Heating System

Mike2006

Hi,

I am modifying the set-up in my heating system and I just wanted to get some views on the proposal:

[/Current Setup as follows:B]

1000L Thermal Store with the following inputs: Solar Panels (20m2), Oil Boiler and Back-Boiler on solid fuel fire (only lit at weekends).
Outputs: DHW and UFH upstairs and downstairs.

At the moment, I am heating the tank to 65 DegC to satisfy my DHW requirements (as well as my UFH @ 38 DegC).

My proposed change is as follows:

Use Thermal store for UFH only with solar panels and back-boiler feeding into same.
Install separate DHW tank (300L) and heat this from oil-boiler and immersion when required. The 'cold water' feed to this 300L tank would be from the existing DHW pipe from the thermal store so in reality, this tank would be fed by 40 DegC water and not from ~12 DegC water.

My thinking is as follows:
Solar panels heat thermal store to 45-50 even on a dull-ish day so all of the UFH heating for the house could be provided by the solar panels and then I am only heating water with fossil fuels for my DHW requirements.

Any thoughts on this?

Thanks,
Mike

MicktheMan

Without knowing the heat loss characteristics of the house, the risk, as I see it, is that there wont be enough solar to satisfy the u/f demand in the depths of winter. So I would keep the option open to augment the heat in the large thermal store with the oil boiler if / when needed.

Mike2006

Thanks Mick - yes should have said, the plan there would be to incorporate a couple of motorized valves to allow for that.

Mike