Hewer launches pre-assembled unit for heat pump retrofit, installation

The UK-based heating solutions provider has developed a pre-engineered and ready-to-install unit compatible with most of the residential heat pumps available in the market. It can be placed underneath a standard hot water cylinder and transfer heat from the pump via a plate exchanger to the central heating indirectly.

UK-based heating specialist Hewer has unveiled Heat Saviour, a pre-assembled retrofit unit for heat pumps that can reportedly cut installation time and costs by 20%, while also ensuring easy maintenance.

“Installing and retrofitting heat pumps can be complex, costly and disruptive,” said Stuart Hesk, director at Hewer, “They are often designed with non-universal parts, requiring entire heating systems to be ripped out – systems that could have years of use left in them.”

The company describes the system as a first-of-its-kind pre-engineered and ready-to-install unit compatible with most of the residential heat pumps available in the market. It can be placed underneath a standard cylindrical hot water tank and be used to transfer the heat from the heat pump through a plate exchanger, which then indirectly feeds a home's central heating system.

“Unlike traditional heat pump systems, which tie households into specific manufacturers' components due to their singular loop design, Heat Saviour enables the use of the off-the-shelf components for quicker installation,” the company explained. “Operating on a dual-circuit loop, the heat pump runs independently of the existing central heating, eliminating the need for system overhauls.”

The system can fit into a 600 mm x 600 mm cupboard and is said to help cut glycol use by 80% compared to conventional heat pump systems, as it circulates only through the heat pump loop. It also relies on a built-in backup heating element, which can be controlled manually or remotely, to reduce disruption during maintenance.

The company said the system was already deployed in 1,000 social houses in the United Kingdom.

“There's been no post-installation callbacks on the social housing installations since we implemented Heat Saviour,” the company stated. “One of the reasons for this is due to the central heating circuit being separate from the heat pump. This helps to prevent sludge from older systems – often still present after cleaning – from reaching the heat pump filters, which can reduce performance and affect reliability.”

Hewer claims homeowners can save up to GBP 2,000 ($2,708) in installation costs with its new system.

“Our mission was to design a cost-effective, durable and sustainable solution with lower upfront costs and simple servicing, which makes the government heat pump grant go further,” it went on to say. “A design that simplifies installations from new builds to even older properties, which aren't conducive to heat pump systems.”