Posted by: @neilh

Has anyone tried installing these or similar? They claim many '000s installed, with a version optimal for heat pump system

https://www.discreteheat.com/thermaskirt/products-and-information/overview.aspx

Hi Neil,

An interesting concept.

I noticed from their performance data that they are only showing figures for water flow temperatures of 45C, 50C and 55C, which is the inefficient range for operating an ASHP.

Based on their data you would require the following lengths of ThermaSkirt to replace a 1200mm x 600mm radiator, to achieve the same heat output.

Deco BM2 15.4m for type 22 (double panel) and 22.6m for type 33 (triple panel)

Deco BM3 10.4m for type 22 (double panel) and 15.2m for type 33 (triple panel)

It would be interesting to see how they perform at lower water flow temperatures.

Since ASHP's operate at their best efficiency at the lowest water flow temperature that meets the heat demand, it is important to have heat emitters with the greatest output at a given water flow temperature. The larger the area of the heat emitters, the lower the water flow temperature would need to be.

How do ThermaSkirt compare in price to a standard radiator or UFH?

@derek-m   Ah yes. Though in princple the lengths are probably not a problem. I'm just in exploratory ideas phase at the moment so no prices sought. I still like in-wall idea, especially the 3Thermo design (if I can get some decent technical details). Perhaps different solutions for different rooms, given good zone control system.

@neilh 

Hi Neil,

One of the things I enjoy about the forum, is that there are people like yourself who just don't accept the norm, but look for alternatives that may or may not be an improvement. For much of my career I have been expanding the envelope to find solutions to long standing problems, just because something has been done a certain way for many years does not mean that it cannot be improved.

Posted by: @derek-m

just because something has been down a certain way for many years does not mean that it cannot be improved.

Else we'd be sitting round a fire in a cave !

Posted by: @neilh

Posted by: @derek-m

just because something has been down a certain way for many years does not mean that it cannot be improved.

Else we'd be sitting round a fire in a cave !

Don't knock caves, I'm in my 'man cave' right now.

I have just had a look at the 3Thermo system that you highlighted, it also looks very interesting. They specify an energy output of 250W/m2, but don't state what the water temperature would need to be to provide that output. I wonder if it could be installed over existing plaster or whether the plaster would need to be removed and then the wall re-plastered after installation.

I suppose in an ideal world we would have a system that has underfloor heating, wall heating and skirting heating, all supplied by a heat pump that is running at 25C with an outside air temperature of -10C.

@derek-m I haven't succeeded in any reply from 3Thermo - always a bad sign!

Posted by: @neilh

@derek-m I haven't succeeded in any reply from 3Thermo - always a bad sign!

Hi Neil,

Based on the videos on youtube, I think they may be based in Poland, though they do show offices around Europe, including the UK.

The videos are dated 2019, so the pandemic may had some impact.