Home Heating suggestions

versace1888

Hi, was wondering if anyone can offer some advice please?

We currently have oil heating, and we put in barrels as and when we need them but it's proving really costly. We have a fairly big house and a baby on the way, so the house is going to need to be kept warm at all times. Normally we have the heating on in the living room and bedroom for a couple of hours in the morning and then from 4pm til 10pm at night. But with a baby on the way, it's going to have to be on in at least 4 rooms pretty much all day and the cost of oil is just crazy.

Does anyone know the cost of putting in a better heating system? The house doesn't have a back boiler. Someone also mentioned a gravity feed system to us too, but we have very little knowledge of installation, costs etc, so wondered if anyone can offer some advice?

versace1888

can anyone help with any info on this please?

fricatus

Have a look at the SEAI website anyway, as you may be eligible for some sort of grant if you get certain work done: http://www.seai.ie/Power_of_One/Grants_Available/

The other thing I would suggest is giving a little more background information. I'm no expert so I can't help. However if you answer these questions, it should make your question easier to answer:
- do you own the place or could you just consider another rental property?
- where are you located? city/town, small village, country?
- are you on the gas network or are any of your neighbours?
- if you're in the country, is there a ready supply of trees you could legitimately chop up for firewood?
- is there land around the property or are you bunched up against neighbours?
- how old is the place and in what sort of condition is it?

We bought a place that we had gutted, and used the SEAI grant to put towards a entirely new heating system, new boiler, tank, Stanley stove and also a solar panel (which only heats the water in the tank, and then only in direct sunlight, but it paid its way all summer - the gas hardly went on!).

Good luck!

fricatus

Also get a room thermometer. A baby's room shouldn't be too cold of course, but it's almost as dangerous for it to be too hot. Some people like their sitting room to be like a palm house, and that's too hot for a baby. The ideal temperature is around 18 degrees.

Wearb

versace1888 wrote: »

can anyone help with any info on this please?

It has all been answered here on this forum before. It all comes down to improved insulation, heating controls, boiler service or replacement etc.. There isn't any easy option, but have an experience person to have a look at your house and advise you on where to best spend what you can afford.
It is impossible to give more comprehensive advise here with so little information about house and heating specifications.

Hollywood130

Can anyone tell me which is a better system: pressurised or gravity fed? I'd also like to install solar panels and there will be no electric showers installed.

therealmccoy

Hollywood130 wrote: »

Can anyone tell me which is a better system: pressurised or gravity fed? I'd also like to install solar panels and there will be no electric showers installed.

If you're going for Solar, look at the Thermodynamic Solar. Far better than the traditional solar, no contest really.

Hollywood130

therealmccoy wrote: »

If you're going for Solar, look at the Thermodynamic Solar. Far better than the traditional solar, no contest really.

Really? Is it better than Kingspan? Everyone has mentioned them to me. Would you recommend solar panels in general? Do you know how often they need to be serviced? Thanks

therealmccoy

Hollywood130 wrote: »

Really? Is it better than Kingspan? Everyone has mentioned them to me. Would you recommend solar panels in general? Do you know how often they need to be serviced? Thanks

Yes, at their best Kingspan is about 70% efficient and will only provide hot water between April-September (approx). But the Thermodynamic Solar is 100% efficient, works all year round (rain, wind and sunshine and at night). No servicing required on these either and will cost the same as your fridge to run. (approx).

Hollywood130

therealmccoy wrote: »

Yes, at their best Kingspan is about 70% efficient and will only provide hot water between April-September (approx). But the Thermodynamic Solar is 100% efficient, works all year round (rain, wind and sunshine and at night). No servicing required on these either and will cost the same as your fridge to run. (approx).

How come they don't need to be serviced? Must look up installers then, they sound good, do you have them? How much would you think to install them?

Wearb

There are also a lot of negative comments about some thermodynamic solar panels on the internet. Buyer beware and do lots of research.

BryanF

therealmccoy wrote: »

Yes, at their best Kingspan is about 70% efficient and will only provide hot water between April-September (approx). But the Thermodynamic Solar is 100% efficient, works all year round (rain, wind and sunshine and at night). No servicing required on these either and will cost the same as your fridge to run. (approx).

they are incorrectly labled by the seai as solar panels they are in fact heat pumps. they run off electricity.

therealmccoy

BryanF wrote: »

they are incorrectly labled by the seai as solar panels they are in fact heat pumps. they run off electricity.

If we are being technical then yes, thermodynamic 'solar' is an Air-to-Water Heat Pump. The reason it is reffered to as solar is due to the similar functionality it has compared to traditional solar.
When you say 'Heat Pump' to a customer they automatically think whole heating system and costs of around 20 grand.

Thermodynamic Water Heating works off of the same principle as your fridge, generates heat from a refrigerant gas (which is heated by Sun/Rain/Wind) being compressed.
You can save up to 700e per year using a Thermodynamic 'Solar' system as opposed to conventional water heating methods. That figure is promoted by LVP and based on high water usage. I'd imagine a more true reflection of saving is closer to 450e for a 'normal' family of 2adults,2kids.

moonshadow

Thermodynamic Water Heating works off of the same principle as your fridge, generates heat from a refrigerant gas (which is heated by Sun/Rain/Wind) being compressed.
You can save up to 700e per year using a Thermodynamic 'Solar' system as opposed to conventional water heating methods. That figure is promoted by LVP and based on high water usage. I'd imagine a more true reflection of saving is closer to 450e for a 'normal' family of 2adults,2kids.[/QUOTE]


So what would be a comparable installation cost compared to a 4 k solar panel cost ?

therealmccoy

moonshadow wrote: »

So what would be a comparable installation cost compared to a 4 k solar panel cost ?

For a system which will provide hot water for up to 6 people would be around the €3500 mark (assuming you have a suitable cylinder).
If you need a new cylinder then you would be closer to €4500(+-).

Cylinder needs to have a dedicated coil and be highly insulated/stainless steel.

kennyb3

therealmccoy wrote: »

For a system which will provide hot water for up to 6 people would be around the €3500 mark (assuming you have a suitable cylinder).
If you need a new cylinder then you would be closer to €4500(+-).

Cylinder needs to have a dedicated coil and be highly insulated/stainless steel.

What size cylinder? Would it fit in a regular hot press?

Why are builders still building regular flat plate solar panels on new builds so?

therealmccoy

kennyb3 wrote: »

What size cylinder? Would it fit in a regular hot press?

Why are builders still building regular flat plate solar panels on new builds so?

Cylinder size would depend on your expected demand of hot water. But typically we install 250/300 litre cylinders, either Warmflow or Joule.

Couldn't give you a specific reason why builder do that. To speculate, I would guess that they do that as that's what they've always done so might be reluctant to change? (Just a guess). We install all types of Solar and happy to do so. But if anyone is to ask me based purely on product performance, then the Thermodynamic System wins hands down.

Hollywood130

Can anyone tell me if you can run a back boiler and a pressurised heating system. One plumber tells me it can be done while another is telling me it can't ??

kscobie

Thermodynamic systems do not require servicing????
A heat pump has to be checked by an F-Gas registered engineer I thought??

therealmccoy

kscobie wrote: »

Thermodynamic systems do not require servicing????
A heat pump has to be checked by an F-Gas registered engineer I thought??

You are correct to the point that an F-Gas Engineer needs to certify the installation of a Thermodynamic System but the system does not require an annual service (Or a re-fill of the Glycol as you have to do in the tubes)