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Heat pump

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By *our-slave OP   Man
3 weeks ago

nottingham

Has anyone on here had a heat pump installed at home? I have solar panels and battery, which should complement a heat pump, at least in theory.

I’d need to have a hot water tank installed so a fair bit of work is involved.

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By *hiteroseMan
3 weeks ago

Neverwhere

I don't have an answer to your question, but it is a very interesting conundrum.

For the last 30 odd years people have been ripping hot water cylinders out of their homes because combi boilers could do the job. This also gave people a bit more space so it was a win-win.

And here we are ... the wheel has turned full circle and people are now considering reinstalling hot water cylinders.

Personally, I'd reinstall the hot water cylinder (if you've got the space) and use your solar to heat it, switching to imported electricity in mid-winter and on those really dull days when you barely generate a kilowatt hour.

You will find that the solar should give you all the hot water you need for about 8 months of the year. And your hot water supply will be independent of your heat pump.

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By *ubbyjoeUKMan
3 weeks ago

Manchester

With a heat pump you'll need bigger radiators and an electric immersion to boost the hot water temp. They generally work better with underfloor heating,

Retro fitting can be tricky. Unlikely it'll be a direct replacement for your gas boiler.

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By *iver222Man
3 weeks ago

France and Wales

I have a heat pump and solar panels with batteries

21 panels and 12KWh of battery power.

In the winter I partially charge my batteries overnight on off peak then boost with the sun or of not enough to do so, by my supplier.

The batteries then power the house all evening until the off peak kicks back in.

In the summer, I power almost everything by solar using the batteries as a backup as well as at night so I hardly use any electricity from the grid.

My heat pump also runs in the rear to keep the house cool in the summer.

Granted - I live in France so probably get more sun but it is also probably colder here overnight with most nights being below zero (winter).

The heat pump churns away and our house (which is quite big) is a constant 21.5°C.

I paid around 700€ for all my power last year including standing charges (again, electricity is cheaper in France than the UK but a similar sized house would be paying around 1500€ p.a.) so a considerable saving.

If you have the money to invest in solar and a south facing roof without instructions I would recommend but also buy batteries or excess power goes to the grid for a pittance.

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By *iver222Man
3 weeks ago

France and Wales


"I have a heat pump and solar panels with batteries

21 panels and 12KWh of battery power.

In the winter I partially charge my batteries overnight on off peak then boost with the sun or of not enough to do so, by my supplier.

The batteries then power the house all evening until the off peak kicks back in.

In the summer, I power almost everything by solar using the batteries as a backup as well as at night so I hardly use any electricity from the grid.

My heat pump also runs in the rear to keep the house cool in the summer.

Granted - I live in France so probably get more sun but it is also probably colder here overnight with most nights being below zero (winter).

The heat pump churns away and our house (which is quite big) is a constant 21.5°C.

I paid around 700€ for all my power last year including standing charges (again, electricity is cheaper in France than the UK but a similar sized house would be paying around 1500€ p.a.) so a considerable saving.

If you have the money to invest in solar and a south facing roof without instructions I would recommend but also buy batteries or excess power goes to the grid for a pittance.

"

We also have underfloor heating which works better with a heat pump although heat pumps have improved (ours is 10 years old).

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By *our-slave OP   Man
3 weeks ago

nottingham


"I don't have an answer to your question, but it is a very interesting conundrum.

For the last 30 odd years people have been ripping hot water cylinders out of their homes because combi boilers could do the job. This also gave people a bit more space so it was a win-win.

And here we are ... the wheel has turned full circle and people are now considering reinstalling hot water cylinders.

Personally, I'd reinstall the hot water cylinder (if you've got the space) and use your solar to heat it, switching to imported electricity in mid-winter and on those really dull days when you barely generate a kilowatt hour.

You will find that the solar should give you all the hot water you need for about 8 months of the year. And your hot water supply will be independent of your heat pump."

Yes that’s the conundrum exactly. Quite a few years ago, I had the hot water tank ripped out when the combi boiler went in.

But I think you are right. I’ll have to have another tank installed. Thank you.

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By *our-slave OP   Man
3 weeks ago

nottingham


"With a heat pump you'll need bigger radiators and an electric immersion to boost the hot water temp. They generally work better with underfloor heating,

Retro fitting can be tricky. Unlikely it'll be a direct replacement for your gas boiler."

I think my floor is concrete, so I guess the underfloor heating would be expensive. No problem with the bigger radiators though.

