| Air source heat pumps 18:39 - Aug 22 with 3183 views | Herbivore |
An exciting topic to be sure and one that I know has been done before. I've had a quote through from Octopus for complete installation (including new radiators if needed) that is very reasonable and with the government grant it won't be very much more than a new gas boiler would cost. House is only about 20 years old and well insulated so suited to having one.
Anyone already taken the plunge and had one installed? If so, how are you finding it? Any regrets? |  |
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| Air source heat pumps on 19:30 - Aug 22 with 2625 views | earlsgreenblue |
Not for home heating but use one for the pool & it works well, my neighbor when I was living in Suffolk had one installed & then needed much larger rads as you’ve already identified due to lower temperatures of heated water, from my perspective it was firkin noisy & intrusive but maybe than was because it was on 20 hrs a day keeping his place warm ! Or a poor install? |  | | |
| Air source heat pumps on 20:10 - Aug 22 with 2537 views | fabian_illness |
Did you get an estimation on electricity usage?
They can be really expensive to run in the depths of winter. |  | | |
| Air source heat pumps on 15:07 - Aug 23 with 2259 views | Herbivore |
Air source heat bump. | |
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| Air source heat pumps on 15:27 - Aug 23 with 2229 views | oldbeardy |
I bought a new build with a heat pump (no gas where we live). It works fine but as has been mentioned it isn't cheaper to run than a gas boiler because although it operates efficiently in terms of energy in vs energy out, electricity is a lot more expensive than gas. Also, the colder it gets, the less efficiently it runs - and of course that's when it is on most due to needing to heat the house. Heat is much less instant - you can't just turn it on and off, you need to leave it running and not vary the temperature you want too much. So it is different. So my summary would be that heat pumps work fine but operate differently and you have to adapt to them - they aren't cheaper though and especially if you aren't in all day might end up more costly to run as you can't really switch off in the winter. | | | |
| Air source heat pumps on 15:40 - Aug 23 with 2193 views | Herbivore |
| Air source heat pumps on 15:27 - Aug 23 by oldbeardy |
I bought a new build with a heat pump (no gas where we live). It works fine but as has been mentioned it isn't cheaper to run than a gas boiler because although it operates efficiently in terms of energy in vs energy out, electricity is a lot more expensive than gas. Also, the colder it gets, the less efficiently it runs - and of course that's when it is on most due to needing to heat the house. Heat is much less instant - you can't just turn it on and off, you need to leave it running and not vary the temperature you want too much. So it is different. So my summary would be that heat pumps work fine but operate differently and you have to adapt to them - they aren't cheaper though and especially if you aren't in all day might end up more costly to run as you can't really switch off in the winter. |
Thank you, that's helpful. Not overly worried about it not being cheaper to run, it's more trying to do my bit for the environment. Will bear in mind the need to use it differently, thankfully the house is pretty well insulated so should hold it's temperature well. | |
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| Air source heat pumps on 15:43 - Aug 23 with 2192 views | CobboldCrusty |
As someone who works with them I think the main misconceptions are:
1. That they need to be constantly adjusted - this isn't true. If the heat pump is properly installed by a competent professional then it should be well suited to the building and they should set it up for you so that you don't need to adjust it. It is when people start meddling with them that they start to run inefficiently and cost money. They should be about four times as efficient as a gas boiler and cost about half as much to run.
2. That you need a perfectly insulated home to get one. Again not true - any efficiency measures you can make on your home will improve the performance of the heat pump but they can still operate in a draughty Victorian house.
My advice is go for it. Octopus will also provide a good service and you will get a well-trained installer which is crucial to the proper running of the system. |  | | |
| Air source heat pumps on 15:44 - Aug 23 with 2185 views | Jasper |
Just finished completely redeveloping a 1930s semi so made sense to use the opportunity to install a heat pump, because we could make the property very insulated and add underfloor heating on the ground floor. No regrets yet, but not had a full winter to really test it (only really had the property fully sealed and insulated in March/April time).
It is certainly a different way of heating, because its about managing a consistent temperature you are comfortable with, without any major peaks and troughs (lots of trial and error needed to find the right balance). I have four zones around the house, so I can heat different parts of the house and different times of the day dependent on usage.
