The heating circulation pump is the heart of any wet heating system. It pushes hot water from your boiler, heat pump or buffer tank out to radiators, underfloor heating loops and hot water cylinders, then pulls it back to be reheated. Pick the wrong one and you get cold radiators, noisy pipework and wasted electricity. Pick the right one and you barely know it is there.
This guide covers every type of heating pump we stock at AIZO Quality Heating, from £47 domestic circulators to the commercial Grundfos MAGNA1 range. We group the pumps by application, highlight a standout model from each brand, and compare them side by side so you can choose with confidence, whether you are a homeowner replacing a failed pump or an installer specifying a plant room.
How to choose a central heating circulating pump
Pump model names look cryptic, but they follow a simple pattern. Take the Grundfos MAGNA1 25-60: 25 is the nominal connection size (DN25), 60 is the maximum head in decimetres (6 metres), and the port to port length, usually 130mm or 180mm, is listed separately. Wilo writes it slightly differently: the Yonos PICO 25/1-6 has a head range of 1 to 6 metres. Once you can read the name, choosing comes down to four checks.
Measure the port to port length
Measure between the two pump unions. Most UK domestic pumps are 130mm; larger domestic and light commercial pumps are 180mm. Flanged commercial pumps (marked "F") are longer still.
Match the head
Head is the pressure the pump can generate, in metres. A typical 3 to 4 bedroom home runs happily on a 6m pump. Long pipe runs, many zones or underfloor manifolds may need 7 to 8m.
Check what the pump will carry
Sealed and open heating circuits suit cast iron pumps. Domestic hot water (drinkable water) must use a bronze, brass or stainless steel pump to avoid corrosion.
Pick the control mode
Proportional pressure suits radiators with TRVs, constant pressure suits underfloor manifolds, and fixed speed is useful for commissioning. Auto modes adapt on their own.
Why high efficiency circulators are now the norm
Since the EU Ecodesign rules for standalone glandless circulators came into force, new heating pumps sold in the UK must hit an Energy Efficiency Index (EEI) of 0.23 or lower. Every pump in our range meets that bar. The best go further:
- Permanent magnet motors with built in frequency converters adjust speed to demand, so the pump idles when radiators are satisfied.
- The Grundfos MAGNA1 reaches an EEI of 0.20 or lower, with power draw on the 25-60 ranging from just 9W up to 92W.
- Canned (wet) rotor designs have no shaft seal to fail and are lubricated by the system water, so they need no routine servicing.
- Lower running costs matter most on heat pump systems, where the circulator runs for long hours at low flow temperatures.
Heating pump comparison: one standout model per brand
Here is how our featured pumps compare at a glance. Prices are inc. VAT at the time of writing; check each product page for the latest price and stock.
| Model | Brand | Best application | Max head | Port length | Body | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAGNA1 25-60 | Grundfos | Large homes, light commercial, GSHP loops | 6 m | 180mm | Cast iron | £770 |
| MAGNA1 40-100 F | Grundfos | Commercial plant rooms | 10 m | Flanged DN40 | Cast iron | £1,770 |
| Yonos PICO 25/1-6 130 | Wilo | Domestic radiator systems | 6 m | 130mm | Cast iron | £123 |
| Evosta3 60/130 | DAB | Domestic replacement on a budget | 6 m | 130mm | Cast iron | £99 |
| Ecocirc M 25-6/130 N | Lowara | Domestic hot water return | 6 m | 130mm | Stainless steel | £159 |
| MP200A | Salus | Domestic heating, lowest cost upgrade | 4 to 6 m | 130mm | Cast iron | £75 |
| Pulse Trade 25/60-130 | Stuart Turner | Heating and underfloor heating | 6 m | 130mm | Cast iron | £49.95 |
| B3 15/6-130 Bronze | BritTherm | Domestic hot water return | 6 m | 130mm | Bronze | £115 |
| CEH25-60/130 | Onyx | Emergency domestic replacement | 6 m | 130mm | Cast iron | £47 |
| K11692 25/6-130 | KeyPlumb | Budget domestic upgrade, 5-year warranty | 6 m | 130mm | Cast iron | £69 |
★ marks our top pick. Always confirm port length and connections against your existing pump before ordering.
Heating pumps by application
Not every circulator suits every job. Below we split our range into four application groups, with the key models for each.
1. Domestic central heating: radiators with gas, oil or electric boilers
This is the biggest category and where most homeowners start. The Wilo Yonos PICO and DAB Evosta3 are installer favourites for good reason: both are compact, quiet and simple to set. Budget options from Salus, Onyx and KeyPlumb cover emergency swaps, while Grundfos offers the ALPHA2 GO 25-75 (£230) and UPM3 AUTO 25-70 (£137) for those who want the Grundfos name at domestic scale.
