Dimplex launches EDL200 and EDL270 hot water heat pumps

Dimplex launched the EDL200 and EDL270 hot water heat pumps on 10 December 2024, describing them as a lower carbon alternative to electric immersion heaters for smaller electrically heated properties¹. The units are approved for use in the UK under Building Regulations Part G3 unvented hot water storage systems¹.

The hot water heat pumps come in two cylinder sizes, 200 litres and 270 litres, and use an integrated compressor to draw energy for hot water production from external air through insulated ductwork¹. Dimplex says they use up to three times less electricity than direct acting water heaters¹. The stainless steel cylinder carries a five-year guarantee¹.

Dimplex names the intended market as smaller, electrically heated properties including apartments, social housing, student accommodation and retirement living, and says the units suit new build properties and cylinder upgrade projects¹. The company states that domestic hot water heat pumps are already a proven technology in France and other EU countries, and that they can significantly reduce the dwelling emission rate compared with a direct electric cylinder¹. According to Dimplex, this means developers can achieve Part L compliance while still specifying electric panel heaters and/or off-peak electric heating appliances, which it says can be cheaper to install¹.

The unit is described as having a compact design with a high-performance rotary compressor mounted on anti-vibration pads, intended to keep noise to a minimum¹. Christian Hadley, product marketing manager at Dimplex, said:

"As Building Regulations have evolved, there has been a greater emphasis on carbon reduction and the Target Emission Rate is now less than 60 per cent of what it was in 2002."

Hadley added that this has made it harder to specify electric heating despite benefits he listed as low installation costs, increased design flexibility and reduced heating bills when maintenance of alternative systems such as gas is taken into account¹. He said it is no longer cost effective to keep reducing carbon emissions by reducing heating loads or adding more photovoltaics, and that architects and specifiers must instead improve a property's SAP rating through electric hot water appliances¹.

Why it matters for households

For a home heated by electricity rather than gas, hot water is often the largest single draw on the supply, because a direct immersion heater converts electricity to heat at roughly one unit of heat per unit of electricity. A hot water heat pump moves heat from outside air into the cylinder instead, so the same volume of hot water can be produced from less purchased electricity, which is the basis of Dimplex's three times claim¹. For a household already on an off-peak or time-of-use tariff, that reduction applies to the electricity the cylinder consumes, though the sources do not give running costs, efficiencies or tariff figures.

The product is aimed at smaller electrically heated properties, a category that includes flats and social housing where a gas connection may not exist or may not be practical¹. Because the cylinder is unvented and approved under Part G3, it falls into the same regulatory class as a conventional unvented cylinder, which matters for installation in flats and other buildings where a vented tank and header tank are not feasible¹. Dimplex positions the unit as a way for developers to keep electric panel heaters or off-peak electric heating while meeting Part L, rather than switching the whole heating system¹. No independent performance data, price or installer availability has been reported.

What happens next

Dimplex has not set out a date for wider availability, pricing or installer training in the material published on 10 December 2024¹.

Sources1 cited

1. Address regulations with electric water heating | Dimplex, dimplex.co.uk