FWT are specialists in the supply and installation of ground source heat pumps, with many years experience and an extensive portfolio. We install systems throughout South Wales, South West England and the Midlands.

We offer turnkey solutions for ground source heat pump installations; that is, we undertake all the work needed to get the system up and running, from the initial design through to installation and commissioning, ensuring you get the right system for your home or property.

FWT are accredited installers and distributors for Kensa Heat Pumps. Kensa are the UK’s most popular ground source heat pump brand (Source: BSRIA 2019), with an award-winning heritage since 1999, and manufacture the UK’s widest range of ground source heat pumps and accessories.

How a ground source heat pump works

Ground source heat pumps are an established technology that have been around for over 50 years. Radiation from the sun heats the earth; the earth then stores that heat and maintains, just two metres down, a temperature of around 10°C even throughout the winter. A ground source heat pump uses a ground heat exchanger to tap into this constantly replenished heat store to heat buildings and provide hot water.

This is broadly the same principle as the heat pump bolted to the back of a conventional refrigerator. Instead of extracting heat from your fridge and depositing the warmer air into your kitchen, a ground source heat pump extracts heat from the ground and transfers it into your home for heating and domestic hot water.

Because the ground stays at a fairly constant temperature below the surface, the heat pump can be used throughout the year, even in the middle of winter.

Open loop or closed loop?

There are two main types of ground source system, and FWT design and install both:

Closed loop systems circulate a mixture of water and antifreeze around a loop of pipe buried in your garden, in a lake, or in a vertical borehole where space is limited. Heat from the ground is absorbed into the fluid and passes through a heat exchanger into the heat pump.
Open loop systems use abstracted water from a borehole or watercourse, extracting the heat from the water before returning it or using it as a private water supply. As water is a more efficient transmitter of heat than soil, open loop systems are often more efficient than closed loop systems — though consideration needs to be given to whether an abstraction licence is required.

Which option suits your property depends on the heat load, the ground conditions and the space available. We will advise on the most appropriate system as part of our design service.

The benefits of ground source heat pumps

Up to four times more efficient than the most efficient gas or oil boilers
Could lower your fuel bills, especially if you are replacing oil or conventional electric heating
Could lower your home’s carbon emissions, depending on which fuel you are replacing
Environmentally friendly — they do not burn fossil fuels and produce no on-site emissions
Typically require very little maintenance
No fuel deliveries required

Ground source heat pump systems installed by FWT are covered by MCS accreditation through the Kensa Umbrella Scheme, and you may also wish to read about the Renewable Heat Incentive.

Is my property suitable?

Before any ground source heat pump system is designed or installed, a copy of detailed heat loss calculations or a SAP (Standard Assessment Procedure) report will be required to establish the heat load on the property.

In order to provide initial guidance on the suitability of your property for a ground source heat pump installation, we typically need to know the following:

The size of the property, including plans if available (square meterage of the areas to be heated)
A copy of your SAP report or EPC if available
A map detailing the boundary of your property

If you are considering a ground source heat pump, please get in touch and our team will talk the options through with you.