Heat Pumps: anyone have one/thought about it?
- Thread starter fish
- Start date
Associate
- Joined
- 28 Mar 2004
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- 1,989
Most likely are yes. I've just got one eye on the age of the system and for £700, if I can get the batteries to power it somewhat they surely it's win win
Soldato
I had a quick look at this and immediately discounted a heat pump install.
I am in a modern home so the insulation and central heating "infrastructure" would be ok (maybe bigger rads) however I have no reasonable space for a HW cylinder without running new pipework all over the house to go from HP to cylinder and then back to the various outlets.
The fact they need a HW cylinder makes a HP a pretty unreasonable change. Gas combi for me for the time being.
I am in a modern home so the insulation and central heating "infrastructure" would be ok (maybe bigger rads) however I have no reasonable space for a HW cylinder without running new pipework all over the house to go from HP to cylinder and then back to the various outlets.
The fact they need a HW cylinder makes a HP a pretty unreasonable change. Gas combi for me for the time being.
Don’t forget air to water is not the only game in town. Air to air is also a very viable option, is used extensively in the states and is actually more efficient than air to water. Tepio heat stores offer viable high temperature solutions using cheap off peak electricity.
Hot water can be achieved using other means but in reality, most low energy/low running cost hot water solutions need a cylinder of some kind somewhere. I’ve seen people out these in unheated outhouses, garages etc so they don’t necessarily need to be in the house itself.
Hot water can be achieved using other means but in reality, most low energy/low running cost hot water solutions need a cylinder of some kind somewhere. I’ve seen people out these in unheated outhouses, garages etc so they don’t necessarily need to be in the house itself.
Soldato
Bit of a pita to install a forced air system though!
Air to air isn’t necessarily a central forced air system. Using normal ‘air conditioning’ multi splits is more typical for a retrofit.
Upstairs can be handled by a single or multiple loft mount units and the rest use normal wall units in each room.
The bonus is they cool as well as heat, modern ones can also heat water cylinders also if you want.
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Whoever started the myth that removing cylinders was an upgrade needs to be shot
(not pointed at you, I just know a lot of folk who thought that way).
Soldato
Ah yeah of course, sorry. Being dense!
It would be a lot easier for us than to re-plumb the house.
Soldato
I would be interested in changing to a heat pump but I feel the cost and the install required would be too high/complex.
I would need to change rads, lose some garden space to the pump itself as well as lose a cupboard for a HWC. This would then require pipework to go from the rear of the house at ground level to the HWC in the upstairs cupboard at the other end of the house before piping it back to the HW system for the kitchen and bathrooms.
No other place to put a HWC
I would need to change rads, lose some garden space to the pump itself as well as lose a cupboard for a HWC. This would then require pipework to go from the rear of the house at ground level to the HWC in the upstairs cupboard at the other end of the house before piping it back to the HW system for the kitchen and bathrooms.
No other place to put a HWC
What you’ve described sounds like a pretty normal retrofit.
The pipes could be ran from the outdoor unit, though the loft to the HWC. They’ll probably lift a few bits of floor and re-configure the heating circuit to bypass the existing boiler and make a new start/end at a new location where the cylinder is going.
The pipes could be ran from the outdoor unit, though the loft to the HWC. They’ll probably lift a few bits of floor and re-configure the heating circuit to bypass the existing boiler and make a new start/end at a new location where the cylinder is going.
Associate
Combi on demand hot water is way more efficient if your hot water use is low to moderate. Plus without any Legionnaires' to worry about you can have the hot water as low as you like. Mines set to 42c.Whoever started the myth that removing cylinders was an upgrade needs to be shot
It was for us.Whoever started the myth that removing cylinders was an upgrade needs to be shot
We got hot water when we want it and not when we don't.
We gained much needed useful space.
Absolutely zero downside for us.
Soldato
Soldato
If you have a modern system the losses from a tank of water is so low its hardly going to be noticeable.
Its technically incorrect in regards Legionnaires as well.
If you do not fully flush ALL the hot water pipes regularly then it can still be in the system.
Its much lower risk, but its not eliminated by simply having a combi, especially if your a very low user so probably not getting the whole system properly hot regularly.
You want water to be proper hot or proper cold to kill it. Tepid water is the problem.
Associate
Yeah if you have dead legs, it can be a problem, but you shouldn't really have those in most properties.
But other than that it's just not an issue since it's always fresh water coming in.
Show me your gas bill and I'll show you mine
Associate
Bit pointless since it's impossible to know how much hot water we've used.
Soldato
Done
(Last full month is July as the meter reader came round in Sept and took gas half way through Sept and house was empty for 2 weeks in August)
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I didn't want to play this game anywayDone
(Last full month is July as the meter reader came round in Sept and took gas half way through Sept and house was empty for 2 weeks in August)
Do you not shower?