Posted by: @timminthepeaks

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We have the original flags in the living and dining areas, so don’t want to remove something over 400 years old! 

I would still ask the Conservation Officer about this.

It very much depends on the historical significance of the stone floor.

If you would otherwise cover those flags with a thick carpet, then there is an argument in favour of lifting them to fit UFH with an insulation layer below.

The Conservation Officer treats each building on its merits.
Although they are usually a member of the Planning Dept., they don't just apply an established policy.

He/She would also be in a good position to suggest an (independent) Energy Surveyor in your area.
You need one who appreciates that certain strategies of changing the fabric of the building can't be applied to your house.

@transparent thanks for your response. 

although we live in the Peak District, the house is not listed and we don’t fall under the rules of a conservation area. Part of the reason we bought the house so because the flags look beautiful. I don’t think we will worry about those rooms. We have wood burners that heat them. 

thanks again. 

@transparent

Thanks.  Not sure how to tag you in the post but here's the link

https://renewableheatinghub.co.uk/forums/renewable-heating-air-source-heap-pumps-ashps/mitsubishi-ashp-circulating-pump-noise#post-18547

Thanks @snuffy - I got there.
To 'tag' someone on the forum you simply insert their Forum Name into the topic.

They then receive an email to let them know they've been mentioned.

Posted by: @timminthepeaks

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the house is not listed and we don’t fall under the rules of a conservation area.

This speaks volumes about our different perception of the Local Planning Authority!

I'm trying to find you an excuse to get access to the (busy, but very knowledgeable) Conservation Officer...
... whilst you're telling me that you don't actually need him 😏 

On the wider situation, please start a new topic on "Installing UFH" and I'll pitch in there!

@transparent @timminthepeaks

>>This speaks volumes about our different perception of the Local Planning Authority!

Can't resist a comment.  We did a pre-application consultation with a planning officer before we put plans in for the new house.  He wanted "heritage windows".  I told him that we were not in the village conservation area.  He said "But you are near the conservation area".  I said "that's just a way of saying we aren't in the conservation area!".

I got "heritage" flush windows anyway, I liked them much better than standard casements, but I didn't give in on his brick window arches!

That was an interesting conversation @redbuzzard

Whilst we still here on the general 'Hello' topic, let me make three points:

1: Conservation areas are subject to ongoing revision and must incorporate public consultation every 10 years. In the meantime, Councillors may still tell their planning officers to reassess an issue. The time to make your views heard are when Councillors are up for re-election... which is now!

2: Conservation areas incorporate clauses for 'views and vistas'. These are the visual impression given to someone when looking outward from a position within the designated area.
Some Councils may well have policies in place to address small detail (windows) and expansive vistas (new housing with rooflines which alter the horizon/skyline) even though those dwellings are outside the conservation area itself.

3: The local community is better served if they retain ongoing dialogue with their local Conservation Officer. In my area, a member of the local Transition Towns community group has worked with that officer to produce a "This is how to do it" guidance booklet for residents in heritage properties. The guidance describes the energy-related changes which are most likely to be granted planning consent. That saves the Planning Committee wasting time addressing the same arguments every time there is a fresh application. Everyone wins. 🙂 

Hi I'm James, a home owner with a keen interest in green matters.  I have a degree in physics and engineering training, so can understand these things, given the facts, but otherwise no sector specific involvement other than as a would be customer.

I've been interacting on the buildhub ashp forum for over a year and studying the various manufacturers installation and engineering documentation, so have accumulated lots of info.

I have solar PV (since 2011) and want to install an air source heat pump but am frustrated by the current state of the installation industry, which is likely to force me to self install.  

My main interest is to help, in whatever small way I can, to get this technology adopted.  Ultimately we have no choice of we want to escape the worst of climate change.

Hi @jamespa you are very welcome to lever whatever knowledge you wish from this Forum.

Roughly whereabouts are you in the UK?
Have you got any community energy groups or Transition Towns initiatives in the vicinity?

With your background in physics and engineering you can install a heat-pump from any starting point of your choice.
You don't even need to buy-in a pre-designed ASHP.

The manufacturers use a lot of generic component parts within heat-pumps.
Most of these are available as 'spares' which can be imported from China (Alibaba).

The majority of the issues we end up discussing here are related to the control software and electronics rather than the mechanical components.
Each manufacturer seems to relish the challenge of creating ever more complex control interfaces... possibly just to establish a 'market share'.

@transparent I am near Stansted.  I have some sympathy for the manufacturers with the complexity of their interfaces.  They are trying to make it possible to control a vast variety of heating systems with different practices in different countries and many variants in any one country, as well as deal with user preferences.  In many ways it might be better if the market split, with a standard interface to the hp (which comes down pretty much to control of on/off and flow temperature) controlled by your choice of third party controller.

I don't have any interest in attempting to design an ashp from scratch, even if I could.  I'm more interested in economical system design particularly for retrofit (like mine).  Currently too much is unnecessarily thrown out when an ashp is put in, which simply puts up cost and disruption with little benefit to the end user.  This won't cut it in the long term.  The physics probably makes radiator upgrades necessary in at least many cases, but I cannot see why it's 'necessary' to discard dhw cylinder and many other components, which seems to be standard practice at present.

@jamespa Hi James, i have a similar background and interests and have just installed my second ASHP, this time as a retrofit. Happy to help. Im also blogging my experiences at https://thegreeningofrosecottage.weebly.com/ so there are some tips there. Mark

@bontwoody @jamespa I also have the same background and interests. I guess it's not a coincidence that we all ended up in exactly the same place in terms of what we've decided to do. My self-install write up is on the articles page of this forum. I'm near Milton Keynes.

one area that I see as an issue is that most "decent local plumbers" as you say aren't interested in doing ASHP, why would they be, plenty of other work , too steep a learning curve and too much grief. In idle moments I've been wondering about the possibility of becoming a "heat geek", and/or doing heacol's training, so as to be a validated heat pump system designer - to support local plumbers in "doing ASHP properly". but I doubt very much that the financial model would stack up vs what I get paid to do so it'd have to be out of altruism!

@bontwoody - had a quick read of your blog.  Your installer doesn't need GasSafe for the unvented cylinder part of the work, they need G3. I'm guessing the person your using has both but you can be one without the other.