Daikin heat pump Altherma 3 H HT 16kW review

Daikin is a Japanese brand, like Panasonic, created in 1924 and really specialized in air conditioning and heat pumps

Daikin is at the forefront of research and development into the refrigerant at the heart of all heat pumps. In 2017 they launched the first heat pump powered by R32, a new refrigerant they developed that aims to be much more environmentally friendly than its predecessor R410A.

If you are in France, Switzerland or BelgiumYou can get a free quote with this trick below.

It's a small revolution in the world of heating and air conditioning, thanks to the fact that the heat pump's carbon footprint is divided by almost 3.

And this famous R32 heat pump is the one we're interested in here, and on which we give our opinion.

This is the Daikin Altherma 3 H HT R32 heat pump.

This model is increasingly found in heat pump in Switzerland since 2019.

This is a bi-bloc model, i.e. in 2 parts. It's known as a Hydrosplit, because the outdoor unit contains the entire hermetic refrigeration circuit, in keeping with Daikin's desire to provide the best possible service. anticipate EN 378 (2017), which limits the refrigerant charge that can be installed, and to protect home occupants and maintenance personnel.

3 indoor units are possible:

• The wall unit which includes the hydraulic kit for heating the house. Cooling option, and possibility of connecting a remote domestic hot water boiler.
• The free-standing unitwith the hydraulic kit and with the integrated DHW boiler. Refreshment option available
• The free-standing unitwith hydraulic kit, integrated DHW boiler, and connection to the panels solar thermal.

Daikin Altherma 3 H HT : its Aesthetics

• The outdoor unit is very modern, delivered in a classy black.
• Daikin has made an effort to conceal the fan on the front of the outdoor unit. This comes from an acoustic optimization effort, as the human mind associates the sight of a fan with noise, even if there isn't any. So it's a psychological optimization.
• The indoor unit resembles a large refrigerator, and fits neatly into any living space.

Performance of the Daikin Altherma 3 H HT 16kW R32 (+ size 14 and 18)

In fact, when we talk about 16kW, we are talking about the Daikin Altherma size 16, but it doesn't really deliver 16kW, well, we'll have to see depending on the conditions (in any case not at -7°C).

In all, we have 3 models that offer 3 powers around 10kW:

Model	EPRA14DW1	EPRA16DW1	EPRA18DW1	COP
Power (kW) A-7/W60*	10,2	11,2	12,1	2,05
Power (kW) A-7/W65*	9,8	11,3	11,9	1,8
Power (kW) A-7/W70*	8,8	9,9	11	1,77

COP values are low, BUT we're talking about high temperatures! over 60°C and up to 70°C. You really need this temperature if you don't want to replace your old radiators! All new radiators operate at lower temperatures (50 to 55°C max.).

In terms of COP, the most important data to observe is the SCOP. This is the average COP over the year. So we take the different seasons and their influence into account.

In the technical data, the SCOP for a water outlet at 60°C is not given, but it should be around 3, which is good. At 55°C, it's around 3.6, which means you'd pay just 1 kW of electricity to generate 3.6 kW of heat for your home.

*A for Air: the air temperature is -7°C, and W for Wasser (water in German): the water temperature is 60°C (line 1) or 65°C (line 2) or 70°C (line 3).

The heat pump can operate in 2 zones. For example, if you have radiators in one part of your home, and underfloor heating in the other, you'll need to manage two different temperatures (e.g. 55°C for radiators, and 35°C for underfloor heating). This is possible with the Altherma 3 H HT.

Acoustics

The acoustic power emitted by the external group is a big point of this model! With 54dBA we are clearly of sound power, it will be very little audible. And this heat pump will easily meet the recommendations of the Cercle Bruit on decibels.

Daikin has insisted on this feature, and as discussed in the design section, they have reworked the facade so that its psychological impact on our perception of noise is as low as possible. The idea is to create a shape and color that inspires silence, which probably produces a kind of placebo effect, making us imagine that there's even less noise than in reality.

Price of a Daikin Altherma 3H HT

MODEL	PRICE CHF EXCL.
ETVH16S18D9W + EPRA14DW1	11’500.-
ETVH16S18D9W + EPRA16DW1	12’500.-
ETVH16S18D9W + EPRA18DW1	13’500.-

*These prices are approximate and represent a fairly high price range. They vary from installer to installer, but should not be too far off. These prices only cover the supply of equipment. A Bi-Bloc heat pump: exterior + interior. Piping and other hydraulic accessories are not included, and represent a substantial part of the overall installation. A heat pump installation of this kind costs a minimum of CHF 25,000 to CHF 33,000.