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By *our-slave OP   Man
3 weeks ago

nottingham


"I have a heat pump and solar panels with batteries

21 panels and 12KWh of battery power.

In the winter I partially charge my batteries overnight on off peak then boost with the sun or of not enough to do so, by my supplier.

The batteries then power the house all evening until the off peak kicks back in.

In the summer, I power almost everything by solar using the batteries as a backup as well as at night so I hardly use any electricity from the grid.

My heat pump also runs in the rear to keep the house cool in the summer.

Granted - I live in France so probably get more sun but it is also probably colder here overnight with most nights being below zero (winter).

The heat pump churns away and our house (which is quite big) is a constant 21.5°C.

I paid around 700€ for all my power last year including standing charges (again, electricity is cheaper in France than the UK but a similar sized house would be paying around 1500€ p.a.) so a considerable saving.

If you have the money to invest in solar and a south facing roof without instructions I would recommend but also buy batteries or excess power goes to the grid for a pittance.

"

I already have the solar panels and battery storage and so far the advice I’m getting is that having a heat pump is beneficial, even if I need bigger radiators and a hot water tank.

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By *usan 749ukTV/TS
3 weeks ago

Bangor

I thought it was some new dildo.

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By *our-slave OP   Man
3 weeks ago

nottingham


"I have a heat pump and solar panels with batteries

21 panels and 12KWh of battery power.

In the winter I partially charge my batteries overnight on off peak then boost with the sun or of not enough to do so, by my supplier.

The batteries then power the house all evening until the off peak kicks back in.

In the summer, I power almost everything by solar using the batteries as a backup as well as at night so I hardly use any electricity from the grid.

My heat pump also runs in the rear to keep the house cool in the summer.

Granted - I live in France so probably get more sun but it is also probably colder here overnight with most nights being below zero (winter).

The heat pump churns away and our house (which is quite big) is a constant 21.5°C.

I paid around 700€ for all my power last year including standing charges (again, electricity is cheaper in France than the UK but a similar sized house would be paying around 1500€ p.a.) so a considerable saving.

If you have the money to invest in solar and a south facing roof without instructions I would recommend but also buy batteries or excess power goes to the grid for a pittance.

We also have underfloor heating which works better with a heat pump although heat pumps have improved (ours is 10 years old)."

As a matter of interest, since they’ve improved, is it feasible for you to have a new pump fitted without changing the rest of your system? I’m thinking in terms of future proofing.

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By *our-slave OP   Man
3 weeks ago

nottingham


"I thought it was some new dildo. "

Well you’re hot. I wouldn’t need a heat pump with you in the room.

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By *ood-guyMan
3 weeks ago

wild, wild west


"I have a heat pump and solar panels with batteries

21 panels and 12KWh of battery power.

In the winter I partially charge my batteries overnight on off peak then boost with the sun or of not enough to do so, by my supplier.

The batteries then power the house all evening until the off peak kicks back in.

In the summer, I power almost everything by solar using the batteries as a backup as well as at night so I hardly use any electricity from the grid.

My heat pump also runs in the rear to keep the house cool in the summer.

Granted - I live in France so probably get more sun but it is also probably colder here overnight with most nights being below zero (winter).

The heat pump churns away and our house (which is quite big) is a constant 21.5°C.

I paid around 700€ for all my power last year including standing charges (again, electricity is cheaper in France than the UK but a similar sized house would be paying around 1500€ p.a.) so a considerable saving.

If you have the money to invest in solar and a south facing roof without instructions I would recommend but also buy batteries or excess power goes to the grid for a pittance.

We also have underfloor heating which works better with a heat pump although heat pumps have improved (ours is 10 years old).

As a matter of interest, since they’ve improved, is it feasible for you to have a new pump fitted without changing the rest of your system? I’m thinking in terms of future proofing."

In very simple terms, highly unlikely. British Gas were offering free surveys. Sign up and find out for sure. Ultimately, although we’d like a heat pump, the restrictions around where it’s sited and the large indoor space required for a water tank, means it simply won’t work.

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By *opcock58Man
3 weeks ago

Helston

I looked into having a heat pump installed when my boiler needed replacing.

Basically I would need to a least double the size of my radiators and the equipment in the garage would be so large I would no longer be able to fit even a small car in there.

Only really suitable for new builds with under floor heating I was advised. And the hot water would not be hot enough without boosting it with an immersion heater.

And they are hellish expensive to buy and install.