Wilo
Yonos PICO 25/1-6 130
A glandless high efficiency circulator with an adjustable 1 to 6m head and a 130mm body that fits most UK homes. Quiet running and simple dial setup make it an easy like-for-like upgrade.
£123.00 inc. VAT
DAB
Evosta3 60/130
An electronic wet rotor circulator with a digital display for clear setup. At under £100 it is one of the best value 6m, 130mm pumps for boiler and radiator systems.
£99.00 inc. VAT
Salus
MP200A A-Rated Circulating Pump
A permanent magnet, variable speed pump with a selectable 4 to 6m head. A low cost way to replace an old fixed speed pump and cut electricity use straight away.
£75.00 inc. VAT
Onyx
CEH25-60/130 High Efficiency Pump
Our lowest priced A-rated circulator, with a 6m head and 130mm body. Ideal for landlords and installers who need a dependable replacement fast.
£47.00 inc. VAT
KeyPlumb
K11692 A-Rated 25/6-130 Pump
A permanent magnet circulator with variable and fixed speed modes, a 6m head and a plug-in power connector, so there is no terminal box to open. Backed by a 5-year warranty.
£69.00 inc. VAT
2. Underfloor heating and heat pump systems
Underfloor heating loops run at low temperatures for long hours, which makes a variable speed pump with constant pressure mode the smart choice. Most air source heat pumps have their own internal pump for the primary circuit, but systems with a buffer tank or several zones often need a second circulator on the heating side. The Stuart Turner Pulse Trade is built for exactly this, and the Lowara Ecocirc L 25-8/130 (£143) adds extra head for larger manifolds.
Stuart Turner
Pulse Trade 25/60-130
A high efficiency 130mm circulator designed for both radiator and underfloor heating circuits. Currently at a substantial discount, it is exceptional value for UFH manifolds and mixing loops.
£110.00£49.95 inc. VAT
Grundfos
MAGNA1 25-60 (180mm)
A premium permanent magnet circulator rated for ground source heat pump circuits and secondary mixing loops. Proportional pressure, constant pressure or fixed speed at the push of a button.
£770.00 inc. VAT
3. Domestic hot water (DHW) secondary return
Never fit a cast iron heating pump on a hot water return: oxygen-rich mains water will corrode it. Our DHW range includes the Lowara Ecocirc M in stainless steel, the BritTherm B3 in bronze, the Wilo Yonos PICO-Z 25/0,5-6 in stainless steel (£159), the Stuart Turner ST 15/60 B-130 bronze (£199), and the Grundfos COMFORT 15-14 B T brass pump (£207) with a built in timer.
Lowara
Ecocirc M 25-6/130 N Stainless Steel
A variable speed circulator with a stainless steel body, suitable for domestic hot water return loops. Italian engineering from Xylem, with a 6m head and a compact 130mm body.
£199.00£159.00 inc. VAT
BritTherm
B3 15/6-130 Bronze Circulator
A bronze bodied circulator with nine selectable programmes, built for hot water secondary return and mixed systems. A cost effective alternative to premium DHW pumps.
£115.00 inc. VAT
4. Large homes and commercial heating: the Grundfos MAGNA1 range
The Grundfos MAGNA1 is the go-to circulator when a domestic pump simply is not big enough. Every model shares the same core: a permanent magnet motor with a built in frequency converter, three control modes (proportional pressure, constant pressure and fixed speed), a maintenance free canned rotor, a cast iron PN10 pump housing, and a fault relay plus digital start/stop input for basic building management systems. What changes across the range is connection size and head.
Threaded models (25-60, 25-80, 25-100, 32-60, 32-80, 32-100) use a 180mm body. Flanged "F" models (32-80 F, 32-100 F, 40-80 F, 40-100 F) bolt into commercial pipework. Here are four MAGNA1 pumps that cover most jobs:
Grundfos MAGNA1
MAGNA1 25-60
The entry point to the range: 6m head, 7.5 m³/h max flow and 9 to 92W power draw. A drop in replacement for older 180mm fixed speed circulators in large homes.
£770.00 inc. VAT
Grundfos MAGNA1
MAGNA1 32-80
Steps up to a DN32 connection and 8m head for bigger flow demands. Suits large detached homes, small apartment blocks and light commercial buildings.
£970.00 inc. VAT
Grundfos MAGNA1
MAGNA1 32-100 F
A flanged DN32 pump with a 10m head for commercial circuits with long runs or high resistance. Bolts straight into flanged plant room pipework.
