General Chat

When we were in Oz we had something similar to that described by Allan. It combined both heat and air conditioning using ducts. We never knew it as a heat pump - rather a combination heater/air conditioner - but this was more than forty years ago so they will defo been improved. I am not keen on ducts though.

Our LA offered discounts on heat pumps a couple of years ago and, at that time, I chatted with one of my brothers about it. We decided not to bother for a number of reasons and I am pleased we decided against it. The main reasons were that they seemed only to produce background heat - so we would need some other heat source on cold winter days, the back of our house is mostly glass; otherwise, our house is very well insulated and much warmer than most which is commented on by visitors regularly. In fact we have had family and visitors who ask if we have (or had) the heat on when they arrive - when we have not had it on. At the moment I am sitting in a sleeveless dress with bare legs and I am warm.

We are, though, more insulated than most because we have been lucky with the insulation. Wall cavity insulation had been installed before we moved in. We installed very thick loft insulation ourselves then the LA provided pensioners with a thick layer which, at first, we refused - until the installer told us that we may as well have another loft layer on top of our own as it was free …. and, boy, was he right. I am grateful to him for that.

Last year our neighbour took up the Council’s offer of a discount for a heat pump and forked out around £7,000 for the unit alone to do so which was the extra that was not council-covered.

The installer took ages and had to replace a lot of radiators, often with tall ones which she is not keen on. Floorboards had to be lifted and pipes installed and in many rooms (all of the bedrooms) carpets and other flooring ended up with holes where the original radiator pipes were. She commented that she would have to replace all of the bedroom carpets but as they needed replacing it did not bother her too much - but imagine having to fork out for flooring that would have lasted several more years. I asked her about the solar panels she had installed several years ago and she seemed a bit dismissive of them. Very recently she had a log fire installed so I am not sure what’s going on but it would seem that my brother was right about needing top-up heat.

All of the above deterred us, plus one of us is already 80 and the other will be 80 next year so decided we could not be bothered with the upheaval and expense.

Having said that, it seems to be ironic that when we moved in here more than 35 years ago and researched solar panels, we thought we would be moving again before we recouped the cost as we have never lived in any other house longer than five years. How wrong we were!

I recorded it to watch later, but having read Names' post perhaps I won't bother.

Well that was a waste of an hour last night. Thought the main thread if the programme was about heat pumps. It wasn’t. It should have been announced as a programme about the lack of power resources.
Now I still don’t have answers that I wanted about heat pumps. But I did like the idea it could take 400 years before everyone got one ;-) ( not enough qualified engineers)

Sadly a fatal fire.....

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66310280

Ah ok ty names.

Oh my, hope noone injured

Florence, I think it was the ground source pumps that needed all that space.

There has been a fatal fire aboard a cargo ship - thought to be a car battery exploding!

Its a Monobloc system that the new houses have here.

Names on R2 today they were discussing how the battery in an electric car is made and maybe its not so environmentally friendly. Also the battery has a life span and when they need to be replaced, its fairly expensive,

My air source pump sits on a concrete plinth outside my bathroom window. The boiler is in the hall cupboard which is roomy and great for drying off clothes. The pipes as I have underfloor heating are under all the rooms except for the hallway and are not deep underground.

Im a bit confused as some were saying they need loads of land to have one?

The older council houses built in the last 10 years have radiators but this 2yr house doesnt have any but they have air source pumps in the back garden.

I’ve marked the heat pump one to wa tech but didn’t bother with the electric car one. I reckon the current car should see me out. Then where would I put access point.

If we are firced to have all these things then then the pump and access point would be fighting for space and then how would I guaranteee that I would get a parking spot close enough. Would I be allowed to have a cable crooning the oath which is budy( at school time) busy with small children, prams, little bikes and scooters.

Last night there was a programme on electric cars, which we didn't watch, but next week is one about heat pumps, which should be interesting.

Tuesday, BBC1 at 8pm.

:-D :-D :-D :-D

I think the people deciding this have never lived in a situation where they have list all sources of power for days on end.

We were so pleased to leave our Tied house and buy our own down in the main village where there was gas. So now, in an emergency we can still have hot food - cooking by candlelight. I hated the electric cooker ad it was always blowing a fuse ( so was I ;-) ). I think we went through two cookers in the time we were there.

It's a pity governmental hot air can't heat our homes.

Interesting.
Also interesting is the amount different countries are offering as a reduction for installation.

I noticed this interesting point on how the UK is dealing with climate change etc - part of their reason for heat pumps:

'The United Kingdom government has instituted several policies intended to promote an increase in efficient energy use. These include the roll out of smart meters, the Green Deal, the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme, the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme[73] and Climate Change Agreements'

Then the reality:

'In tackling the energy trilemma, saving energy is the cheapest of all measures. Improving home insulation helps reduce fossil gas imports.'

Anyone remember the 'fantastic' insulation that just slid down the walls?
I had to have it removed as it was causing damp.
The Council Surveyor tried to blame my breathing (the audacity!). :-S

Thanks, Maggie.

Try this site :-)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_pump

I looked up 'Heat pumps UK' Allan! :-D

That was the informatiion given by UK installers.

'Compulsory half baked ideas with no research' appears to be the tag line of the current UK Government :-S

Our heat pump uses a refrigerant and uses the same technology as a fridge. Compact unit, which in our case is roof mounted. It also utilises a 'reverse' system so that it can be used for both heating and cooling.

I'm not sure which system Maggie is referring to for the land and depth totals, but that would never work anywhere in Australia given that the average block is between 500 to 1500 square metres in area.

All current units are compact although size varies according to output

That's interesting, Maggie. We are probably in the 54% unsuitable!

As for depth - the land used to belong to the Duke of Argyll, until feu duty was abolished, but he still owns everything below 40'. So we would presumably need his permission. Not to mention that the geology is granite!! :-( :-(

Thanks Florence, I knew there was some ‘modern’ issue.

Whilst nit planning to have a heat pump I have sometimes pondered where I would have one. I have a very enclosed back garden, brick walls on 2 sides. The front and side are open as this was an open plan estate and I’m not sure I’d want a pump accessible to anyone walking past.

Why aren’t all new buildings built with integrated solar panels ?

Names, all the new build homes couldn't get a smart meter fitted as there were no engineers available months ago so people couldn't move in as no supply.

Local housing association are building loads of new homes just now so i think they must have engineers now because the homes are filling up with people as soon as they are ready.

Im all electric and have an air pump. There is no mains gas here as rural areas away from the town dont. They have big gas cannisters outside their properties.

Before I moved to this house, we like Joan had a oil tank and boiler outside.