benefits of the original system.
Only water piping needed
Since the entire refrigeration circuit is contained in the outdoor unit, no refrigerant piping need be installed, obviating the requirement for specialist handling of refrigerant and enabling the new system to be installed by any heating specialist. Installation time is thereby, reduced and installation costs are lowered right across the board.
A number of additional features are incorporated to ensure against freezing of the water circuit in the outdoor unit. This is accomplished by activating the system circulating pump and electric back up heater when outdoor temperatures are at or below freezing point. The electric back up heater can also provide extra heat to the water circuit, ensuring adequate indoor temperatures, even on the coldest winter days without increasing system size.
Original Altherma benefits retained
The Monobloc Altherma retains all the plus features of the standard system. Energy efficiency for example, is extremely high with up to 5kW of heating output for every 1kW of electric input (COP of around 5.0). The system is ideally suited for integration with under floor heating and LTHW radiators and can be configured for cooling as well as heating by the addition of fan coil units. It also supports the full range of modern domestic hot water boilers and can be interfaced with third party solar panels for increased efficiency in domestic hot water production.