At Chillventa 2026 in Nuremberg, Italian manufacturer Euroklimat displayed a propane (R290) heat pump that integrates a hydraulic separator designed to simplify heat pump retrofits of boilers in commercial and residential buildings.
Euroklimat’s hydraulic separator decouples two circuits: the heat pump circulates its own primary high-flow loop, while the building’s existing pipework continues to carry the lower flow it was designed for, avoiding the need to replace it.
Controls modulate flow to maintain the required water outlet temperature; another compressor can boost output during defrost. The system detects refrigerant in the water if a heat exchanger fails, adding a safety measure for propane systems.
This design simplifies heat pump retrofits of boilers in buildings by allowing each side of the system to run at its optimal flow rate.
“This heat pump is for boiler replacement,” said Alessandro Valbusa, Technical Manager, Euroklimat, adding that the initial target is the U.K. market. He spoke to NaturalRefrigerants.com at the Euroklimat booth, where the unit was on display.
The unit offers up to 600kw (171TR) of cooling capacity but its main focus is heating, with capacities ranging from 100 to 800kW (28.4 to 227.5TR), said Valbusa. It includes four independent circuits and controllers, designed as an all-in-one modular solution. He noted that the displayed unit offered 400kW covering ambient temperatures from −10 to 45°C (14 to 113°F).
At Chillventa in 2024, Euroklimat CEO Michele Bedin said that since producing its first propane unit in 2006, the company had installed more than 3,000 chillers and heat pumps in Europe – as well as close to 20 in the Australian market. Valbusa said that sales are increasing every year but he could not provide specific numbers.
