Central heating or electric rads?

Kerry_2008

We are currently adding an upstairs extension. Our house is a 3 bed semi d dormer build in 56. We bought it 10 years ago and have since dry lined the house, insulated the attic and added a new Firebird oil boiler when we go the house that heats the rads and hot water.

As part of the extension our existing hot water cylinder etc need to be moved. To complicate matters at the central heating pipework upstairs is old black iron there since the house was built. Downstairs was upgraded before we got the house and is all qualpex.

Our builder said we should just install ecostrad electric rads everywhere and get rid of the oil. Or put electric rads upstairs and continue to run downstairs off the oil. The long term plan is to get solar PV but no in the short to medium term.

Should I just get upstairs plumed into central heating or go electric? Worried about the cost of electric rads as well. Any advice would be great

greasepalm

We used to have an oil burner and the rads would be hopping with the heat and the price is down at this moment.

Hot air rises and might not need as much heat upstairs as i like a cold bedroom.

Sometimes its handy to have another source of heat if needed for topping up heat ?

10-10-20

There is a tiny bit of sense in what the builder says in terms of the fact that the upstairs rooms are bedrooms and may benefit from having stored heating (on night-rate), but what happens if you need to boost them during the day - you'll possibly regret it financially. Overall I see little sense in going fully electric upstairs as you already have the oil heating system installed and if you think forward 15 years then the next heating system will probably be a heat-pump. I'd plan for that change now by plumbing the upstairs and fitting rads spec'd for a delta-T of 30 (in other words oversized) and look at doing the same downstairs later on.

If you're really keen on electric then consider the dual-fuel rads (electric or wet), but be aware that the electric elements are less powerful than the wet system.

Kerry_2008

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120319767#Comment_120319767

Thanks for the reply. No these would be electric rads as in they wouldn't be storage heaters. More or less the same as the link below. I am unsure what to do to be honest. I am just wondering if moving the cyclinder and all that goes with it as well as replacing the black iron piping up stairs not to mention adding plumbing for heat into the new part of the house would be dead money in a few years time if with taxes etc oil become too expensive to run.

Where as the new smart electric rads can all be individually controlled etc and in time if / when I get solar PV installed might be cheaper to run that an oil boiler.

But if I get rid of the oil i will need some sort of water heater for the taps and shower, which again will be run off electric.

https://www.electricradiatorsdirect.ie/ecostrad-ascoli-iq-wifi-designer-electric-radiator-white/

cnocbui

You can not heat a house in Ireland, or Europe, with the electricity from solar panels, which don't work during the hours you most need heat.

Having looked at the ESBs insane plans for reaching net zero, I would suspect electricity is only going to keep rising in cost to pay for their plan. I would stick with the oil until future costs are a fact, who knows, political pressure may alter things .

Kerry_2008

I am thinking along those lines as well to be honest. Going fully electric just seems too unstable.

monseiur

Seeing that you have just installed a new Firebird boiler - why not replace old pipes & rads upstairs and heat the whole house with this boiler. It will cost just a few Euros extra in oil, it would be madness to even consider introducing another form of heating which happens to be a very expensive one.

10-10-20

I agree. Water-based central-heating isn't going away anywhere soon. Just oversize like I recommended (Delta-T 30) fit TRV's and insulate and fit for air-tightness.

10-10-20

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120320032#Comment_120320032

Ok, I looked at a different Ecostrad rad. The storage ones may be a better option than the full-electric if you can implement weather compensation.