The clever application of air source heat pumps provided an economical solution to the space and water heating needs of this popular Northamptonshire health spa.
Director, Hans Looser, says: “We originally considered ground source heat pumps, but the Daikin systems installed by Griffiths Air Conditioning tick all the boxes for us.”
Kettering-based Daikin D1+ Premium Partner Griffiths Air Conditioning provided the overall heating solution, using a range of Daikin heat pumps – each with a specific role, but also with the ability to share loads and increase overall efficiency. The solution includes a 13.2kW Daikin air handling unit that ventilates the extension.
A 16kW Daikin Altherma LT heat pump primarily drives an underfloor heating system that prevents cold feet all year. But when the floor mass has reached the desired temperature, it becomes a thermal store for several hours.
Output of the LT heat pump is then available to assist the 16kW Daikin Altherma HT heat pump that provides domestic hot water and – most importantly keeps the spa water hot. As a result, the HT system – which has a secondary refrigerant circuit to produce higher temperatures – achieves better operating efficiencies.
The six treatment rooms are heated (or cooled) by Daikin slim ducted units, individually controlled with standard wired controllers. The indoor units are driven by a 10hp Daikin VRV IV heat recovery condensing unit.
Recovered heat is boosted by a high temperature Hydrobox and channelled efficiently and economically into the water heating. The heat recovery unit also serves the DX coil in the air handling unit that ventilates the extension.
Hans Looser says the new spa and treatment suite has given Homefield Grange an immediate business boost. “While most of our customers book in for two or more days, we are now offering one-day bookings which enables us to tap successfully into a more local market than in the past."