If you’re in Fleet and you’ve just switched your air conditioning off for the year, you’re probably about to switch the heating on instead. Two different jobs, two different systems, two different bills – that’s just how it’s always been, isn’t it?
Well, not necessarily. More and more of our customers around Fleet, Church Crookham and the Ancells Business Park area are discovering that one clever bit of kit can do both jobs, all year round. It’s called an air source heat pump, and if you’ve never really looked into how they work, autumn is actually the perfect time to find out – right when you’re switching from cooling mode into heating mode anyway.
Why switch to a heat pump instead of running two systems?
Think of a heat pump like a fridge working in reverse. A fridge takes the warmth out of the air inside it and pushes it out the back. A heat pump does the same trick, but in both directions – it pulls warmth out of the air outside (even when it’s chilly out) and brings it indoors to heat your home, then reverses the process in summer to keep you cool.
It sounds almost too simple, but that’s rather the point. Instead of a separate boiler for winter and a separate cooling system for summer, you’ve got one unit quietly doing both, tucked away and barely noticed – which suits a lot of Fleet homes, especially the newer developments around the town where space and neat outside walls matter.
Will it still work when it gets properly cold?
This is the question we get asked most as the weather turns, and it’s a fair one. The answer is yes – modern heat pumps carry on working effectively down to around -15°C outside, which covers pretty much anything a Hampshire winter throws at us. You won’t be left in the cold waiting for a “proper” heating system to kick in.
Are heat pumps expensive to run?
Not at all – and this is the bit that tends to surprise people. A heat pump draws around 80% of its energy from the air around it and only 20% from electricity, which means for every one unit of electrical energy you put in, you can get back around four units of heat. That’s a genuinely efficient way to heat a home, not just a “green” alternative that costs more for the privilege.
For a commuter town like Fleet, where a lot of people are either working from home some days or heading off early to catch the train to Waterloo, that efficiency matters. A heat pump keeps ticking along quietly in the background, heating (or cooling) your home for less than you might expect, whether you’re in all day or just popping back for the evening.
Let’s take a closer look at what “one system” actually means for your home
In practice, it means no more juggling. No radiators clanking into life in October and fans getting dragged out of the loft in June. Just one system, controlled simply, that keeps your home at a comfortable temperature whatever the season – ideal whether you’re cooling a stuffy loft bedroom in a Fleet Pond-adjacent family home, keeping a home office comfortable through a long working day, or maintaining a steady temperature for a small business unit on one of the local business parks.
And because every home is a little different – a Victorian terrace near the town centre isn’t going to have the same needs as a modern new-build off Reading Road South – we don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all installation. We take the time to understand how you actually use your space before recommending anything, and we’re not here to baffle you with technical jargon while we do it.
What does the switch actually involve?
Installation is more straightforward than most people expect, and because a heat pump handles both heating and cooling, you’re often replacing the need for two separate projects with just one visit from us. We’ll talk you through it in plain English, from the initial chat right through to the aftercare.
Air conditioning in Fleet
We’ve been a family-run business since 1993, and over 30 years in, we still do things the same way we always have – getting to know each home or business before we recommend a solution, rather than turning up with a one-size-fits-all answer. Whether you’re in Fleet town centre, out towards Church Crookham, or based on one of the local business parks, we’re only a short drive away and happy to come and take a look.
If you have any questions or you’re ready to book your installation, please get in touch today by calling 01483 570 120 or emailing sales@acclimatise.biz – we’d love to hear from you.