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Ground source heat pump is unaffordable to run

GSHPwoes · 2024-01-25T14:18:56Z

Hi - I have joined this forum after a web search as I am looking for some help with why our GSHP is costing us so much money. It was installed a while ago (we've been in the house almost 9 years and the previous owners were the ones to install it a year before that) and we have tried to get to grips with what is going on for a long time, but its now reached a point where electricity prices are so high we may have to leave our house as we cant afford to run it! We are a family of 5 and it is a large 5 bedroom house, originally early 1900s building but was extended and upgraded by prev owners. The pump is a vaillant GSHP and we arent on gas network so it heats out hot water too. Our house is rarely warmer than 19 degrees unless its a warm summer day. We have underfloor heating downstairs and radiators in the bedrooms upstairs. The living spaces are quite large, but bedrooms are relatively small (cottagey size). Our electricity usage in December was 2200kwh and I know it is mostly down to the heat pump rather than some electricity guzzling machine left on... We cannot afford this level of usage at the prices we have, especially when we have turned all the thermostats down to ask for no more than 18 degrees. Has anyone got any advise on why our heat pump is so inefficient? Thanks!

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Grounds Source Heat Pump (GSHPs)

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GSHPwoes

(@gshpwoes)

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Topic starter 26/01/2024 1:18 pm

@hughf I don’t think the immersion is on?

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HughF

(@hughf)

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26/01/2024 1:31 pm

@gshpwoes you can cancel the legionella program for a start. Total waste of time, unless you’re 85 and immunocompromised.

Off grid on the isle of purbeck
2.4kW solar, 15kWh Seplos Mason, Outback power systems 3kW inverter/charger, solid fuel heating with air/air for shoulder months, 10 acres of heathland/woods.

My wife’s house: 1946 3 bed end of terrace in Somerset, ASHP with rads + UFH, triple glazed, retrofit IWI in troublesome rooms, small rear extension.

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HughF

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26/01/2024 1:49 pm

Posted by: @gshpwoes

↑

@hughf I don’t think the immersion is on?

-- Attachment is not available --

It certainly appears that way…. Although having your gshp on a c50 seems somewhat excessive. However, I expect it’s because it isn’t an inverter machine, a lot of older gshp weren’t. With that come quite a sharp startup surge when the compressor fires up.

Do you know the model number of the unit, the design flow temperature, and the heat loss calcs for the property?

Off grid on the isle of purbeck
2.4kW solar, 15kWh Seplos Mason, Outback power systems 3kW inverter/charger, solid fuel heating with air/air for shoulder months, 10 acres of heathland/woods.

My wife’s house: 1946 3 bed end of terrace in Somerset, ASHP with rads + UFH, triple glazed, retrofit IWI in troublesome rooms, small rear extension.

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Mars

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26/01/2024 3:56 pm

@gshpwoes, which part of the country are you in?

Buy a copy of the The Ultimate Guide to Heat Pumps

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GSHPwoes

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Topic starter 26/01/2024 4:00 pm

@editor south east scotland

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Brendon Uys

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28/01/2024 3:43 pm

@gshpwoes Unfortunately, from looking at the pictures, and the components used, you more than likely have a serious flow issue.

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GSHPwoes

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Topic starter 28/01/2024 3:58 pm

@heacol can I do anything about this?? 🤞

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GSHPwoes

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Topic starter 29/01/2024 5:59 pm

@heacol hoping you can advise if this is a fixable problem and if it is, how..? 🤞

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Mars

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03/02/2024 11:09 pm

@gshpwoes I received the following reply from the Heat Pump Federation directly relating to your case:

As the machine is nearly ten years old, it probably doesn't have very good Internet connectivity for remote diagnosis. If the homeowner wants to email the Federation with whatever design materials they have, we'll see what can be inferred, before sending someone along and incurring that sort of cost. For example, with the postcode, we could review the EPC (Scottish equivalent) and the geology, to get a feel for system sizing. The fact that the radiators are cold in parts suggests a balancing problem. That could be dealt with by a competent heating technician/engineer because distribution problems are common to all technologies to a large extent. So they could find a good local central heating provider to look at that bit of the system.

Apart from that, have you made any progress with your system?

Buy a copy of the The Ultimate Guide to Heat Pumps

Subscribe and follow our Homeowners’ Q&A heat pump podcast

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