| Heat Pumps 17:53 - Mar 6 with 3580 views | mikeygunn |
Read this whilst you await some farts gags…
Bought a house with solar panels in the summer and thought the next step would be to get a heat pump, read a lot on line, nearly all positive but you never know if they are from normal people…are you lot normal, maybe that’s for another time. But anyway, any experiences you want to share would be useful. For context, it will cost about 2.4k and can be spread out over 3/5/10/15.
Cheers! |  | | |  |
| Heat Pumps on 13:02 - Mar 7 with 1107 views | Lblock |
| Heat Pumps on 11:01 - Mar 7 by Rsole |
They are very popular in France - offer both heating and cooling, but the cooling is usually specific to one room.
My ‘rents had one installed for the house (underfloor heating) and have the cooling set up in the bedroom for the hot summer months. Works really well. Cost effective and easy to maintain because all the local tradesmen know them. |
Thats a split or DX system
Totally different to what the enviro-mental-ists are looking to roll out in the UK.
I've installed that system in my house.
Love it. |  |
| Cherish and enjoy life.... this ain't no dress rehearsal |
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| Heat Pumps on 16:16 - Mar 7 with 994 views | R_from_afar |
Some people might want a heat pump just to reduce their carbon footprint. That's why we installed a solar thermal hot water system, which was brilliant for 14 years and probably still is (we sold that house last year).
They might also want to go down that road to avoid gas supply and pricing issues. Most of the UK's gas is imported. |  |
| "Things had started becoming increasingly desperate at Loftus Road but QPR have been handed a massive lifeline and the place has absolutely erupted. it's carnage. It's bedlam. It's 1-1." |
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| Heat Pumps on 17:04 - Mar 7 with 963 views | Lblock |
| Heat Pumps on 16:16 - Mar 7 by R_from_afar |
Some people might want a heat pump just to reduce their carbon footprint. That's why we installed a solar thermal hot water system, which was brilliant for 14 years and probably still is (we sold that house last year).
They might also want to go down that road to avoid gas supply and pricing issues. Most of the UK's gas is imported. |
Agreed
Other might not want to but clueless people are removing that choice | |
| Cherish and enjoy life.... this ain't no dress rehearsal |
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| Heat Pumps on 18:02 - Mar 7 with 876 views | Rsole |
| Heat Pumps on 13:02 - Mar 7 by Lblock |
Thats a split or DX system
Totally different to what the enviro-mental-ists are looking to roll out in the UK.
I've installed that system in my house.
Love it. |
An obvious question arises…. |  |
| Those possessed by devils, try and keep them under control a bit, can't you ?
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| Heat Pumps on 21:29 - Mar 7 with 773 views | Lblock |
| Heat Pumps on 18:02 - Mar 7 by Rsole |
An obvious question arises…. |
It’s also known as “Air Conditioning”
Somewhat frowned upon by people who are brainwashed.
Yep - costs me a pretty penny in the summer but within my budget
Unless there’s another question?? | |
| Cherish and enjoy life.... this ain't no dress rehearsal |
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| Heat Pumps on 07:09 - Mar 8 with 646 views | mikeygunn |
| Heat Pumps on 21:29 - Mar 7 by Lblock |
It’s also known as “Air Conditioning”
Somewhat frowned upon by people who are brainwashed.
Yep - costs me a pretty penny in the summer but within my budget
Unless there’s another question?? |
It’s fun being brainwashed, saved me loads of money with having an electric car and solar panels.
It’s also encouraged the family to get a compost and start a vegetable plot in the garden. We recycle a lot more now and it’s surprising what can go into the compost bin.
If the heat pump saves me money and is ‘cleaner’, I’m happy to carry on being brainwashed. | | | |
| Heat Pumps on 07:28 - Mar 8 with 625 views | Rsole |
| Heat Pumps on 21:29 - Mar 7 by Lblock |
It’s also known as “Air Conditioning”
Somewhat frowned upon by people who are brainwashed.
Yep - costs me a pretty penny in the summer but within my budget
Unless there’s another question?? |
It was more the question of why your system isn’t promoted more in the UK really.
They work really well and there’s an increasing need to cool as well as heat.
Costs a bit more but I would guess it has a lower total cost of ownership if my ‘rents’ bills are anything to go by. It runs far cheaper for them than the alternatives and they sleep much better. | |
| Those possessed by devils, try and keep them under control a bit, can't you ?
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| Heat Pumps on 09:38 - Mar 8 with 509 views | Lblock |
| Heat Pumps on 07:09 - Mar 8 by mikeygunn |
It’s fun being brainwashed, saved me loads of money with having an electric car and solar panels.
It’s also encouraged the family to get a compost and start a vegetable plot in the garden. We recycle a lot more now and it’s surprising what can go into the compost bin.