The underfloor heating seems to work well because it keeps the rooms warm for a long time after its turned of. Not sure if there are any implications for only having radiators. Good insulation is definitely crucial - when we still had builders working there with doors open or there were still draughts that hadn't been sealed it was harder to heat and maintain a good temperature.
Costwise I don't think it will save me money at the moment because gas is so much cheaper than electricity, but that might change in the future. Octopus does have a tarriff aimed at heat pump owners. This gives you two much cheaper periods (3-7am and 1-4pm), but offsets this with a more expensive peak period (4-7pm). I haven't switched to this yet because it didn't make sense during the Summer when I haven't needed any heating.
If you need any other feedback, feel free to send me a message. | | | |
| Air source heat pumps on 15:54 - Aug 23 with 2154 views | Herbivore |
Thanks for the responses, really helpful to hear some first hand experiences. I saw that Octopus have a specific tariff that they say will save money versus a gas boiler on average over the course of the year so may well explore that. | |
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| Air source heat pumps on 16:01 - Aug 23 with 2141 views | cooperd5 |
We live in a large cold very old house and had it fitted Jan 2020 to replace oil. Its a different feeling to 'normal' CH where it hits hot, cools down etc as this is more like background heat that you maintain - much more comfortable for us. Mrs C works from home so it's definitely better than the oil. Cost-wise, its much the sarmad before but we get the renewable heat incentive which covers 80% of installation costs (over 7 yrs)
Environmentally, it's much much better.
Noise-wise, about the same as we had external oil boiler. |  | | |
| Air source heat pumps on 16:20 - Aug 23 with 2092 views | ElephantintheRoom |
My son bought a house with one of these installed. It broke down after one year and the insurers and developers have failed to take resposnsibility
We have friends who installed one. It works up to a pont but is so uncontrollable they rather regret being ready rather than practical | |
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| Air source heat pumps on 16:23 - Aug 23 with 2070 views | Herbivore |
| Air source heat pumps on 16:20 - Aug 23 by ElephantintheRoom |
My son bought a house with one of these installed. It broke down after one year and the insurers and developers have failed to take resposnsibility
We have friends who installed one. It works up to a pont but is so uncontrollable they rather regret being ready rather than practical |
There's a surprise. | |
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| Air source heat pumps on 16:25 - Aug 23 with 2063 views | CobboldCrusty |
| Air source heat pumps on 16:23 - Aug 23 by Herbivore |
There's a surprise. |
Yeah I would say that is a reflection of who they went to rather than the technology. | | | |
| Air source heat pumps on 16:29 - Aug 23 with 2045 views | Herbivore |
| Air source heat pumps on 16:25 - Aug 23 by CobboldCrusty |
Yeah I would say that is a reflection of who they went to rather than the technology. |
The poster in question just likes to pop on to threads to spread negative vibes. I doubt they even know what an air source heat pump is. | |
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| Air source heat pumps on 16:29 - Aug 23 with 2043 views | lowhouseblue |
recently installed one in a terraced house associated with my job. feed back has been that you need to get used to just having a constant background temperature - people who are used to changing the temperature quickly or who expect a high room temperature (eg north americans) don't like it. also the hot water is less instant and is more likely to run our than with a gas boiler. generally just a bit less flexible than gas. but a very good switch to make for the environment. |  |
| And so as the loose-bowelled pigeon of time swoops low over the unsuspecting tourist of destiny, and the flatulent skunk of fate wanders into the air-conditioning system of eternity, I notice it's the end of the show |
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| Air source heat pumps on 16:33 - Aug 23 with 2016 views | ElephantintheRoom |
| Air source heat pumps on 16:29 - Aug 23 by Herbivore |
The poster in question just likes to pop on to threads to spread negative vibes. I doubt they even know what an air source heat pump is. |
Or they have experience of a technology that is not what it is cracked uo to be?
Do you ave any experience of it? | |
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| Air source heat pumps on 16:35 - Aug 23 with 1997 views | Herbivore |
| Air source heat pumps on 16:33 - Aug 23 by ElephantintheRoom |
Or they have experience of a technology that is not what it is cracked uo to be?
