@kev-m

All the very best Kev.  Hope all goes to plan.  Loving the updates on a ‘live and ongoing’ install as I prepare to dive in to the world of ASHP CH.  keep the updates coming.

All set for 8:30  tomorrow. The cylinder arrived on Friday and all storage heaters are removed and furniture/stuff moved out the way.  

I've agreed a plan with the suppliers that shows where all the rads/pipework is going and a schedule that details the work they will do.  They do seem fairly flexible about what goes where.   

They've said 2 days so it's going to be hectic!

One of the things I'm considering is this

OFGEM.GOV.UK "https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/essential-guide-metering-and-monitoring-service-packages-mmsp"

I've asked the suppliers and it costs about £1100 but OFGEM give you £805 up front and then £115 per year for 7 years.  Sounds like a good ROI so I've asked for a quote.  OFGEM have a limited budget for this so I'll have to check there is any left.

I'll update with progress tomorrow.

Kev

End of day1.  Four guys arrived on time and got straight to it, two on radiators/pipework and two on the ASHP.   At close of play we have the ASHP in place, piped and wired in:

the cylinder in situ complete with some shiny new pipework.  I think there is more in the attic directly above but I haven't looked yet:

and all the radiators in place with about half piped in and half to do.  This is one of the big ones at 2000x400 (a good excuse to get rid of the horrible curtains):

The ASHP is about 7-8m to the right of that window.  It's the side of the house but not visible from the front. The neighbour's house is behind the hedge but about 30-40m away. 

The guys were very pleasant, efficient, flexible, etc., took away all the day's rubbish and cleaned up.  They suggested the best way to route the pipes to make them least visible; some dropping through ceilings and some through internal walls.  It looks very neat so far.  

Hopefully we'll have a working system tomorrow.

@kev-m

Excellent news Kev.  Keep the updates coming.

@kev-m

No update!  Please tell us that all is well 🤞

End of Day 2/Start of Day 3

It's all done!  They finished about 5:30pm.  It all looks good, very neat and tidy. This is the completed cylinder.  The HW expansion tank is built in. The main controller is on the front of the cylinder and we also have a wireless controller for each of out two zones.

And this is the loft, immediately above the cylinder.  The red tank is the expansion for the CH. There is a lot of new pipework.

And this is what it looks like under the cover.  Scary!

And to complete the picture, the ASHP.

I was given a run through of the controls.  It all looks straightforward and I'll probably leave it on the defaults for a while to let things settle in.  It was nice to wake up to a pleasantly warm house; our kitchen, main bathroom and hall had almost no heating before so that's a pleasant change.  The hot water is also much better because it's an unvented cylinder. 

We were very impressed with the installers. They were professional, efficient and tidy and took away every scrap of waste. They spent more time hoovering than I ever do!  They were also also flexible and happy to change radiator positions and pipe runs. All we had to do was supply coffee and cold drinks. 

The ASHP iitself is very quiet. It's outside the kitchen and I can just hear it if I listen hard until the freezer kicks in and drowns it out. We can't hear it at all from the bedroom. We do have to get used to the normal CH pump/radiator noise after living with storage heaters.

The system's not getting much of a test at the moment because of the weather but that will come. I'd probably rather have the current benign weather than a cold snap to get used to things.

Next step is to let things settle in and then get the RHI application done.  I also want to have a look at electricity usage.  So far so good though. 

Kev  

@kev-m

Good morning Kev.  Extremely pleased to hear that all seems good.  We’re probably going to use the same company as you.

When you say the HW is better due to unvented cylinder do you mean the HW pressure has improved?  I ask because the HW pressure here is appalling at the moment.

@morgan, yes, HW is at mains pressure now, same as cold. It's much better than it was. 

@kev-m

Excellent news and pleased for you.  Still can’t do anything here till June earliest and require cavity wall insulation first.  Strangely I’ve only managed to get one company to attend.  Bizarre as I thought people would be fighting for the work but that seems not to be the case.  Either they fail to respond to initial enquiry or fail to follow up with an appointment.  Frustrating.

I had to stay away for a couple of days (all Covid-legal as I'm my dad's carer).  Mrs M texted me this morning and said we'd had quite a bad leak but not to worry as she'd sorted it.  

When I called, worried, she strung me along for a bit before she casually asked me today's date..... !! My sense of humour just about held out.

All is still well really. 

@kev-m 🤣 

@kev-m

🤣🤣🤣