Ground Source Heat Pump

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Poolfield2

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Ground Source Heat Pump
« on: September 10, 2010, 18:32 »
We want to do a ground source heat pump and so when we were digging drains recently we remembered to lay pipes that we can join into if ever we can afford the rest of the kit.

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John

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Re: Ground Source Heat Pump
« Reply #1 on: September 11, 2010, 12:44 »
I've done a fair bit of general research on ground source heat pumps. From an economic viewpoint they make sense unless you're on mains gas heating (all the other fuels like oil, LPG and straight electric being dearer)

They're very common in Scandinavia - despite the colder climate - which leads me to think they're well worthwhile even though a bit 'new' to the UK.

Ideally you'd use them with underfloor heating as the lower output temperature is more efficient than trying for higher ones but you can compromise by using larger radiators or double radiators with low-energy fan boost to distribute the heat in the house over a longer period.

The main warning I had from an engineer was not to run the collector pipes under a veg plot as they do reduce the soil temperature and so slow the coming of spring.

Bearing in mind that natural gas from the N Sea is running out and the UK is preparing to import huge amounts of gas from Arabia in tankers and Russia - it seems reasonable to expect piped gas prices to shoot up in a few years. So there will be a much bigger adoption of this proven technology.

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Trillium

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Re: Ground Source Heat Pump
« Reply #2 on: September 11, 2010, 18:05 »
Both my mum and sister have heat pumps at their farms, and so far so good, but for both, when they reached the 8 year mark, they had to have some expensive repairs done to things that rusted out. It's not home handyman work. Heat pumps have their heat blown by electricity as well as the pumps for their infloor heating, so you need to weigh costs on what electricity would cost today versus 10 yrs from now. Contrary to belief, they don't self pump.

A new hot trend here now for heat are the outdoor furnaces. You literally have a small 'cabin' that's very insulated sitting outside at a safe distance (insurance companies love them), and you go outside as needed (perhaps once a day or few days depending on outside temps) to feed it. Insulated pipes run underground and into the house with the heat, and it will also do water if you want. A friend has one but she also heats her small commercial greenhouses, hot-tub that runs year round as well as the house, and I think she goes through about 33 bush (full) cords of wood a year. That's a lot of money when you have to have wood brought in. But for just a house it would be far less, again, depending on house size. 

Here's more info:
http://www.alternative-heating.com/outdoor-wood-furnace.html

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John

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Re: Ground Source Heat Pump
« Reply #3 on: September 11, 2010, 19:49 »
The big thing about heat pumps is that for each unit of electricity you put in you get 3 to 4 units of heat out - an electric fire can only do 100% but a pump does 3-400% efficiency.

Wood is fine in rural areas but not so clever, especially as a mass fuel, for the town.  Interesting idea though. However, an internal woodburner with a glass door, sheepskin rug, glass of red wine...  ::)

As for the boiler breaking down, well the same is true of gas & oil boilers - especially the combi and condensing types which are much more complex than the old inefficient ones.

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Poolfield2

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Re: Ground Source Heat Pump
« Reply #4 on: September 16, 2010, 23:14 »
We have fitted underfloor heating as we have gutted each part of the house and our circulating temperature is usually about 32C, we only need to turn it up if the weather is very cold.  We have always know the GSHP is ideal for us it has just been too expensive but I think we might afford it in the next couple of years.

We have woodburners in downstairs rooms and so where possible use those and that stops the undrerfloor heating coming on, oil is scarily expensive so long live the woodburner!

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JayG

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Re: Ground Source Heat Pump
« Reply #5 on: September 17, 2010, 08:42 »
As for the boiler breaking down, well the same is true of gas & oil boilers - especially the combi and condensing types which are much more complex than the old inefficient ones.

According to two central heating engineers I have picked the brains of recently (one British Gas, one independent) it's the complicated safety and monitoring systems which have to be built into modern boilers which usually cause the problems, often shutting the system down quite unnecessarily, which is kind of aggravating!

They both agreed that Vaillant, followed by Worcester-Bosch were the best makes of condensing boilers (at the moment!)

I don't suppose any of this is of much relevance to John's new enterprise but may be of interest to someone.  :)
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Gwiz

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Re: Ground Source Heat Pump
« Reply #6 on: September 17, 2010, 12:40 »
As for the boiler breaking down, well the same is true of gas & oil boilers - especially the combi and condensing types which are much more complex than the old inefficient ones.



They both agreed that Vaillant, followed by Worcester-Bosch were the best makes of condensing boilers (at the moment!)

I don't suppose any of this is of much relevance to John's new enterprise but may be of interest to someone.  :)

Damn and blast! I've just had a potterton fitted!! ::)

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Paul Plots

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Re: Ground Source Heat Pump
« Reply #7 on: September 20, 2010, 00:26 »
As for the boiler breaking down, well the same is true of gas & oil boilers - especially the combi and condensing types which are much more complex than the old inefficient ones.



They both agreed that Vaillant, followed by Worcester-Bosch were the best makes of condensing boilers (at the moment!)

I don't suppose any of this is of much relevance to John's new enterprise but may be of interest to someone.  :)

Damn and blast! I've just had a potterton fitted!! ::)

Worcester-Bosch for me.... saved a great deal on the gas bill over 18 months....... but developed a fault today so awaiting the bad news.... contacting gas engineer tomorrow!  ::)
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