The efficient heat pump technology extracts energy from the surrounding air. Ambient warmth is used to convert the refrigerant within the sealed system into a gas. The gas is then compressed to generate even more heat which then heats the water in the tank. What’s more this process can work day or night, in sunshine and rain, all year round.

When hot water is drawn off and cold water enters the tank, the thermostat activates a fan, a compressor and a circulator. The fan draws outside air in through the air inlet louvers at the top of the water heater and the pump circulates water from the bottom of the storage tank through a heat exchanger. The operation of the compressor causes a pressure difference within the sealed refrigeration system. This pressure difference causes the refrigerant to move around the sealed system. The refrigerant enters the evaporator as a liquid. As the refrigerant absorbs heat from the atmosphere it changes state, at low pressure, from a sub cooled liquid to a super-heated vapour or gas (evaporates). The vapour then enters the compressor and obtains more heat, known as heat of compression, and passes into the heat exchanger as a super-heated vapour at high pressure.

As the refrigerant passes through the heat exchanger it gives off heat which is absorbed by the water flowing through a separate chamber inside the heat exchanger. As the refrigerant gives off heat it cools and changes state back into a liquid (condenses). The refrigerant then enters the evaporator again and the cycle is repeated. The resulting cold air is then discharged through the air outlet louvers back to atmosphere and the heated water is circulated back into the top of the storage tank. This process continues while ever heating is required until the water in the storage tank reaches a temperature of 60°C.