Fan coils with a heat pump: when to choose them, what water temperature they need and how they cool
“Fancoil aerotermia” is searched 1,900 times a month in Spain, “klimakonwektor do pompy ciepła” 1,000 in Poland, “ventilo convecteur pac air eau” 880 in France; in the UK “heat pump fan coil” 70. A fan coil is the emitter that heats quickly and in summer cools and removes humidity. Here is when it makes sense compared with underfloor heating and radiators.
01
What a fan coil is
It is a water heat exchanger with a small fan that pushes room air through the fins. The fan multiplies heat transfer: that is why a fan coil heats with cooler water than a radiator, and the heat pump uses less. How the unit works is in the article on how it works.
02
In winter: it heats quickly
Underfloor heating is slow because it stores heat; a fan coil brings a room up to temperature in minutes. It suits rooms used for a few hours and places where the floor cannot be redone. The price is the hum of the fan, which is barely audible at low speed. Underfloor heating is on the page on underfloor heating, radiators in the article on radiators.
03
In summer: it cools and dehumidifies
In summer a fan coil works with water at around 7 °C: it cools more than the floor and removes humidity from the room, with a condensate drain. It costs some efficiency: the Kita X works at EER 3.21 at 7 °C, against 4.88 with the 18 °C water of underfloor cooling. The full comparison is in the article on cooling.
04
How our unit controls them
With our heat pumps, fan coils are driven by the T-Fan module of the HCC electronics, at continuous speed or three speeds, up to twelve units; each room asks through its sensor and the unit responds. The whole system is in the article on system control.
05
When to choose them
Fan coils make sense where summer cooling is wanted and there is no underfloor heating, in rooms used for a few hours, in offices; they are often combined with underfloor heating to dehumidify in summer. As always the system must be balanced, as we explain in the article on balancing. For an opinion, ask us for information.
06
Frequently asked questions
Do fan coils work with a heat pump?
Yes: thanks to the fan they heat with cooler water than radiators, and in summer they cool and dehumidify with water at around 7 °C.
Fan coils or underfloor heating?
Underfloor is more efficient (in summer the Kita X works at EER 4.88 with underfloor and 3.21 with fan coils) and silent; fan coils heat faster, dehumidify and can be fitted without redoing the floor.
Are fan coils noisy?
You hear the fan, little at low speed. With continuous speed control the fan only runs as fast as needed.
What water temperature do fan coils use in summer?
Around 7 °C: they cool and remove humidity, and the condensate has to be drained.
Can fan coils and underfloor heating be used together?
Yes, often: the floor heats and cools gently, the fan coils remove humidity in summer and give quick heat where needed.
How are fan coils controlled with a heat pump?
With our units they are driven by the T-Fan module of the HCC electronics, at continuous speed or three speeds, up to twelve, according to each room’s demand.
All the technical tips are on the series page.