Do you ave any experience of it? |
That's possible, but I think it's much more likely you're just doing your usual tired, dull as fook negatron shtick. | |
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| Air source heat pumps on 16:38 - Aug 23 with 1990 views | ElephantintheRoom |
| Air source heat pumps on 16:35 - Aug 23 by Herbivore |
That's possible, but I think it's much more likely you're just doing your usual tired, dull as fook negatron shtick. |
I could give you evidence of my sons’ 2 year efforts to get a bit of justice…. )r my disappointednfriendshaving to leave their windows open in winter because they are paying to overheat their house? N0 - just close your eyes to reality- you’ll feel better | |
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| Air source heat pumps on 18:09 - Aug 23 with 1807 views | Ewan_Oozami |
| Air source heat pumps on 16:38 - Aug 23 by ElephantintheRoom |
I could give you evidence of my sons’ 2 year efforts to get a bit of justice…. )r my disappointednfriendshaving to leave their windows open in winter because they are paying to overheat their house? N0 - just close your eyes to reality- you’ll feel better |
I think your reality is at least 40 years behind ours.... |  |
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| Air source heat pumps on 18:48 - Aug 23 with 1748 views | ElephantintheRoom |
| Air source heat pumps on 18:09 - Aug 23 by Ewan_Oozami |
I think your reality is at least 40 years behind ours.... |
Bless, keep taking the tablets. They might work. (But I doubt it) | |
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| Air source heat pumps on 19:08 - Aug 23 with 1711 views | eireblue |
| Air source heat pumps on 18:48 - Aug 23 by ElephantintheRoom |
Bless, keep taking the tablets. They might work. (But I doubt it) |
Sooo, just wondering, did you find out about these failures during conversations of the form,
Hey, how about I come around yours and we watch the game together,
….errrr…yea..love to have you….but…..err it’s the heating, bloody air source pump,it’s errr, let me just check the weather next week, yea, always too hot, can’t control the darn thing,…sooo hot, even kept the windows open during last winter tut, you would not believe how hot it gets in the summer, so…yea…..shame…maybe when we get it fixed……. |  | | |
| Air source heat pumps on 19:24 - Aug 23 with 1672 views | BanksterDebtSlave |
I've been told they are fine in Winter as long as you never open the front door to go out. |  |
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| Air source heat pumps on 19:28 - Aug 23 with 1558 views | eireblue |
| Air source heat pumps on 19:24 - Aug 23 by BanksterDebtSlave |
I've been told they are fine in Winter as long as you never open the front door to go out. |
….or to let somebody in….nice….that’s Winters games sorted…. | | | |
| Air source heat pumps on 19:30 - Aug 23 with 1551 views | BanksterDebtSlave |
| Air source heat pumps on 19:28 - Aug 23 by eireblue |
….or to let somebody in….nice….that’s Winters games sorted…. |
I was trying to find a nice way of saying that people I know who have it (mostly flagship properties) say it's a bit sh1t. | |
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| Air source heat pumps on 19:55 - Aug 23 with 1528 views | GeoffSentence |
Yes, had one installed earlier this year, commissioned during a really cold snap in January and for a week or so I was worried I was going to bankrupt us with the cost of electricity. That was because we could see the electricity being used, unlike our oil fired system where we just paid on lump sum every 9 months or so.
Over the period we have had it the cost has been comparable to what we were paying for oil, though you never know with oil the price can be erratic and we did get the occasional price shock with oil.
The control aspect does get some getting used to. Traditional systems are simple and clear, turn on when temperature drops, turn off when its warm enough, sometimes I can't fathom out why the ASHP is ticking over or not.
The best aspect for me is that we have solar panels, I get a warm glow when it's on and the panels are generating all or most of the power it's using |  |
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| Air source heat pumps on 19:57 - Aug 23 with 1517 views | GeoffSentence |
| Air source heat pumps on 16:38 - Aug 23 by ElephantintheRoom |
I could give you evidence of my sons’ 2 year efforts to get a bit of justice…. )r my disappointednfriendshaving to leave their windows open in winter because they are paying to overheat their house? N0 - just close your eyes to reality- you’ll feel better |
" my disappointednfriendshaving to leave their windows open in winter because they are paying to overheat their house? "
Well that's not normal, definitely a poor install. Or they could turn the thermostat down. | |
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