The ASHP industry is not helping itself.
Hi Foggy,
Our gas boiler is 20+ years old and deemed obsolete, and I was struggling to obtain a new heat exchanger. Fortunately my wife managed to locate a second hand boiler for sale, with the required part still in good condition. So we got the spare part at a fraction of the cost of a new one, and I managed to get the boiler back in operation, which pleased my wife no end.
Before I recently installed the A2A ASHP, I had a 2kW electric convection heater in the hallway, which I also had connected to the diverter. When the hot water was up to temperature and the immersion heater switched off, the the excess energy from the solar PV was diverted to this heater to assist the gas boiler in heating our home. By doing this we reduced our gas consumption by 20% over a year.
I had though about getting an electric storage radiator to store solar PV energy for use at night, again to reduce gas consumption. I may do so at some time in the future.
Posted by: @derek-mBefore I recently installed the A2A ASHP, I had a 2kW electric convection heater in the hallway, which I also had connected to the diverter. When the hot water was up to temperature and the immersion heater switched off, the the excess energy from the solar PV was diverted to this heater to assist the gas boiler in heating our home. By doing this we reduced our gas consumption by 20% over a year.
I had though about getting an electric storage radiator to store solar PV energy for use at night, again to reduce gas consumption. I may do so at some time in the future.
That's quite a novel use of storage heaters. But maybe yours it's the sort of hybrid approach needed where gas is still used but consumption is reduced. A bit like hybrid cars, where we have fossil fuels assisted by, rather than replaced by, electricity.
On costs, I've recently been spending some quality time on Alibaba. Typical examples (clickable links):
Heat pump water cylinder - $286
Radiator-style fan coil unit - $125 (includes 'smart' TRV)
To that you would add VAT, import duty (2% for the fan coil, 0% for the others), and sea freight (a few hundred dollars for a part container load, although the market is a bit crazy at the moment - it gets cheaper per unit if you can pack out full containers). But let's say all-in you'd get change from £1500-2000, depending on how many fan coils you want. This price doesn't include pumps, valves or expansion vessels, which are standard central heating parts (a few hundred pounds).
And then installation is basically 'running some pipes' and 'adding a circuit to your consumer unit'. Since it's monobloc there's no f-gas to worry about, and the install is something any plumber can do (it's roughly the same amount of piping as a new gas boiler system). The electrical side is probably ballpark £250 depending on your CU setup and exactly where it's going.
Now I absolutely cannot vouch for quality, veracity of suppliers, or believeability of these prices. I very much expect they will go up somewhat when you talk to the supplier (for instance I talked to the fan coil supplier and the price for that unit was $156 not $125 as listed).
But it doesn't half make you think.
- 22 Forums
- 2,058 Topics
- 45 K Posts
- 66 Online
- 3,316 Members
Join Us!
Trusted Installers
Struggling to find a reliable heat pump installer? A poor installation can lead to inefficiencies and high running costs. We now connect homeowners with top-rated installers who deliver quality work and excellent service.
✅ Verified, trusted & experienced installers
✅ Nationwide coverage expanding
✅ Special offers available
Latest Posts
-
RE: Commencing on an ASHP Installation Process
If that is the case then I would add to my earlier post...
By JamesPa , 10 minutes ago
-
RE: Grant Aerona3 - Home Assistant control via Modbus
Cycling is a normal activity of heat pumps and boilers....
By Johnmo , 36 minutes ago
-
RE: Renewables & Heat Pumps in the News
I don't think there is any real consensus or buy in yet...
By Jeff , 7 hours ago
-
RE: Ripped Off: How UK Homeowners Are Paying Gas Prices for Wind Energy
That's a very perceptive point, @jeff. We're all very g...
By Majordennisbloodnok , 9 hours ago
-
RE: Enabling WiFi: Samsung ASHP on Smart Things App
Mine has been doing a CoP of -3.18, yes negative, combi...
By Johnmo , 1 day ago
-
RE: Battery sizing - How low can you go!
The second 6.5 kWh Growatt battery was installed today....
By ChandyKris , 1 day ago
-
RE: Heat Pump Manufacturers Recommending Buffer Tanks
Thanks for that thoughtful reply. Unfortunately we g...
By JamesPa , 1 day ago
-
RE: Vaillant & OVO partner up to offer Heat Pump Plus
So… I called them this morning and I’m up and running o...
By Westkent , 1 day ago
-
RE: IVT Greenline high pressure switch and electrical cassette errors
Your system seems to be more modern than mine, mine was...
By abbote , 1 day ago
-
RE: Advice for ground source heat pump in new build with PV and batteries
Braver person than me. No way I would go down that rout...
By Johnmo , 2 days ago
-
RE: Getting the best out of a heat pump - is Homely a possible answer?
@arundalep yes I have no issue with this. The observati...
By benson , 2 days ago
-
-
RE: Rate the quality of your heat pump design and installation
So your Halo lite should really do nothing, when connec...
By Johnmo , 2 days ago
-
RE: Planning Update: 1 Metre Boundary Rule for Heat Pumps Has Been Scrapped
This is indeed welcome news. In addition the new legi...
By JamesPa , 3 days ago
-
-
RE: Is Your 6kW Air Source Heat Pump Really a 6kW?
@johnmo I think we’ve been trudging through the same...
By SUNandAIR , 4 days ago
-
RE: How To Balance Radiators & the Role of the Lockshield Valve: A Homeowner's Guide
Good luck, I hope it all works out!
By JamesPa , 5 days ago
-
@johnd it's a difficult one, because we've seen instanc...
By Mars , 5 days ago
-
Win a 6-panel PV courtesy of egg and Renewable Heating Hub
Our epic giveaway just went live! Want to win a 6-pan...
By Mars , 6 days ago
-
RE: Yes, the "zoning with ASHP" topic again...
James, thanks again for your thoughtful and persistent ...
By HarryRea , 6 days ago