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GRynners
Original Poster
123 posts
101 months
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We moved into an old victorian property a couple of years ago, which is generally pretty cold. We installed a woodburner last year, but that just keeps the lounge warm and to be honest, the one month we ran the heating 12 hours a day the heating bill was £350 for the month, so we won't be doing that again!
I just wondered if anyone has experience of an air water heat pump. Someone passed me a brochure they'd picked up recently and I wonder if it something we should look into.
I'm not quite clear, but am I right to think these can be plumbed into a combi boiler to keep your rads ticking over?
I appreciate they'll use up a fair amount of electricity to run, but are they really that efficient? The case study in the NIBE bumf we got made cost saving comparisons against an LPG system, but we've got a gas combi boiler.
Could anyone offer a typical installtion cost?
Thoughts appreciated.
GR
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caziques
977 posts
37 months
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I'll give you some pointers as air to water heat pumps is my business. Would it work? Yes. Would it save money? Yes..but. Per kWhr gas is relatively cheap compared with electricity in the UK. A heat pump powering radiators will certainly use less energy than gas, but the cost savings would be modest. One idea would be to fit a fairly small heat pump in parallel with your existing boiler, something like a 10kW output. This would use something like 3kW while running - and would provide a background heat. I used to sell http://www.wharfplumbing.co.uk/products/air-source... in NZ. Post back if you have more questions.
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garyhun
13,996 posts
97 months
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Is it not the case that heat pumps produce much less heat than boilers so are best for modern, highly insulated houses with UFH?
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andy_s
8,467 posts
128 months
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garyhun said: Is it not the case that heat pumps produce much less heat than boilers so are best for modern, highly insulated houses with UFH? The benefits are leveraged in this case; indeed, air/ground source should be seen as a part of the whole rather than the sole element, although they obviously still add to efficiency even in isolation. I've just had one fitted as a 'test', I have no idea what type/size it is as it was all done while I am away, it was an attrractive proposition when I did the math in 2005, now oil is over double that so the potential savings have also risen.
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garyhun
13,996 posts
97 months
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andy_s said: garyhun said: Is it not the case that heat pumps produce much less heat than boilers so are best for modern, highly insulated houses with UFH? The benefits are leveraged in this case; indeed, air/ground source should be seen as a part of the whole rather than the sole element, although they obviously still add to efficiency even in isolation. I've just had one fitted as a 'test', I have no idea what type/size it is as it was all done while I am away, it was an attrractive proposition when I did the math in 2005, now oil is over double that so the potential savings have also risen. I think if you are on oil the savings can be substantial. If you have gas I think the savings are negligible - from the stats I have seen.
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GRynners
Original Poster
123 posts
101 months
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The point made about background heating is the most relevant. Not expecting to heat to a comfortable temperature, but to take the chill out would b a good start.
As we have solid walls and no roof void, we can't do much with insulation. Am thinking maybe some oil rads for the colder room may be a sounder option...
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