If the heat pump saves me money and is ‘cleaner’, I’m happy to carry on being brainwashed. |
Well done you | |
| Cherish and enjoy life.... this ain't no dress rehearsal |
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| Heat Pumps on 10:21 - Mar 8 with 449 views | Gus_iom |
Truth is, heat pumps are probably fine if your house is built or adapted for them.
They've retro-fitted some of the poorly insulated council houses on our estate with air source heat pumps, they're loud and the residents are using electric heaters to supplement the meagre offerings from the heat pumps. |  |
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| Heat Pumps on 10:57 - Mar 8 with 411 views | dolcelatte |
I have lived with an air source heat pump system for almost 6 years now. New build, very insulated. System designed for house by a very reputable company. Had 4 different people look at it over the years to ensure it is set up correctly. Admittedly a large house (6 bed) but if gas was available in the sticks where I live it would be out if the door immediately.
Expensive to run, slow to repond and costs a LOT whrn things go wrong.
Edit. Forgot to say I have solar/batteries/ev. [Post edited 9 Mar 14:14]
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| Heat Pumps on 14:43 - Mar 8 with 341 views | TW_R |
| Heat Pumps on 18:10 - Mar 6 by Northernr |
I give this 2 pages before Godwin’s Law. 3 tops. |
That’s just the sort of thing a Nazi would say!  |  | | |
| Heat Pumps on 14:51 - Mar 8 with 327 views | danehoop |
Odd really, my experience must be very different.
Moved into new build over 12 years that has no gas on the development at all. We all have air source electric heat pumps either Mitsubishi or Daikin. Honestly its been fine. As good as any Gas Central Heating system0I have had. In and of itself is has been relatively efficient overall and pretty damn reliable after first year or two of tweaks - mainly from quality of original install rather than the actual system.
What has made the difference though is having solar and a 10 KW battery fitted just over 2 years ago. It is the package of all three that massively reduces expenditure and improves efficiency. Last year more than 40% of my total electrical use came from Solar and Battery and within that 60% of grid use, it includes topping up the battery every evening when rate is about 8.5p per KWH. Has more than halved my electricity bill in real terms before I sell any excess back to the grid (which will just about cover the daily standing charge through the summer. I added an electric car to the mix as well and that I charge about every 7 days at home on the overnight cheap rate - basically equivalent to filling up to a full tank for less than £4 each time.
So my experience is that each element in isolation will be useful, but it is the combination of heat pump, solar and battery (with car charger if that is an option) that makes the difference. |  |
| Never knowingly understood |
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| Heat Pumps on 11:08 - Mar 9 with 197 views | mikeygunn |
Thanks everyone for the input, good to see a well rounded debate. My takeaway is that, largely, if the house is 10-15 years or younger it’s a goer.
Dane - looking to have a similar set up to you so sounds like it will be worth it.
These discussions are so much better than football!
Cheers!! | | | |
| Heat Pumps on 22:38 - Mar 9 with 95 views | jimf |
Put one in two years ago to terraced house in Acton.
Short version - paid for itself in a year, keeps the house to a constant warmth which is lovely.
Long version - Specific set of circumstances helped the payback. We had a 20+year old boiler which was limping on. We'd close boarded and insulated the front loft already. Did the back as part of a renovation post heat pump.
If I'd gone to a new more efficient combi boiler, it would have cost me (like a mate in Hanwell) £5.5k as we'd have needed new inlet pipes.
With the subsidy (and Which membership) it cost me £3,480. The rest of savings on the bill in Year 1 more than offset the remaining cost of the pump. For, er, reasons, the house was empty for a while and we were able to keep it warm for viewings when trying to rent/sell. Now it's got family in, who previously made the misguided decision to go with an electric boiler in their old house, bills are a half to a third of what they were paying so all are happy.
Generally they cost a little bit more in the winter, but save a packet in the spring, autumn and summer relative to modern boilers. They're 3-400% efficient compared to c.max 85% for a gas boiller.
As part of the spend, we got 6 new radiators. I had to stick a couple of chimney balloons up the redundant chimney at the front. Also paid a bit more to go electric on the hob which used to be gas. Love cooking with gas but the air quality is so much better and cooking with gas is doing nothing for our health. That was £200 on top for me, but most houses have wiring to the kitchen now. [Post edited 9 Mar 22:39]
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| Heat Pumps on 22:42 - Mar 9 with 86 views | jimf |
| Heat Pumps on 23:57 - Mar 6 by R_from_afar |
Taken from Socialist Worker, er, I mean Which? 
Are air source heat pumps good in winter?
All heating systems have to work harder to keep your home warm in freezing weather. The colder the outside air, the more quickly heat is lost from your home through the walls, windows and roof, so the boiler has more work to do to continually replace that lost heat.
Air source heat pumps are designed to work at low temperatures – down to minus 10C, which is sufficient for most parts of the UK – but they use more electricity to extract sufficient heat from the air. In very cold weather, efficiency may drop from around 300-400% to perhaps 200%; however, they are still more efficient than a gas boiler.