Grants are available in all cantons.

Availability

This type of heat pump is available at most heating and air conditioning wholesalers in Switzerland.

For example, the wholesaler Clim Diffusion offers this heat pump to various heat pump installers in French-speaking Switzerland.

The Daikin Altherma heat pump at Clim Diffusion is listed under PAC System Module for example, as you can see under this link. This ensures that you meet the conditions for subsidies in Switzerland, provided the application is made correctly.

In the Geneva and Vaud regions, and to a lesser extent in the other cantons of French-speaking Switzerland, you may have to deal with companies that source their products from France. The heat pump may not be referenced in the PAC Système Module, even if it's the same model in every respect as the one a Swiss supplier would offer. If the supplier is not PAC Système Module "certified", you risk not obtaining the subsidy, which is a way of closing the system to the Swiss market...

Regulation

The regulation is called Madoka. It's very modern, and available in 3 sober colors: white, gray and black! This control unit blends in perfectly with the very modern interiors of new buildings or renovations.

You can:

• Choose the operating mode: hot, cold, auto.
• Set ambient air temperature
• Set domestic hot water temperature
• Set the boost mode of the DHW tank

Plus, like most modern heat pumps, you're going to be able to control everything from your Natel thanks to Daikin's apps.

This Residential Controller App from Daikin allows you to do a lot remotely:

• Get an overview of your indoor climate data
• Control by voice, thanks to Amazon Alexa or the Google Assistant
• Control the temperature of each room, if your installation allows it
• Planning for heating and hot water
• Track your energy consumption, and over time find sources of savings

Dimensions (Daikin Altherma 3H HT heat pump dimensions)

Outdoor unit

Click on image to enlarge

The outdoor unit has compact dimensions: 1270 x 1020 x 530 mm. They meet the standards of modern outdoor heat pumps. Perfect for integration under a window, for example. Bear in mind that you'll need at least another twenty centimetres between the wall and the heat pump to ensure minimum access to the piping.

Indoor unit

The indoor unit is also rather compact, resembling a large refrigerator: 1880 x 634 x 597 mm. It fits perfectly into even the smallest equipment room.

Click below to view larger dimensions

Technical highlights ?️‍♂️

The heat pump uses a new refrigerant gas, R32, which is much less polluting for the environment. Here's a brief reminder of the advantages of R32 gas:

Its Global Warming Potential (GWP) is 3 times lower than R410A, the latest reference gas

• It is not highly flammable
• It has a low toxicity
• Impact on ozone layer ODP = 0
• Enthalpy > R410A
• Performance > R410A
• Approx. -30% gas charge requirement compared to R410A
• Cost R32 > Cost R410A

The dual-injection scroll compressor delivers hot water outlet temperatures of up to 70°C at -15°C outside air. The COP is very poor, of course...probably 1.5, but it works.

To further improve acoustics, the compressor is encased in 3 layers of soundproofing and a vibration-limiting plate.

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Daikin Altherma 3H HT Technical Data Sheet / Manual

Here you will find all the information you need about the Daikin Altherma 3? technical documentation.

Many technical data on Daikin Altherma heat pumps are available on the Daikin Technical Data Hub

VIEW DAIKIN ALTHERMA 3H HT DOCUMENTATION

SEE THE TECHNICAL MANUAL DAIKIN ALTHERMA 3H HT

The Daikin product page is very well constructed

Daikin Altherma 3 ht heat pump review: Overall

The Daikin Altherma 3 H HT heat pump has a very modern appearance that makes it a desirable product. The brand is very strong on this point in terms of marketing. The regulation gives a very high tech impression.

The SCOP is correct, at around 3, so energy savings should be on the cards by the end of the year, compared with your pure electric, oil or gas system. Pay attention to the setting of the emergency electric heater: at what temperature does it switch on? This could significantly increase your consumption!

This CAP is a mid-range model that is affordable for most homeowners in Switzerland, especially with the increasing subsidies in recent years.

After-sales service will depend on the installer you work with for the installation, or even the supplier if this is offered directly by the latter, which is common in Switzerland.

How is a Daikin heat pump installed? As if you were there

This video from Daikin France shows you how an installer dismantles your boiler and installs a heat pump in your garden. The heat pump model doesn't quite match the heat pump on this page, but the principle is the same. The video is really detailed: you can see everything. (tip: play it x2 if you don't have 17 minutes to spare)

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