ASHP in an old rubblestone Welsh house
Hello everyone, I am a retired engineer and last employment was working for an environmental charity in Mid Wales. Following 25 years of manufacturing electro magnets, superconductors and other particle physics equipment.
We reneovated an old rubblestone built house here in Wales 12 years ago. Our upgrades were UFH, internal wall & loft insulation, DG windows, solar thermal, wood fueled range with water heating
and a few years later a small PV array .
Budget did not permit us to add the heat pump at refurb and retricted access meant had to opt for cylinder LPG. Our own heat loss calcs showed a 12kW boiler was sufficient to replace the old 35kW oil boiler that wasn't and so it has proved. However the cost of running LPG meant we could only operate it for background heat and use our own logs for 'comfort heating'.
2019 Evergreen Energy installed a 12kW ASHP to replace the boiler and integrated it to our existing plumbing arrangements, by adding a low loss header, and Glycol thoroughout the whole heating system. No rads were added or changed and UF loops at 150 ctrs wre deemed acceptable.
3rd winter now and the HP proving to be very effective and economical, at approx 65% cost of LPG, no economic restriction on run time, house warm and comfortable all over. As we dont run exclusively on HP and use the log burner/s when the weather is a bit grim and the the UF is heating about 12 tonnes of slate flooring quarry tiles and concrete, it makes the system about as unreactive as you could get. The upside being once its warm it stays warm all day and most of the night. We set back 2 degC overnight and operate the HP from about 9 a.m. when the ambient temperature is higher.
Future ambitions include better insulated doors(oak proved unsuitable for heavy weather), shiplap weather boarding for remaning prevailing wind SW facing wall, glass canopy to cover doorway and window lintles and reduce wall weathering and water ingress.
Very interesting Ant. Thanks for sharing, and welcome again to the forums. Which air source heat pump did you go for?
Buy Bodge Buster – Homeowner Air Source Heat Pump Installation Guide: https://amzn.to/3NVndlU
From Zero to Heat Pump Hero: https://amzn.to/4bWkPFb
Subscribe and follow our Homeowners’ Q&A heat pump podcast
- 21 Forums
- 1,962 Topics
- 42.6 K Posts
- 54 Online
- 2,277 Members
Join Us!
Heat Pump Dramas?
Thinking about installing a heat pump but unsure where to start? Already have one but it’s not performing as expected? Or are you locked in a frustrating dispute with an installer or manufacturer? We’re here to help.
✅ Pre-Installation Planning
✅ Post-Installation Troubleshooting
✅ Performance Optimisation
✅ Complaint Support (Manufacturer & Installer)
Latest Posts
-
@jamespa thanks, it's way off of the MCS performance es...
By big_si , 3 minutes ago
-
RE: Volumisers in Heat Pump Systems: Does Placement Matter?
@jamespa Agreed. I think it’s a case of much over muchn...
By Mars , 2 hours ago
-
@eliuccio Unfortunately, whilst I agree with a lot of...
By JamesPa , 3 hours ago
-
RE: Newbie out of her depth – Samsung AE120RXYDEG 12kW heat pump
@bami I think if the heat loss documentation matches a ...
By bontwoody , 3 hours ago
-
RE: What is the best strategy for operating a very oversized heat pump?
@jamespa I'm afraid that's over my head but if anyon...
By IRMartini , 3 hours ago
-
RE: Setback savings - fact or fiction?
And here in case any one wants it is the code I used in...
By cathodeRay , 4 hours ago
-
RE: Samsung Gen 7 R290 12kW is not behaving how I expected
Definitely its in the 20xx FSVs. Conversely it may be...
By JamesPa , 4 hours ago
-
RE: Towel rails. An unexpected final hurdle
We have both Normal Rad for heating the room and then a...
By IRMartini , 5 hours ago
-
RE: Heat Pump Sizing & Installation Costs
Perhaps useful to have installed date too? To get conte...
By Tim441 , 8 hours ago
-
RE: SolarPV tables / online calculator
I'd be interested what others find whilst using that we...
By Majordennisbloodnok , 10 hours ago
-
RE: F.788 Building circuit pump reports internal fault - Vaillant Arotherm
Guess I have to wait for engineer visit. I really hope ...
By jeegnesh , 22 hours ago
-
RE: Act now to defer the UK road tax increase on EVs
@majordennisbloodnok Damn right sir. my attempt at iron...
By Jancold , 1 day ago
-
RE: ASHP and heating issues in new build house
That’s good gives you more capacity. It made me think, ...
By Terry1812 , 1 day ago
-
RE: Seewet manhole cover within r290 exclusion zone
Thanks! I asked Vaillant, and they say I should be fi...
By dbrb2 , 1 day ago
-
Looking for the Grant Aerona 3 setting to turn off completely at 20 OAT
I'm running my Aerona 3 on WC and the 'warm end of that...
By damonc , 1 day ago
-
RE: Do I just go with the lowest quote for my heat pump?
So after signing in Sept in two weeks the install may s...
By Jancold , 1 day ago
-
RE: Victorian Semi Retrofit / Extension ASHP and UFH Advice
When you are renovating is always a good time, as it ma...
By JamesPa , 1 day ago
-
RE: Just one room not reaching desired temperature
Looks like this issue is now resolved. Aira installed a...
By ChandyKris , 1 day ago
-
RE: Say hello and introduce yourself
Good point @jamespa But that probably strengthens @ch...
By Transparent , 2 days ago
Latest Topics
-
Heat Pump Sizing & Installation Costs
By Mars 10 hours ago
-
Volumisers in Heat Pump Systems: Does Placement Matter?
By Mars 11 hours ago
-
SolarPV tables / online calculator
By MichelleC 18 hours ago
-
By Toodles 2 days ago