Heat pump vs gas boiler: how to heat a house in Batumi

In Batumi, the heat pump vs gas boiler choice follows different rules from those in cold regions. The average January temperature here is above freezing, and even the average night-time low stays above zero. Heating is needed for a few months a year, and in summer the house needs cooling and dehumidifying.

How a heat pump works in a mild winter

An air source heat pump takes heat from the outside air and moves it into the house. It uses electricity to move the heat, and it delivers noticeably more heat than the energy it draws from the grid. The warmer it is outside, the bigger that gain, so a mild winter works in its favour.

For a house we usually suggest an air-to-water system: the pump heats water for underfloor heating, low-temperature radiators or fan coil units, and for the hot water tank. An inverter air conditioner is also a heat pump, only an air-to-air one. For a small guest house or guest rooms it can be enough, but it won't replace underfloor heating.

The pump heats your hot water through an indirect hot water tank, so you don't need a separate water heater. We put the tank next to the indoor unit in the utility room and keep the pipes to the bathrooms short, so the water doesn't cool on the way.

Higher up in the Adjara highlands, where we build by arrangement, winters are colder, and on frosty days the pump loses output. For a house like that we choose a model with spare capacity and add a backup: an electric immersion heater in the tank, or a gas boiler if there is gas.

Gas: what to check before the design

In Batumi, gas is supplied by SOCAR Georgia Gas, but not every plot has a gas main nearby. Before design work begins, we find out for your address whether a gas pipe runs past the plot, how far away it is and on what terms a house can be connected to it. Until we know that, it is too early to draw a boiler room.

If there is gas, the boiler needs a gas supply design, a ventilated space and a flue, which for a wall-hung boiler is usually a coaxial flue through the wall. We find out the connection procedure and timing from the gas company for the specific plot and don't promise them in advance. A boiler heats equally well in any weather, but it does nothing for you in summer, when you will need air conditioners to keep the house cool.

Summer, humidity and an empty house

Summer in Batumi is hot and humid. A heat pump with fan coil units or split units cools the house in summer and dries the air at the same time, so one system works all year round. With a gas boiler you have two: the boiler for winter and air conditioners for summer.

If you leave for the winter, the house stands empty and has to be kept warm and dry, otherwise the walls, furniture and soft furnishings get damp. Heating and ventilation keep it dry, because relative humidity is lower in a warm house and extract ventilation removes the excess moisture. A dehumidifier, if one is needed, is fitted with either option. You can control the heating over the internet with a pump or a boiler, as long as a communication module is fitted during installation.

Heat pump vs gas boiler by the sea: salt and servicing

A heat pump's outdoor unit is exposed to the weather, and by the sea salt reaches its heat exchanger. For a house near the shore we choose a unit with an anti-corrosion coating on the fins, place it where it gets less spray and rain, and raise it off the ground on brackets. A couple of times a year the fins are rinsed with fresh water.

A gas boiler needs a service every year: cleaning and a check of the controls and the flue. For a heat pump, cleaning the filters and the outdoor unit is enough, and the refrigerant is checked when needed. When the owner lives abroad, it is wise to arrange in advance for one technician to do the servicing and to ask for a signed report with photos after every visit.

Electricity, backup and cost

A heat pump needs enough electrical capacity on the supply to the house. We calculate it in the design, and before the equipment is bought we find out whether the capacity allocated to the plot will be enough. For cold days a backup is useful: an immersion heater in the tank, or a gas boiler in a hybrid system.

Heat pump equipment costs more than a boiler, but with a boiler you have to add the gas design, the flue, the connection and air conditioners for summer. Heating costs depend on tariffs, how well the house is insulated and how many months a year it is lived in, so we calculate them for your design rather than from average figures.