Heating - Underfloor/Rads/Oil/Geo for a 3000sqFt Dormer

YourAverageJoe

Hi,

I have spent the last three hours reading the threads on heating but still no further on. My situation is as follows:

1. 3000 sq ft Storey and half self build,
2. Concrete floors throughout,
3. Plaster/100mm Block/40mm Cavity/80mm Board/100mm Block/60mm? Insulated Plaster board,
4. Nothing done so far.

I feel geotherm still has some way to go (considering the improvements in recent years), also cost is significant. Plan on putting in oil boiler now with UFH throughout and then converting over to geothermal at a latter stage (i.e. when i can afford the system). Is there any issue with this?

Secondly, should I be consdering traditional radiators as my girlfriend loves heat and I am slightly concerned she will be unhappy with the temperature as i odnt want to have to run the system 24hrs on oil.

Thanks

RKQ

Underfloor is a different heat to rads. I mean the slow rising heat from all the floor gives a warm overall heat. Whereas I fill rad heat is localised to the area of the rad - hope that makes sense.

Geothermal is expensive to install but cheap to run and very convenient.
The sun is a sourse of heat, so consider orientation of the house, to gain heat from it.

I don't see a problem with installing ufh pipes with an oil boiler and allowing for a future change over.

I would say underfloor heating is very good if you or your girlfriend work from home or have young children, at home all day. Rads might be better if you both work away all day and require heat for afew hours in the morning and evening.

topcatcbr

If you install a buffer tank you can benifit from running several different options seperatly or together. eg solar and oil. oil and gas. solar and geothermal.

johnb25

What makes geo effecient to run is that is is supposed to run on night-rate electricity. However it runs at relatively low temperature, so in very cold & breezy weather like we had around new year the only way to increase heat is to run it for longer. That is relatively expensive as it will be at day rate. During that kind of weather I wish I had gone for pellets; same cost to run at any time, so you can get extra heat when you need it.

Slig

Underfloor heating is better suited to thermally massive structures (like yours but without the dry-lining) It is notoriously unresponsive and I would advise anybody putting it in to have some form of additional heating in your main living rooms.
If the outside temperature is constant then its grand but we can go from -2 to 12 degrees overnight and the underfloor heating would struggle to reduce the heat quickly enough

twenty8

if you are thinking of changing over I suggest that you go underfloor. Geo doesn't really work with rads as the water temp is too low without a booster.

I have geo and absolutely love it. House is 3,300 sq ft with high ceilings. It would cost an absolute fortune to heat it by oil instead I have all round heat for a reasonable cost. my ESB bills are approx €350- €400 every 2 months - and that is my only bill - ie I also cook with electricity. I reckon that geo is costing me about €75 - €100 every month. Cheap considering the price of a fill of oil.

Any questions please fell free to ask.

Morelli

geothermal requires closer pipe spacings for under floor heating.Beware of this if you are considering to changing over in the future. wood recommend 125mm cavity..with bonded bead insulation. money spent on insulation at the start is money saved in the long term