The combined hot water and space heating solution for architects and specifiers

There are many different ways to heat our homes. Some methods are more efficient than others, while some are cheaper to run; some are easier to install, and some can warm an entire home rather than just a single room or section.

And while many homes tend to have a single method of heating – a single fireplace, or heat pumps, or electric heaters throughout – some houses benefit from introducing multiple different sources of heat. This poses a particular challenge to architects and specifiers, one where they need to answer the question: what combination of heating methods will work best for this space? And how do I accommodate them in the plan?

In this scenario, it’s common to see a mix of heat pumps and central heating – which utilise air flow and radiant heating, respectively. This often results in a well-rounded heating infrastructure, with warmth emanating from well-designed radiators or from pipes in the walls and floors, as well as through the air itself.

But there’s a particular flaw in this scenario that tends to vex designers and clients alike: in most cases, two systems calls for two separate heat sources, which can take up valuable space and can further obscure the architectural integrity and aesthetic of the exterior of the home. But it doesn’t have to be this way: a specific innovation from Mitsubishi Electric seeks to solve this problem.

The Ecodan Multi Room with Hot Water Heat Pump system provides an alternative to this less-than-ideal scenario, by combining its Multi Room Air Conditioning System and its Ecodan Hot Water System: an innovative amalgamation of the best attributes of both solutions and powering it from a single outdoor unit – while also providing domestic hot water, too.

“Traditionally, before we had the Multi Room + Hot Water system, if you wanted to have both air conditioning and radiators, you needed to sacrifice outdoor space by having multiple outdoor units,” says Léa Gawith, a Hot Water Heat Pump Territory Representative for Mitsubishi Electric. “Having it all in one system not only eliminates this drawback, but streamlines the entire process.”

It’s a much more efficient solution for a two storey house that uses underfloor heating on the ground floor and radiators on the top floor for heating in winter, coupled with air conditioning units throughout the house for cooling during the summer.

“We find a lot of the time people tend to focus solely on heating during the winter, but then summer comes around and simply opening all the windows and doors doesn’t sufficiently cool the space. Our system does it all – it makes the home as comfortable as possible year-round.”

The Ecodan Multi Room + Hot Water system encompasses several different components to achieve its goal of providing a whole home heating and cooling solution, while simultaneously providing energy efficient hot water to any tap that needs it – an innovative undergoing by any standards.

The single outdoor unit uses electricity to absorb freely available heat energy from the surrounding air and then transfers it to the home, providing heating, cooling and hot water to the home. The branch box connects to the outdoor unit and is the technological heart of the system: it draws energy from the outdoor unit and directs the flow of energy through its individual branch ports to the different connected indoor units and Ecodan hot water heating system.

An all-in-one Ecodan packaged hot water cylinder system can be connected to the branch box to satisfy the hot water requirements – providing potable hot water, underfloor and radiator heating throughout the whole home. Meanwhile, an optional Lossnay Heat Recovery Ventilation can recover heat energy from extracted stale air, to pre-warm or pre-cool the incoming fresh air for use in the heat pump/air conditioning units.

The convenience of the solution is a particular draw card for architects and specifiers, Léa says, who are increasingly working on medium density homes and townhouses as the popularity of those developments rise with changing residential standards.

“These kinds of homes don’t have a lot of space outside, so a system like ours, which encompasses these different ways of heating and cooling your home with a small associated outdoor footprint, is really valuable for them,” says Léa.

Of course, the system is also turning heads for consumers and homeowners, especially those who have lived in Europe and are accustomed to radiant and underfloor heating as a rule rather than an exception.

“Lately, we've been seeing people design homes for retirement and want a home that's not only visually stunning, but also very comfortable too,” says Léa. “And quite often the same homeowners have experienced central heating and are asking their architects, 'is there a system that can do this and provide cooling in the summer?'”

“People are starting to do their homework and are finding that unified, all-encompassing solutions like the Ecodan Multi Room + Hot Water systems are a good investment if they’re after a long-term, comfortable home that utilises low carbon technology.”

Enquire and learn more about Mitsubishi Electric and its Ecodan Multi Room with Hot Water Heat Pump System here.