Posted by: @toodles

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@editor Mars, your heat pump is some distance from the property isn’t it? I would be interested to know please, how that pipe run was insulated as presumably, otherwise there would have been significant heat loss (and warming of garden!) over ??? metres of run. Regards, Toodles.

I did this calculation for a 20m run based on proprietary dual pipe 100mm OD insulated, for which loss figures were given by the manufacturer, and got to about 200W.  I cant quite remember if it was 200W out and another 200W back.  So 5-10% based on a 4kW average burn.  Not insignificant, but not completely crippling either.  Its not something you would choose to do if it could be avoided.

@editor

Are you certain the answer is 3? My calculations get an answer of 42. 😋 

@editor [Second attempt to reply - first attempt shot up the heat exchanger!]

I think you may find the answer is the cube root of ‘42’!😊

Seriously though, I did contemplate the prospect of having our ASHP somewhere down the garden but felt that heat losses might be a problem. I envisaged that perhaps the ‘normally insulated’ pipe runs would perhaps then be placed in a double skinned insulated trunking to reduce losses. I decide that other complications would put the kibosh on any such plan as we would have to dig up considerable amounts of paving and steps, circumnavigate a drain and a sewer pipe and goodness knows what else en-route! I think your maths could baffle any politician into providing anything you so desired Mars! 😊 Regards, Toodles.

@toodles the cost of the heat loss was not insignificant too. I think it was around £1,000 for the 25 odd metres. We were lucky that we had a gravel driveway. Definitely wouldn’t have done that if it had been paved.

@jamespa interesting. Hopefully we’ll be able get some probes at either end of the run and see the numbers are.

Posted by: @editor

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@jamespa interesting. Hopefully we’ll be able get some probes at either end of the run and see the numbers are.

That would be good as I'm not sure that the calculation is likely to be particularly reliable, too many unknowns.

@jamespa But not so bad as long as you know about the unknowns😉 Regards, Toodles.

Here’s a close up of the heat loss pipe.

@jamespa and @toodles we have definitive proof of heat loss via the heat loss pipe. I’ll try to figure out how much. 

@editor Thank you Mars! Regards, Toodles.

@editor Some readers have UFH but you may be the only one with Under Ground Heating 😉 Regards, Toodles.

@derek-m The new kid on the block does not make noise 'constantly'. He/she does not generate LFN which is the source of insomnia, brain fog, palpitation, etc.

Heat pumps generate air-borne, structure-borne, and LFN. Ear plugs do not work for the last two.