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By *our-slave OP   Man
3 weeks ago

nottingham


"I looked into having a heat pump installed when my boiler needed replacing.

Basically I would need to a least double the size of my radiators and the equipment in the garage would be so large I would no longer be able to fit even a small car in there.

Only really suitable for new builds with under floor heating I was advised. And the hot water would not be hot enough without boosting it with an immersion heater.

And they are hellish expensive to buy and install."

I thought the equipment would go outside?

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By *hristine_JTV/TS
3 weeks ago

Anglesey

You can get underfloor heating that can be fitted on top of an existing floor. One I remember came from a company called "Beneath Heat", which was used slimline pipes fitted into special insulated boards 15mm thick

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By *b72Man
3 weeks ago

Moray


"Has anyone on here had a heat pump installed at home? I have solar panels and battery, which should complement a heat pump, at least in theory.

I’d need to have a hot water tank installed so a fair bit of work is involved."

Your solar panels and batteries will compliment it , but don’t think they’ll be enough to run it. It would depend on how much power the heat pump consumes. As for a hot water tank, the ones that get installed are much larger than an old style tank.

There are grants available to help with cost, so that’s something you could look into.

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By *etterbiggerMan
3 weeks ago

Scunthorpe

We've got solar panels for hot water. They have been on the roof for 18 years. They heat the water fully between May and September. Now very little. But an increase of just 2 degrees means the gas doesn't have to do it. Friends had a heat pump installed to a bungalow with blown air gas heating. Very inefficient. They had a complete system installed using specialist radiators. They had no radiators previously and it works perfectly well. We have a heat pump tumble dryer. Expensive to buy but cheap to run

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By *iggreenockMan
3 weeks ago

Greenock

Waste of time unless you have a passive house.

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By *our-slave OP   Man
3 weeks ago

nottingham


"You can get underfloor heating that can be fitted on top of an existing floor. One I remember came from a company called "Beneath Heat", which was used slimline pipes fitted into special insulated boards 15mm thick"

Wow! Thank you. That’s good info. I didn’t know that.

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By *our-slave OP   Man
3 weeks ago

nottingham


"Has anyone on here had a heat pump installed at home? I have solar panels and battery, which should complement a heat pump, at least in theory.

I’d need to have a hot water tank installed so a fair bit of work is involved.

Your solar panels and batteries will compliment it , but don’t think they’ll be enough to run it. It would depend on how much power the heat pump consumes. As for a hot water tank, the ones that get installed are much larger than an old style tank.

There are grants available to help with cost, so that’s something you could look into.

"

Thanks for the info. Very helpful. Plus your photos have just turned me on, so thank you again

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By *uy near ArundelMan
3 weeks ago

Nr Arundel


"With a heat pump you'll need bigger radiators and an electric immersion to boost the hot water temp. They generally work better with underfloor heating,

Retro fitting can be tricky. Unlikely it'll be a direct replacement for your gas boiler."

This is the problem. Heat pumps are ideal for new homes, but for existing homes they tend to be hugely expensive to install: for example new radiators and pipe work.

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By *ete5656Man
3 weeks ago

WESTON-SUPER-MARE

Nobody has spoken about the cost of maintenance and repairs to a heatpump when they go wrong (and they do) it's hellishly expensive . . .

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By *uy near ArundelMan
3 weeks ago

Nr Arundel


"Nobody has spoken about the cost of maintenance and repairs to a heatpump when they go wrong (and they do) it's hellishly expensive . . . "

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By *our-slave OP   Man
3 weeks ago

nottingham


"Nobody has spoken about the cost of maintenance and repairs to a heatpump when they go wrong (and they do) it's hellishly expensive . . . "
.

It looks as if I need to do a lot of research before taking the plunge.

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By *odameMan
3 weeks ago

Torremolinos, Spain NOT

Ground heat pump is great if big garden, can be costly to dig up, an air heat pump may be better option.

You need an expert to survey your property as lots of other factors to consider regarding thermal efficiency of the property.

Solar complimented by small wind turbine may suit your location for the electricity need to run the pump, wind turbine works at night when solar doesn't but depends on if you are in a sheltered location.

Most efficient heating is underfloor water pipes, combined with a heat pump it is 40% better than a boiler and radiators.

Underfloor heating well installed creates a wonderful environment to live in, no draughts, hot or cold spots, less airborne dust particles.

An existing concrete floor is ideal for laying the insulated water pipe panels over, slimline panels only increase floor height by 20mm.

