Search with Wattson

Notifications

Clear all

Joining the Renewable Heating Hub forums is completely free and only takes a minute. By registering you’ll be able to ask questions, join discussions, follow topics you’re interested in, bookmark useful threads and receive notifications when someone replies. Non-registered members also do not have access to our AI features. When choosing your username, please note that it cannot be changed later, so we recommend avoiding brand or product names. Before registering, please take a moment to read the Forum Rules & Terms of Use so we can keep the community helpful, respectful and informative for everyone. Thanks for joining!

ASHP in cold well

heat-pump-newbie · 2021-12-11T21:28:31Z

Having just read on this forum about a cold well, I think my heat pump is in just that situation. I haven't found the details about taking temperature measurements though, suggested by @derek-m, just the blowing smoke comment. Please could you tell me more Derek ? Our outdoor unit is in the 'back yard' which is a triangular space on the north side of our bungalow, with a 6 foot fence and tall hedge above one side, and the side of our garden room on the third side. The fan blows out towards the fence + hedge. There is a wide but solid gate on the inlet side of the pump, about 6 foot away from it, also a small shed away on the other side. The pump is the required distance from the house wall. I'm thinking we should replace the solid gate with a slatted one as a start to get more airflow. Does this sound like a good idea ?

Page 4 / 4 Prev

Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs)

Last Post by heat-pump-newbie 2 years ago

43 Posts

9 Users

51 Reactions

16.3 K Views

RSS

Adam C

(@adam-c)

Eminent Member Member

Joined: 5 years ago

Posts: 17

28/12/2021 11:25 am

Great experiments!

I know it is a more extreme option but you could raise the heat pump. Either wall mount or more easily build a 1m ish high foundation for it. Maybe store something under it to make space useful.

👍

ReplyQuote

heat-pump-newbie

(@heat-pump-newbie)

Reputable Member Member

Joined: 5 years ago

Posts: 170

Topic starter 28/12/2021 1:42 pm

@adam-c Hi - yes, I think that could have been considered at the design stage, though I wonder if we'd have heard the fan running if it was attached to the wall ? Now it's there I'm not going to ask the installers to move it.

ReplyQuote

Mars

(@editor)

Illustrious Member Admin

Joined: 5 years ago

Posts: 4806

28/12/2021 4:59 pm

The new video has been added to the post from @heat-pump-newbie above.

New to heat pumps? Take the Heat Pump Fundamentals course and use INTRO50 at checkout for 50% off.
Rewritten and updated for 2027
📘 From Zero to Heat Pump Hero
🛠️ Bodge Buster
🎧 Prefer to listen? Heat Pumps Explained – use AUDIO50 at checkout for 50% off.

👍

ReplyQuote

heat-pump-newbie

(@heat-pump-newbie)

Reputable Member Member

Joined: 5 years ago

Posts: 170

Topic starter 08/01/2022 12:16 pm

@derek-m No smoke today but I've been monitoring the temperatures at the outdoor unit and comparing to well away from it as you suggested, they are generally the same 👍 So that's a great result. However, the shed is really in the way where it is now, so I'm going to dismantle it and replace it with a much smaller storage unit which I hope will do the same job of blocking the cold air.

We haven't had much in the way of calm weather, when the cold well would show up more. When I've got the new store in position and it's a calm day I'll light up another smoke pellet!!

👍

ReplyQuote

Mars

(@editor)

Illustrious Member Admin

Joined: 5 years ago

Posts: 4806

20/03/2024 11:04 pm

@heat-pump-newbie we never got a conclusion to your trials and experiments. Whatever happened and what conclusions did you end up coming to?

ReplyQuote

Toodles

(@toodles)

Famed Member Contributor

Joined: 4 years ago

Posts: 2903

21/03/2024 11:23 am

@editor Should the music not have been ‘Smoke gets in your eyes’? Toodles.

Toodles, heats his home with cold draughts and cooks food with magnets.

ReplyQuote

heat-pump-newbie

(@heat-pump-newbie)

Reputable Member Member

Joined: 5 years ago

Posts: 170

Topic starter 21/03/2024 11:57 am

Hi Mars

I did remove that little shed altogether. There are two gates enclosing the triangular shaped yard and I always leave the inner gate open to let the cold air escape. The other gate is usually kept bolted so to improve the air flow entering the yard I might move the slats on it, or get a new double slatted gate.

I might well get the unit raised up as suggested. I have another problem: the concrete surface of the yard is breaking up, there is a retrofitted drip tray under the unit with a too-small drainage pipe which has no fall to the nearest drain, so blocks with ice in sub zero temps. It won't last more than a couple of winters before it's just a mess out there. I think raising it up would mean a proper drain pipe could be installed, with a decent fall (soakaways don't work on our clay), with the added advantage of letting the cold air dispurse.

However, watching the HeatGeek video about air recirculation it seems it's not such a problem as I first thought.