Heat pumps are surprisingly popular in cold countries. The top four European nations with the most heat pumps per household – Norway, Finland and Sweden – experience much colder winters than the UK. It's common to see heat pump units covered in a thick layer of snow that are still working perfectly well.
Heat pumps have an automatic defrost mode that should kick in to prevent the system from icing up. However, a broken sensor, low levels of refrigerant or blocked vents can lead to a frozen system, so it's important to keep up with the maintenance schedule.
If you live in one of the colder parts of the country, you can get a heat pump that's designed to work down to minus 25 degrees. Alternatively, consider a ground source heat pump; they are more efficient in winter because the ground temperature stays reliably warmer than the air temperature.
https://www.which.co.uk/review
On the subject of legionella, here is what Ideal Heating Commercial says:
The new breed of natural refrigerant heat pumps, especially those that use R290 or R744 natural refrigerant, can achieve flow temperatures up to 75°C and 70°C respectively. When the water is kept at these constant temperatures Legionella bacteria will swiftly die.
It also says legionella bacteria cannot survive above 60 degrees C.
https://idealcommercialboilers |
Octopus programmed my tank to heat once a week to 70c off the heat pump and immersion heater in the tank (most installs have this) specifically to combat this problem.
We run the program on a Sunday morning - lovely extra hot shower on a Sunday as a result.
It took some adjusting for my family to get used to the idea of a constant low level heat rather than a blast of hot from a gas boiler, but it's much nicer once you're used to it.
No point freezing then getting blasted with heat from a radiator. The low background heat is much more pleasant.
I split my time between a very chilly country cottage and Acton now and the Acton house is boiling compared to the draughty cottage we rent near Bristol. | | | |
| Heat Pumps on 22:50 - Mar 9 with 80 views | jimf |
| Heat Pumps on 21:29 - Mar 6 by Lblock |
These things are an absolute fallacy in my opinion but there are two very entrenched camps for and against.
My personal experience (from my industry - not from personal use) is that they can be noisy, they can be more costly to run but clearly don't emit the levels of CO2 etc
A cast iron fact is that they are miles away from the effeciency needed for use in the UK across our seasons - they simply don't work.
A combi or trad boiler should cost anything from £650 to £2k to fit in a typical UK house.
If you fit your heating with the correct number of port valves and zone the house then that route is proven to be more energy effecient than any heat Pump (Ground or Air source).
Look at it this way.... IF it was proven without doubt that these things work the same as conventional methods in the UK, were cheaper to install, cheaper to run, more reliable etc then -- wouldn't EVERYONE be scrambling to get one?
Milliband and his clowns instead are looking to force people down this route and it'll be a clown show.
For my I'd go hydrogen if possible but your use of PV means you've taken a good step as that is a provensource of back up / trickle power. |
Politely I disagree.
Heat pumps are typically 3-400% efficient. Gas boilers max out at what 85-90%?
They're not that noisy (less noise than a fridge). And most of the noise is from heating in winter when windows are shut anyway. And in summer on a hot day you get a cool breeze when heating water.
With a heat pump you get heat throughout the day instead of blasts of it when the heating comes in. And it costs less. So ideal for home workers, pensioners, parents or anyone at home during the day.
I'm on a variable tarif with Octopus so heat the house more at off-peak 14p rate, regularise it at medium 28p rate and back off at 42p at peak rate. My 82 year old Mum loves it as the house is warm all day.
It suits my 1890s terrace in Acton. So it will suit most, but not all, houses. The key is a good installation. Do a bit of research - heat geek videos on YT a good resource as others have mentioned. Heat Geek guarantee a minimum efficiency from their installs.
You might need to put in some additional insulation, but that's a good idea anyway. I'm looking to move house. My order of priority is now
1. Insulation
2. Batteries
3. Heat Pump
4. Solar
Ideally at the start so they pay back in 8 years before I move. | | | |
| Heat Pumps on 22:56 - Mar 9 with 72 views | jimf |
His view is interesting.
If you follow his logic, the real issue is not the efficiency - most heat pumps are 3-400% efficient compared to gas boilers at max 85% - but the price of gas being artificially lower than electric.
Were they comparable - and for loads of reasons, not least emissions - they ought to be nearer in price, then his argument no longer follows. Vince is arguing it on a cost, not efficiency basis.
He is right that they won't suit all houses. But they will and do suit most.
I moved into a draughty 3 bed terrace in Acton in 2016. With some easy fixes it's now toasty warm with a heat pump and costs a lot less than my very inefficient old boiler. Granted, if I had a new combi the contrast would have been less. | | | |
| Heat Pumps on 23:07 - Mar 9 with 57 views | ted_hendrix |
You can test your exterior walls for Insulation content using a thermal camera, don't need to buy they are readily available to hire from Speedy Hire, HSS DIY, and a fair few others. |  |
| My Father had a profound influence on me, he was a lunatic. |
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