What heating system and why

[Lazurus]

Moving house soon, the new place has the old style storage heaters full of bricks and I imagine an economy 7 meter. I want to replace these obviously but what to go for. More modern electric heaters, oil or (Tanked) gas central heating, air source heat pump, infra red heaters. Can any one suggest what and why???  No mains gas available in our area.

 

There seems to be so much conflicting information on the new technologies I like the idea of an air source pump but will it run radiators hot enough. If not it may have to be a traditional wet system with bottled gas - but expensive...... confused!!!!!

[donnk]

all depends on your budget. Cheapest just replace the night stores. 

 

Heat pump (air if you have no land ground if you do) really needs underfloor heating to work as it needs a big surface area to compensate for lower heat. If you have high ceilings to accommodate 175mm increase in height (100mm insulation 75mm screed) if you dont you have to look at space saving underfloor trays (crap) or bust out the slab.

 

Upstairs is easier you can run the trays in-between the joists.

 

If its your last house then you can justify the investment as you will be saving on heat bills for years, if you will be selling up then look at the cost against what it will do to the house price (not much).

 

average 100m2

Underfloor loop + manifold installed £5k

Heat pump and cylinder installed 10k

Screed £5k

 

 

[openspaceman]

1 hour ago, Lazurus said:

There seems to be so much conflicting information on the new technologies I like the idea of an air source pump but will it run radiators hot enough.

IMO not with standard sized radiators which are really best accepting water at upto 80C and returning it somewhere above 50C to get the gas boiler in full condensing mode. Again IMO heat pumps are great for underfloor heating but need boosting for DHW and possibly in very cold weather.

 

I gave this advice to my brother when converting his house with a heat pump in the garden and internal buffer store with immersion heaters to top up.

 

He ignored me, the circulation pumps had to work hard, buffer store constantly de stratified  so immersions cut in frequently,

Edited August 9, 2020 by openspaceman
clarification

[openspaceman]

7 minutes ago, donnk said:

it needs a big surface area to compensate for lower heat.

Lower temperature

 

Also longer time constant so the heat pump is constantly topping up a small temperature difference

 

There is also a psychological benefit as the overall perceive comfort can be achieved at a lower overall temperature if the heat rises and feet feel warmer than head does.

[donnk]

yep hence needing the loop to sit on insulation with good cold bridging sorted to heat up the screed.

[Lazurus]

Hmmmm its looking more like LPG fired wet system, oh and the obligatory wood burner of course

[eggsarascal]

5 minutes ago, Lazurus said:

Hmmmm its looking more like LPG fired wet system, oh and the obligatory wood burner of course

I'd go this way, I don't know what the price/litre is these days on a domestic tank but it's eye watering expensive by the bottle.

[donnk]

before going with the cheap option, bear in mind you will get help from gov with paying off a heat pump. you are effectively loaning the gov the money to fit it and they pay it off over 7 or 8 years.

 

All depends if you will be staying long term.

[eggsarascal]

2 minutes ago, donnk said:

before going with the cheap option, bear in mind you will get help from the tax payer paying off a heat pump. you are effectively loaning the gov the money to fit it and they pay it off over 7 or 8 years.

 

All depends if you will be staying long term.

Fixed that for you.

[Paul in the woods]

What's wrong with storage heaters? We had old ones in our previous '90s bungalow and with 12" of loft insulation we didn't spend much on electricity.

 

I'm put off by the cost of installing a whole new gas system (tank, boiler, pipework, rads etc) and then the running costs after that. Same with oil and then there's the smell.

 

I'm going woodburner and electric here. Suits us as we work from home.