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!
Full reno of late '60s monstrosity with lovely views.
Hi all, I'm Tom from just outside Stroud in Gloucs. Just about to embark on full reno of late 60's monstrosity with lovely views. EWI, 3G glazing and ASHP are all in the mix. We put 7.2kWp of west facing PV on last year and a 210l Mixergy tank in May this year. Very happy so far. I'm an DIY nut and can turn my hand to most skills, however the bulk of the heavy lifting for the extension and renovation won't be me. I'm a heavy BuildHub user but this site has a bit more eco-focus so I thought I'd try it. Already au-fait with My Home Farm from Youtube and Twitter. Cheers, Tom
Welcome to the forum @tommyt11
I don't think that the Mixergy tank has been described here before. I'm aware of it because of discussions on another forum a couple of years ago.
I have a 280-litre thermal store, which delivers Underfloor Heating and Domestic Hot Water. I'll post a generic diagram here, although no one would be likely to have all possible options installed:
It will assist others if you could describe how the Mixergy system builds on the thermal-store principles, and what you like about it. 🙂Â
Save energy... recycle electrons!
In our last house I put in solar thermal tubes from Navitron into a low-mounted coil on a 180l vented heat bank (thermal store but with external plate heat exchanger for DHW). The boiler fed in hot at the top of the tank, and the return to the boiler was tapped off a TMV that mixed in colder water from the bottom to keep the return at 50 or so and allow fast recovery whilst keeping boiler condensing. It was all DIY (that's why it was vented) and worked well.
Back to Mixergy. We have an unvented system now, much preferred. We have good mains pressure but poor flow so I have a 300l CW accumulator after the water softener. Therefore the Mixergy can deliver oodles of DHW at a constant temp due to its design. Basically it floats a column of hot atop the cold, and a little external pump pumps cold from bottom to top as it is heating (and modulates as appropriate depending on the heating power at that time, be it immersion or indirect coil). Currently I only have the immersion connected via a PV diverter and Eddi. That has delivered a full 210l via dribbled excess PV every day since May (the tank has not been exhausted at day end most days though). I probably won't connect the indirect coil at all as we'll be connecting ASHP via plate heat exchanger when we get it (granted, when heating via ASHP it does the whole tank in the traditional style rather than top down). However, considering how its going and our excess solar PV stats from last winter, I only anticipate using the ASHP to heat it for maybe 3-4 months of the year.Â
There will be UFH going into ground and lower ground, and rads on first floor. At 150mm UFH spacing and with the amount of insulation we are adding, it will be quite a low temp system I hope. Weather comp. Am looking at the usual suspects Vaillant, Midea, Samsung, etc.
Posted by: @tommyt11It was all DIY (that's why it was vented)...
I'm not sure that is a statutory requirement.
When I installed my thermal store in a renovation project in 2005, Part L1b of the Building Regulations did not require a qualified installer for an unvented cylinder if it was used primarily for space-heating. I am certain of that because it was the Building Control Inspector who advised me to buy that particular thermal store!
I installed everything myself, except the gas boiler. At the time that was covered by Corgi registration for all installers.
I've just checked Part L1 of Building Regulations (last updated 2021) online. The requirements have changed considerably and the emphasis is now on meeting specific thermal targets for each element of the build.
Even so, I can't find any stipulation that the installer as an individual must meet certain requirements. The calculations and evidence of complying with the specified parameters must simply be presented to the building control surveyor.
It's possible that you are still correct in saying a DIY person may not now 'sign off' a pressurised heating system. But that must be due to another piece of legislation rather than the Building Act.
Can anyone else shed light on this?
Save energy... recycle electrons!
Nice setup. I forgot to add before, my heat bank had the rad circuit flow tap off about half way down. I can't remember who the tank was made by but they went bust a few years ago. I'll have to dig out some photos...
@tommyt11, welcome to the forums. We look forward to getting updates on your reno. Have you identified an ASHP that's of interest to you?
Get a copy of The Ultimate Guide to Heat Pumps
Subscribe and follow our YouTube channel!
Vaillant Arotherm is the front runner at the moment due to superior after sales/service, friendly refrigerant and good controls. I had my HP man over this morning, I'll see what he comes back with cost-wise.
- 26 Forums
- 2,634 Topics
- 61.5 K Posts
- 536 Online
- 7,031 Members
Join Us!
Latest Posts
-
RE: Octopus Cosy Heat Pump Owners & Discussion Thread
@swwils mine is mostly off now. Hot water for an hour ...
By AndrewJ , 6 hours ago
-
RE: Setback savings - fact or fiction?
I too agree with what you say, and am grateful to you f...
By cathodeRay , 7 hours ago
-
RE: Vaillant Sensocomfort Time
Thank youy for the pointer. I think I have managed to ...
By ispookie666 , 8 hours ago
-
RE: Forum updates, announcements & issues
I have been doing a lot of work on the site lately and ...
By Mars , 8 hours ago
-
@majordennisbloodnok good advice, thanks for that.
By David999 , 12 hours ago
-
RE: My Grant R290 9kW Heat Pump Installation
I am following this thread with great interest and than...
By TaffontheTaff , 14 hours ago
-
RE: Sizing an ASHP; Heat loss and kW
You can't measure heat loss with a website. But you ca...
By JamesPa , 1 day ago
-
RE: Estimating true heat loss from twelve months of consumption data
@ian33a — I have a sort of residual interest in this pr...
By cathodeRay , 1 day ago
-
Hi, Thank you. So its a Daikin Altherma 3M...
By Lbart68 , 1 day ago
-
I have a Contactum CU. Would the below RCBO (descriptio...
By Batpred , 1 day ago
-
RE: Samsung gen 7 HP 12kw - auto control issue and water law
@chainreaction Agree with @broadsman , it seems many ...
By Batpred , 1 day ago
-
RE: Anyone concerned about GivEnergy?
@transparent Thank you and appreciate your timely reply...
By SUNNYSKIES , 2 days ago
-
RE: Grant Aeona 3 R32 cycling with weather compensation.
The hot water heating looks normal. The heat transfer ...
By GrahamF , 2 days ago
-
RE: A2A vs A2W: Which Heat Pump Would You Pick?
Good questions @temperature_gradient. My understanding ...
By springswood , 2 days ago







