Very very common in mainland Europe, they have split systems rather than monobloc. I suspect the UK lacks some capabilities in this area.

Many of my Mitsi Ecodan customers in Europe have a Hydrobox (like a kitchen unit, with integral Hot Water cylinder) then the heating/cooling loop goes to Hydronic fancoils.
Modern high rise flats in central Madrid and across to Italy use this kind of design.

Thanks for that. Do you know how the air to air units compare to air to water radiator types with regards to scop? I can't find a good answer for that. 

Posted by: @falesh

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Thanks for that. Do you know how the air to air units compare to air to water radiator types with regards to scop? I can't find a good answer for that. 

we discussed this not long ago. The airtoair systems have slightly better performance but many other factors to do with the specific installation can influence scop. 
in practice if you already have rads, you would tend to prefer air2water

@batpred That's interesting. The reason we are looking at this now is that it can act as cooling too. My wife and I are disabled and really struggle in the heat, so it would be a real boon to have cooling in heat waves. 

Posted by: @falesh

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...

My wife and I are disabled and really struggle in the heat, so it would be a real boon to have cooling in heat waves. 

Without contradicting anything said so far, that one sentence is perhaps the most important piece of information so far. This moves things on from a comfort thing to a health thing and would suggest to me that you really do need to have a discussion an expert who knows the technical chicanery that might be available to tailor the solution to you and your wife. Not saying you shouldn't also continue your discussions here, but IMHO we should be validating, critiquing and supplementing professional advice rather than being the starting point.

Which area of the country are you based, @falesh? I'm wondering if we have anyone here who is or has experience of a professional in that location.

If its a matter of health I would be looknig at A2A.  A2W with the right emitters will help a bit but you probably need the combined humidity reduction and temperature reduction that only A2A will easily give.

How many rooms need cooling?

Posted by: @f1p

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Very very common in mainland Europe, they have split systems rather than monobloc. I suspect the UK lacks some capabilities in this area.

 

The people doing air to air in the UK are mostly doing 'commercial' air conditioning, which is the exact same thing even down to the individual units both indoors and outdoors.  Loads of them and so far as I can tell pretty good at it.  May be pricy though.

I live in York. Unfortunately while it would definitely be good for health reasons, those health conditions also mean we can't work. Because of this the system needs to be affordable enough both up front and durring use. It's a shame the grant for air to air is £5000 less. I could check with our council in case there would be any help available to cover any shortfall.

We live in a small bungalow. Its got room for a hot water tank in the loft right above where the boiler is currently. I've attached the floor plan in case that is useful.

"in practice if you already have rads, you would tend to prefer air2water"

No way. Speak for yourself 8)

Our set up is air/air however we took a different approach so far for the water because on an EV tariff the extra cost of the heatpump doing the water for our usage gave us a 50 year payback versus heating the tank at night on the EV tariff.

One good thing about A2A and the grant being useless is that you can install air to air, keep some gas and ignore the grant (the cost of MCS compliance and other hassles from it let alone the gas removal requirement typically cost more than the grant so most installers have no plans to bother with the MCS stuff as it drives prices up not down). COP is about 4 with air/air and it's very hard to mess up and end up with a much lower number whereas air/water can be brilliant but the average installation is dismal.

Ignoring the grant lets you cool a room or two cheaply with an air/air system and much of the year heat with it too if it's more cost effective depending what prices do, then use the gas on the coldest days as a booster.

You might if England be able to get something via the Warm Homes grant but it's really heating focused. However it does cover some of this stuff so may depend if your council can wangle it. In Wales NEST covers this.

Also don't just look at "energy" oriented grants. Things like DFG can also apply if it's a modification necessary due to a disability.

Posted by: @falesh

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I live in York. Unfortunately while it would definitely be good for health reasons, those health conditions also mean we can't work. Because of this the system needs to be affordable enough both up front and durring use. It's a shame the grant for air to air is £5000 less. I could check with our council in case there would be any help available to cover any shortfall.

We live in a small bungalow. Its got room for a hot water tank in the loft right above where the boiler is currently. I've attached the floor plan in case that is useful.

Maybe, just maybe, if you are prepared to leave the doors open you would get away with a single 4 way outlet in that hall.  Possibly worth seeing what an installer says.