Heat Pumps

[Rolfe]

I don't use the immersion heater much, maybe only for a boost in winter. I use the oil central heating for the water.

 

[Robf]

I don't use the immersion heater much, maybe only for a boost in winter. I use the oil central heating for the water.

Ooof, shouldnt have said that, you will have que's of heat pump salesmen round the front.

 

[Rolfe]

Queues. Just saying.

I saw a heat pump yesterday, in a new house that was part of an open gardens exhibition. Looked like an enormous air-conditioning unit. I would have thought it would eat electricity.

 

[Gadget Geek]

Ooof, shouldnt have said that, you will have que's of heat pump salesmen round the front.

I don't know. Last year I made several enquiries to companies I found on Google and only one responded. I've decided to go with the Tepeo Zero Emmission Boiler instead.

 

[Robf]

Queues. Just saying.

I saw a heat pump yesterday, in a new house that was part of an open gardens exhibition. Looked like an enormous air-conditioning unit. I would have thought it would eat electricity.

Allegedly they are over 300% ifficient . That is they give out 3 times the heating energy that they use in electricity.

Heat Pump Efficiency | Key Information in 2025

Air source heat pumps are four times more efficient than all gas boilers – and they’re renewable. Here's how you can reap the benefits.

www.theecoexperts.co.uk

 

[Rolfe]

What's scary is that I had to renew my oil-burning boiler in 2019, and none of this was even on the radar. So there is no way I'll be moving away from oil-fired heating in the foreseeable.

Sorry, this is getting a bit off-topic.

 

[tsedge]

Allegedly they are over 300% ifficient . That is they give out 3 times the heating energy that they use in electricity.

Yes, heat pumps produce more heat energy than they use. However, they do draw a considerable amount of electricity in doing that, so a house without solar/battery can see a significant bill increase for electricity, but typically this is dramatically outweighed by the elimination of gas / oil / electric heating that was used before.

 

[Rolfe]

The Times & The Sunday Times

News and opinion from The Times & The Sunday Times

www.thetimes.co.uk

 

[johnb80]

Yes, heat pumps produce more heat energy than they use. However, they do draw a considerable amount of electricity in doing that, so a house without solar/battery can see a significant bill increase for electricity, but typically this is dramatically outweighed by the elimination of gas / oil / electric heating that was used before.

I suppose it depends on how you view energy used, a typical gas boiler is 20 to 30 kW, even the biggest of the heatpumps only consumes a maximum of 4.8 kW when they're working flat out which isn't often in most installation, a lot less than the 7kW wallboxes that we use!

 

[Deleted member 10041]

The Times & The Sunday Times

News and opinion from The Times & The Sunday Times

www.thetimes.co.uk

they work in Scandinavia fine although their houses are invariably better insulated than ours

 

[tsedge]

they work in Scandinavia fine although their houses are invariably better insulated than ours

I was going to say that, but on reading the article he is talking about problems with heat pumps reaching the recommended 60C for hot water and the costs of installs (which I think includes the insulation costs).

Agreed that these problems have solutions elsewhere, but Scandinavian houses are a different design.

From the Eco-Experts site:
"Although the government is pushing for heat pumps to become more commonplace – even aiming for all new heating systems installed from 2035 to be low carbon – currently, 54% of UK homes aren’t suitable for them.

Plus, our National Home Energy Survey found that only 25% of people would have a heat pump if it were free."

Is Your Home Suitable for a Heat Pump? | The Eco Experts

Thinking of getting a heat pump? Learn which types of homes aren’t compatible with them, and which alternatives are currently available.

www.theecoexperts.co.uk

 

[Ejaydee]

Allegedly they are over 300% ifficient . That is they give out 3 times the heating energy that they use in electricity.

Correct, I have had a heat pump for about 12 years, and on average mine pumps out 3 to 3.5 times the heat energy, to what is consumed. I have just looked at the readout, and ours is operating at 3.28 kW heat for every kW energy consumed. They are not suitable for every house/property, but we have found it to be great in our (heavily insulated) 40 year old bungalow!

 

[Alb]

If you are looking at running costs, this makes interesting reading:

Energy Cost Comparison - Nottingham Energy Partnership

Different energy sources are measured in different units: kWh, therms, BTU, cubic metres, litres and more. This makes it very difficult to compare the actual costs for powering a heating system between different energy sources. In order to make a fair comparison we need standardised units to...

nottenergy.com

 

[Ejaydee]

The Times & The Sunday Times

News and opinion from The Times & The Sunday Times

www.thetimes.co.uk

Unfortunately, Lord Haughey for whatever reason seems to come out with a load of guff. I have just read what he is supposed to have said and there are a number of points that do not ring true. My unit runs at 60 degrees, as do most if not all good manufacturers, not at 54 degrees as he is quoted as saying.

We do not get the cold temperatures that Scotland get, but it is often well below zero for several days at a stretch during winter months, and we have not noticed any problems. Of course, energy consumption increases when it gets colder, as it does for any other central heating method.

Although I didn't see reference to it in @Rolfe 's link, I heard he is said to have claimed that ASHPs were noisy. That is absolute tosh. Mine runs at 45dBA at one metre, which is whisper quiet (office background level).

 

[Rolfe]

Penzance? Srsly?

And that isn't even Braemar. I saw -18.5C on the car outside temperature reading a couple of days before that picture was taken, at four in the afternoon. The heat pump I saw on the new house yesterday is guaranteed to be buried in snow the next time this happens.

 

[Ejaydee]

Just to prove a point, this was looking from my doorstep a couple of winters ago in Cornwall. Horrible, nasty white stuff that should only been seen on mountain tops (or Scotland) ?

 

[Rolfe]

A mere dusting. Which no doubt lasted for a few hours!

 

[Les burrows]

The idea of the heat pump I like but the idea of ripping my home apart to do a hell of a lot of repiping and the installation of bigger radiators than I have now says it’s a no no for me.
So the electric boiler or Air-Air heating appears a better option in my case at the present time it’s very undecided what to do if anything but I would love to get rid of gas altogether.
Les

 

[Ejaydee]

A mere dusting. Which no doubt lasted for a few hours!

Mmmmm, actually it lasted over a week and was a right pain in the derrière trying to get anywhere. Many Cornish folks are not the best drivers in the snow and ice, not seemingly to understand "don't use the brakes"! The centre of Newlyn ( a small fishing port) on a snowy afternoon in mid December, was sight to behold, with gridlocked cars pointing in all sorts of directions ?. It took me all of two hours to get home (just 3 miles), due to several low speed collisions, cars positioned 90 degrees across the road, or abandoned by the roadside at all sorts of angles. Anyone from your part of the world or Scandinavia would have held their head in their hands in frustration. ?

 

[Rolfe]

I remember spending a month in Exeter at Easter 1975. "No, it never snows in Devon" they said when I arrived. About a week later I was trudging through the stuff to get to my work experience placement. Like your photo, it wasn't much of a covering, but you'd think the sky had fallen!