And while I am at it, it IS true that many older houses will have problems with heat pumps. The pipe bore is incompatible so the whole system will need to be replaced.
Why?
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
I don't know why, @Fairygirl, but a heating expert on the BBC assured me it is the case.
I imagine you mean me, rather the FG. The heating expert on the BBC, if he said that, was entirely wrong. I have spent 30 years designing heating and ventilation systems. I can claim some expertise on how to size a pipe
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
I think on this subject, like many others, it would be wise to listen to the experts [ why is that so unpopular ] @raisingirl is an expert, let's listen to her, rather than the rubbish in the popular Press.
How can you lie there and think of England When you don't even know who's in the team
There are lots of reasons micro-bore pipes are not good - I certainly wouldn't have them. They aren't commonly used so to make a sweeping statement that all old houses have a problem with pipe sizes is misleading, if that's based on the few with micro-bore pipes. And anyway, they are not worse with heat pumps - slightly better, if anything.
I remember having a problem with pipe size on a rented house (not a heat pump) the engineer who came to see why the coal fire could not get the house warm despite burning plenty of fuel put it down to the pipe size being to small for the water temperature.
In my present house the heating system was built for a straw furnace and has much larger bore pipes on the heating that I have ever seen in the UK.
However since 32kW of pumps comes in (just the units no instillation) at over £12k equivalent with instillation being another 4-5k and the running cost being higher than pellets, it's not going to happen here. And I do not want the noise of the fans 24/7 I live in the country side for a reason.
There's an interesting calculator on this page https://www.greenmatch.co.uk/green-energy/central-heating-capacity to work out your estimated kW requirement it puts my house at 36kW we only have 30kW at the moment and that works 99% of the time, only struggling when we hit -18C or in high winds.
I have read / heard (various sources) that air source heat pumps are just not that effective when they're retro-fitted. My understanding is that they are most effective when fitted in a highly insulated property and preferably using underfloor heating to attain a constant comfortable ambient temperature without hot spots and cold spots.
Ground source heat pumps seem to get a better press but (my understanding) they require either a substantial network of pipes to be laid (and most people don't have the land/money) or a deep bore ( ditto cost and not all geology is suitable).
It does seem nearly criminal if new houses are now being built without solar panels, efficient ground source heat pumps and attendant heating systems, very high levels of insulation etc. It is surely much easier (and therefore cheaper) to engineer all these things in from scratch.
However, I think the argument is much more complicated when it comes to older houses with pre-existing heating systems.
I read a report of somebody who'd bought a 1930's bungalow and paid a premium because it was fitted with a heat pump (think it was an air one). The bungalow was reasonably well insulated but unreasonably cold in winter. She changed a couple of radiators for bigger ones and upgraded the insulation. She was still cold. She eventually spent even more £££s getting rid of the pump and putting a gas boiler in.
At the moment I remain unconvinced that an air source heat pump would be effective in our nearly 30 year old 4 bed house and I'm not convinced about the cost and disruption of retro fitting ground source either.
I'd be interested to hear arguments to persuade me I'm wrong - it's just cost £££s to top up our heating oil tank.
Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
Posts
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
P.S. Thanks @punkdoc
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Ground source heat pumps seem to get a better press but (my understanding) they require either a substantial network of pipes to be laid (and most people don't have the land/money) or a deep bore ( ditto cost and not all geology is suitable).
It does seem nearly criminal if new houses are now being built without solar panels, efficient ground source heat pumps and attendant heating systems, very high levels of insulation etc. It is surely much easier (and therefore cheaper) to engineer all these things in from scratch.
However, I think the argument is much more complicated when it comes to older houses with pre-existing heating systems.
I read a report of somebody who'd bought a 1930's bungalow and paid a premium because it was fitted with a heat pump (think it was an air one). The bungalow was reasonably well insulated but unreasonably cold in winter. She changed a couple of radiators for bigger ones and upgraded the insulation. She was still cold. She eventually spent even more £££s getting rid of the pump and putting a gas boiler in.
At the moment I remain unconvinced that an air source heat pump would be effective in our nearly 30 year old 4 bed house and I'm not convinced about the cost and disruption of retro fitting ground source either.
I'd be interested to hear arguments to persuade me I'm wrong - it's just cost £££s to top up our heating oil tank.