Tiled floors radiate the heat best, followed by the underfloor heating specific vinyl floor planks that provide a softer surface and radiate heat even better than laminate.

You can also install underfloor piped panels between joists upstairs, many people miss this opportunity.

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By *our-slave OP   Man
3 weeks ago

nottingham


"Ground heat pump is great if big garden, can be costly to dig up, an air heat pump may be better option.

You need an expert to survey your property as lots of other factors to consider regarding thermal efficiency of the property.

Solar complimented by small wind turbine may suit your location for the electricity need to run the pump, wind turbine works at night when solar doesn't but depends on if you are in a sheltered location.

Most efficient heating is underfloor water pipes, combined with a heat pump it is 40% better than a boiler and radiators.

Underfloor heating well installed creates a wonderful environment to live in, no draughts, hot or cold spots, less airborne dust particles.

An existing concrete floor is ideal for laying the insulated water pipe panels over, slimline panels only increase floor height by 20mm.

Tiled floors radiate the heat best, followed by the underfloor heating specific vinyl floor planks that provide a softer surface and radiate heat even better than laminate.

You can also install underfloor piped panels between joists upstairs, many people miss this opportunity.

"

Very interesting. I always assumed the floor would have to be dug up, but apparently not. After reading your post, I checked the website of a company called Wunda. Definitely food for thought here. Thank you for the advice.

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By *opcock58Man
3 weeks ago

Helston

Another thing to remember (good or bad) is that it's not something you can just bang on for an hour in the cool spring/autumn mornings/evenings, it takes quite a while to heat the house and works best if left on 24/7.

Like most things pros and cons. Biggest downer is the initial installation cost.

Another thing to consider is the noise generated by the fan from an air source system. Could annoy the neighbours.

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By *astDevonGuyMan
3 weeks ago

East Devon

Surely if all the heat is being pumped out of the air and ground on a large scale, it’s going to have negative impacts on the environment too ? Anyone thought about this?

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By *otterthanthesunMan
3 weeks ago

London


"Ground heat pump is great if big garden, can be costly to dig up, an air heat pump may be better option.

You need an expert to survey your property as lots of other factors to consider regarding thermal efficiency of the property.

Solar complimented by small wind turbine may suit your location for the electricity need to run the pump, wind turbine works at night when solar doesn't but depends on if you are in a sheltered location.

Most efficient heating is underfloor water pipes, combined with a heat pump it is 40% better than a boiler and radiators.

Underfloor heating well installed creates a wonderful environment to live in, no draughts, hot or cold spots, less airborne dust particles.

An existing concrete floor is ideal for laying the insulated water pipe panels over, slimline panels only increase floor height by 20mm.

Tiled floors radiate the heat best, followed by the underfloor heating specific vinyl floor planks that provide a softer surface and radiate heat even better than laminate.

You can also install underfloor piped panels between joists upstairs, many people miss this opportunity.

"

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By *iver222Man
3 weeks ago

France and Wales


"I have a heat pump and solar panels with batteries

21 panels and 12KWh of battery power.

In the winter I partially charge my batteries overnight on off peak then boost with the sun or of not enough to do so, by my supplier.

The batteries then power the house all evening until the off peak kicks back in.

In the summer, I power almost everything by solar using the batteries as a backup as well as at night so I hardly use any electricity from the grid.

My heat pump also runs in the rear to keep the house cool in the summer.

Granted - I live in France so probably get more sun but it is also probably colder here overnight with most nights being below zero (winter).

The heat pump churns away and our house (which is quite big) is a constant 21.5°C.

I paid around 700€ for all my power last year including standing charges (again, electricity is cheaper in France than the UK but a similar sized house would be paying around 1500€ p.a.) so a considerable saving.

If you have the money to invest in solar and a south facing roof without instructions I would recommend but also buy batteries or excess power goes to the grid for a pittance.

We also have underfloor heating which works better with a heat pump although heat pumps have improved (ours is 10 years old).

As a matter of interest, since they’ve improved, is it feasible for you to have a new pump fitted without changing the rest of your system? I’m thinking in terms of future proofing."

Yes.

A new heat pump would simply slot into place. It effectively simply circulates hot water round the system (or cold water in the summer).

Newer heat pumps work on lower temperatures and are more efficient (therefore cheaper to run).

Our pump has been very reliable and I have heard no complaints from friends with similar systems from other manufacturers hence the technology is good.

Hope the above helps.

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