Heat Pump Protection: 13kW Emergency Power Supply & Generator for Outage - Types & Suggestions

Hello, I have such a topic, I want to protect myself against a power outage, exactly the protection is to apply to the heating system, in this case the heat pump, there are also three refrigerators plus small LED lighting, the first ideas fell on a power generator, but what kind? The heat pump has a power of 13 kW, the most important thing is that during frosts, in the event of a power failure, the installation does not freeze, I am asking experts on the subject to comment on this issue, how to protect yourself?

Worth more than a whole house with that pump hehe

Mlucas wrote:

Worth more than a whole house with that pump hehe

And should it be solid or partisan just cheap?

Now more seriously.
This power of the heat pump (PC) is the heating power or the electrical power needed for power? The latter is smaller and you need an aggregate to meet this power, not thermal power.

Now SF
Once you put a generator with a power of 10kW or more, it will probably be water-cooled. In an emergency, the PC could not be started, but the system could be converted to cogeneration - recover the heat emitted during the operation of the unit - a heat exchanger in the cooler circuit of the unit, and if it is to be even more effective, an additional exchanger recovering the heat of the exhaust gases. After all, the aggregate converts most of the combustion energy into heat.

I have already convinced myself that it is not possible to power the heat pump, he adds a photo of the plate from the pump, so the situation in the yard is frost and there is a power failure, what should I do to prevent the house heating system from freezing? Is a UPS for circulation pumps enough? Maybe someone out there has one and can give me an idea

Mlucas wrote:

The heat pump has a power of 13kw

This is the "thermal" power, what current consumption?

Mlucas wrote:

power to the heat pump is not possible

And what does this mean, because in this table there are kW of heating power. The demand for electric power will be at least 2x lower (even in frost). I would be more worried about the sensitivity of the heat pump's electronics to powering the aggregate, which will generate low-quality voltage. It is about any deviation from the ideal voltage sine wave.

Interesting topic.

I have no idea what the current consumption of this pump is, I can try to measure it, I was just reading about the sensitivity of electronics, it is known that the generator would be with AVR if it would be enough

If you believe that the 126% from the rating plate is the efficiency of the pump (the one with a heating power of 13kW), it turns out that it takes as much as 10kW from the network. But that's a bit too much...

And no, sorry, the manual says that the COP of this pump is 4.26. So the power consumption is about 3 kW. However, this is a bit too optimistic, heat pump manufacturers usually slightly "cheat".

Added after 2 [minutes]:

As for the generator, it is only up to 5-6 kW above, the prices are too high and there is no sense, so I have to solve the problem of emergency power supply and it's not that the house will be cold, it's just that the expensive pump doesn't say bye bye

Looking at the plate, it is max 4_5kW
So nominally from 3 to 3.5 kW

So a 5kw generator will do just fine

Not including these refrigerators, the pump is the most important, maybe someone will recommend a company which generator to buy

markus-19 wrote:

Maybe something like this?

How much does it cost roughly?

around PLN 30,000

markus-19 wrote:

Simple question, no answer.

How do you want to implement this emergency power supply?
In the case I gave, it would be done automatically. When choosing variant B, you need to think about powering the indicated circuit without the risk of supplying voltage to the supplier's network.

Automatic power switch generator network

So what parameters must a suitable aggregate have?

In my humble opinion, the matter is not simple because I have been thinking about it recently. Especially when we find out that there is government information in the west to stock up and prepare for power outages. Especially in winter. If you have the opportunity, buy a large wood-burning stove for little money (stoves are nice and do not disfigure the house) on such a stove you can heat food, washing water and heat the house so that the water in the installation does not freeze. The oven is also a good thing.
As for the genset, it is known that the PC does not work all the time and in the winter, if it is an air PC, it heats up electrically anyway, so quickly if you have an electrical installation prepared for connecting the genset, I would buy the genset probably around 15kW fuel supply ok 1000l. Later, I would consider a mixed PV wind installation. Haste is a bad advisor.

I don't protect myself that much, I only have a task to do to protect this heat pump from failure if frost comes they will turn off the electricity frost may break the installations and that's it

Mlucas wrote:

if frost comes, they will turn off the electricity, the frost may break the installations and that's it

This may fill the heating installation with glycol - for example, for solar panels, unless something else can be damaged in the pump in the cold.

A split pump is not a monobloc, it should rather not be in the pump, ok, I will look for a solution, maybe the pump manufacturer will advise something, glycol is out

If you do not want to spend tens of thousands, you are afraid of the pump's electronics, and it does not have to be automatic start-up, then maybe one of the old regenerated units - some, for example, PAB. They are fuel-hungry, but the sine wave is nice and they can work for a long time.

Why does glycol disappear? Some people fill the underfloor installations with glycol. Check the pump specification carefully.
You only need to know that glycol is a slightly worse heat transfer medium than water, it has a lower specific heat than water. Well, but if there is a high risk of freezing the installation, then there is no choice.
I just don't know why some people use glycol unnecessarily, even if there is no risk of freezing the installation. One that the cost is much higher and two that the efficiency of the system decreases. Properly treated water is best.

In principle, to prevent the water from freezing in the system, it is enough to ensure its continuous circulation. Most anti-freeze systems in heat pumps are based on this. Plus, possibly minimal heating. I don't know how much frost it would have to be outside and how long it would last for the underfloor heating to freeze with a properly insulated house. As long as constant water circulation is ensured.
So just think about supporting the circulation pump with some UPS. While the main problem is the risk of freezing and damage to the installation. However, if you want to heat the house with a pump even in the absence of mains power, it's a different story, you need a large aggregate, as colleagues have already proposed here. But it is pointless, completely uneconomic and unjustified. It is better for such emergency situations to make a fireplace at home with warm air distribution or a nice goat. Even outside of power outages, it will make time more pleasant and allow you to save some money.
And in the garage, also keep a tourist gas cylinder in case of emergency to boil water.

From what you pasted, a 5-7kW generator is enough for you, single-phase because you have such a PC, the power of the generator must be greater due to its hard start, unless it's an inverter, but I doubt it. Do not push the switching machines, because you would have to have a generator with an autostart. Manual is enough, for this some small ups for lighting so as not to look for a flashlight and hit the generator and the switch.

Buy any 3-4kW generator and instead of powering the heat pump, power some small portable radiators with a fan.