Renewable heat systems

[Woody3]

halo34 said:

What is the Per Kwh cost of oil vs anything else just now out of interest?

I haven't yet gone ahead with biomass as getting onto RHI seems a pain in the ass and still not 100% convinced.

According to that chart, with the price we've just paid for 1400 litres, oil works out at 3.25p per kWh.

Touch wood, over the past 5 years of using oil, it hasn't lived up to its "it costs a fortune, get anything but" that lots of people seem to think.

Having said that we've just installed a 400 litre thermal store as we are connecting a multi fuel boiler stove later in the year, as we get free wood, so our heating costs should hopefully fall further.

Edited by Woody3 on Thursday 29th January 13:05

[jason61c]

halo34 said:

It covers around 70% of the install cost for me unfortunately, so different basis. Don't want to derail thread tho so hope OP gets sorted

Though I am curious why it took 12 months to get payments?

They didn't start the scheme till April, you've then got to apply, then wait 3 months for the first payment.

For It took 5 mins to apply and be accepted in December.

[halo34]

jason61c said:

They didn't start the scheme till April, you've then got to apply, then wait 3 months for the first payment.

For It took 5 mins to apply and be accepted in December.

I see - I have a surveyor certification exempting me from cavity wall insulation so hopefully wont have any issues.

[illmonkey]

Incoming update from the missus:

He's already uncovered some shockingly dangerous wiring. Live cables just tucked behind a panel with the live bits wrapped in duct tape. The pump is wired into a plug, so it's running 100% of the time.

I should sue the previous owners, so many things have had to be fixed.

[illmonkey]

And the report:

pump not big enough
flow rate indicator dirty, can't see water
water temp thermostat in wrong place
LIVE cable - covered in duct tape
"Eco" swtich - Not sure what it's for!
motor not regulated, straight into power, constantly on
need a timer in this for legionnaires
needs overflow pipe

Wouldn't give a price on site, Seems they may as well tear the install out and start again!

[GetCarter]

GSHP has saved me a fortune on a 6 bed property over the past 9 years. Paying much less than half I was on a 5 bed property before.

Can't comment on ASHP, but they are less efficient than GSHP, but much less to install.

[guindilias]

Yep, we only install GSHP where there is a big area to heat, and a big area/lake/stream to throw the slinky into!
OP, sounds like your ASHP was picked up by the homeowner cheap and self-installed - no installer in his right mind would select that pump and install it like that!
I'd suggest using it for 1 or 2 of your main rooms, and sticking in a little Kabin Pak oil boiler for the rest - sits outside and is totally self-contained, we put them in domestic sized properties all the time.
http://www.warmflow.co.uk/products/boilers/k-serie...

[illmonkey]

Surely I'd then need an oil tank or something?

The house stays warm fine with the system we've got, add in the fire and all of the holes I've plugged and there is no issue, apart from it not swapping between heat and water.

[guindilias]

You'll need your immersion to bop on overnight to bring the water up high enough to kill off legionella - even an hour should do it. Have the system timed right and try and keep the house draught free and you should see a big improvement - particularly as the poor thing seems to have been thrashing away 24H a day!
Incidentally, I have a gas-powered air sourcedheat pump (uses a Micra engine running on natural gas!), 35kW installed at a building in Belfast and have just been told that it's frozen up for some reason - time to send the contractors down to sort that, it's still under guarantee!
And aye, for an oil boiler you would need a tank - they aren't crazy money though, and there are usually plenty around secondhand if you look. A 500l one would probably suit you fine, if you find the ASHP is freezing up constantly - along with one of those Kabin Paks, you could fit the lot in a day...

[guindilias]

That reminds me - we did a massive GSHP install (borehole based, pumping water through porous rock into 6 boreholes each 200ft deep, and sucking it out about 100ft away through 6 holes the same).
The geotechnical boys took core samples all over the place, said it was sandstone, ideal permeable rock for it... they missed the 3 inch layer of impermeable slate between the flow and return boreholes!
Those got cemented up quick sharpish, and a boiler and chiller system installed! Cost a bloody fortune.

GetCarter said:

GSHP has saved me a fortune on a 6 bed property over the past 9 years. Paying much less than half I was on a 5 bed property before.

Can't comment on ASHP, but they are less efficient than GSHP, but much less to install.

[illmonkey]

£385+VAT to fix it. Hopefully next week, gladly, as I'm fed up of luke warm showers.