£1,230.00 inc. VAT
Grundfos MAGNA1
MAGNA1 40-100 F
The largest MAGNA1 we stock: DN40 flanged, 10m head, PN6/10 rated. Built for schools, offices, care homes and district heating branches.
£1,770.00 inc. VAT
Looking for a commercial alternative? The Stuart Turner Pulse 40/80-F220 (£729) offers a DN40 flanged, 8m head option, and the BritTherm P1 32/12-180 (£175) delivers up to 12m head in a threaded 180mm body.
Grundfos MAGNA1 range compared
Every MAGNA1 model we stock, side by side. The first number is the connection size (DN), the second is maximum head in decimetres.
| Model | Connection | Max head | Fit | Typical use | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAGNA1 25-60 | DN25 threaded | 6 m | 180mm | Large homes, GSHP loops | £770 |
| MAGNA1 25-80 | DN25 threaded | 8 m | 180mm | Larger homes, longer runs | £850 |
| MAGNA1 25-100 | DN25 threaded | 10 m | 180mm | High resistance circuits | £950 |
| MAGNA1 32-60 | DN32 threaded | 6 m | 180mm | Higher flow, moderate head | £930 |
| MAGNA1 32-80 | DN32 threaded | 8 m | 180mm | Small blocks, light commercial | £970 |
| MAGNA1 32-100 | DN32 threaded | 10 m | 180mm | Light commercial, long runs | £1,100 |
| MAGNA1 32-80 F | DN32 flanged | 8 m | Flanged | Commercial plant rooms | £997 |
| MAGNA1 32-100 F | DN32 flanged | 10 m | Flanged | Commercial, high resistance | £1,230 |
| MAGNA1 40-80 F | DN40 flanged | 8 m | Flanged | Larger commercial buildings | £1,570 |
| MAGNA1 40-100 F | DN40 flanged | 10 m | Flanged | Schools, offices, care homes | £1,770 |
Shared across the range: permanent magnet motor, three control modes, PN10 cast iron housing, fault relay and start/stop input, 230V single phase supply.
Complete the job
A new pump performs best in a clean, well protected system. These are the parts installers most often add at the same time.
Boiler filters
A magnetic filter catches the sludge that seizes pump rotors, and is the best insurance for a new circulator.
Power flushing
Clean out old systems before fitting a new pump, especially if the old one failed from debris.
Heating expansion vessels
Keep sealed system pressure stable, which protects the pump and prevents pressure related faults.
Plumbing valves
Isolating pump valves make future servicing and replacement a five minute job instead of a full drain down.
Heating pump FAQs
What size central heating pump do I need?
Start with your existing pump. Match the port to port length (usually 130mm or 180mm) and choose the same or slightly higher head. For most 3 to 4 bedroom UK homes, a 6m, 130mm high efficiency pump such as the Wilo Yonos PICO 25/1-6 or DAB Evosta3 60/130 is the right size.
What does 15-50 or 25-60 mean on a circulating pump?
The first number is the nominal connection size and the second is the maximum head. Grundfos, DAB and Onyx give head in decimetres, so 60 means 6 metres. A 15-50 pump has a smaller nominal connection and up to 5 metres of head.
Is the Grundfos MAGNA1 suitable for a house?
The threaded MAGNA1 25-60 is designed for domestic and light commercial systems and suits large homes with high flow demands or ground source heat pump circuits. For a typical home, a 130mm domestic circulator is usually enough and far cheaper.
Can I use a heating pump for hot water?
No. Standard heating pumps have cast iron bodies that corrode in drinkable water. Hot water secondary return loops need a bronze, brass or stainless steel pump such as the Lowara Ecocirc M, BritTherm B3 bronze or Wilo Yonos PICO-Z.
Do heat pumps need a separate circulating pump?
Most air source heat pumps include an internal pump for the primary circuit. A second circulator is usually needed when the system has a buffer tank, a low loss header, multiple zones or an underfloor heating manifold with its own mixing loop.
How do I know if my central heating pump is failing?
Common signs are cold radiators while the boiler is firing, a humming or grinding noise, a pump that is hot but not moving water, or a boiler that locks out on overheat. Check the pump is not simply seized from sludge before replacing it, and fit a filter with the new pump.
How much electricity does a heating pump use?
Modern variable speed pumps typically draw between a few watts and around 45W in domestic sizes. Older fixed speed pumps often draw 60 to 100W continuously. Larger commercial pumps like the MAGNA1 25-60 range from 9 to 92W depending on demand.
Not sure which pump fits your system?
Send us a photo of your existing pump label or your system spec and our team will match the right circulator, often the same day.
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