Placement of Heat Pump

NickNickleby

Greetings.

Family member going for one-stop-shop solution for energy upgrade.

Quote for EWI; Solar Panels and air to water heat pump coming in at €54k and that's AFTER grants.

Anyway, the solution design includes fitting the heat pump to the gable wall at first floor level. Apparently, the other end is a cylinder which is going in a bedroom. To me, this smacks of lazy arse shenanigans by the contractor.

If it was my house I'd say put the heat pump outside the kitchen extension window, and the new cylinder in the downstairs utility room. It would be a long run, about 7m .

Any thoughts?

10-10-20

One pertinent point on wall mountings here:

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122676714#Comment_122676714

con747

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058373498/placement-of-heat-pump

I would be getting quotes off companies that specialise in each field. That sounds very expensive but it depends on what size the house is and the size of each of the systems. One shop is nearly always more expensive even with the grants IMO.

SNNUS

Pump needs to be on the ground and not attached to the house.

NickNickleby

Thanks for the comments.

It's a 3bed semi with full width extension across the ground floor back. The extension will not require wrapping, apparently.

Not my house or money, I'm not being asked for my opinion on this solution, but I can't keep my mouth shut, if I think someone is being diddled.

The supplier is a big electricity supplier, BIG.

Anyway, it doesn't sound like anything illegal is being done. But perhaps the customer's best interests are not being served. It REALLY annoys me.

10-10-20

So are they proposing a cylinder in a bedroom when there's already a hot-press with existing cylinder there?

NickNickleby

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122700138#Comment_122700138

Correct. The existing cylinder is hidden in a wardrobe, there's no separate airing cupboard. The house was built like that- all the houses in the estate are like that.

10-10-20

It might be what's called a buffer tank or even a heat exchanger. Are they proposing to leave the gas boiler in situ or do you know more about the new tank/setup?

NickNickleby

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122700108#Comment_122700108

Indeed. And the proposed solution is coming from a large nationwide supplier of electricity . Like I said, hardly customer first service, is it?

NickNickleby

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122700250#Comment_122700250

My knowledge of the design doesn't extend very far. My understanding is that the existing boiler will be made redundant and the existing rads will be heated by the heat pump.

And here's the kicker. Subsequent to contract being signed, customer is informed that the existing gun barrel pipes will have to be replaced by customer prior to hooking the heating up to the heat pump system.

Now, do you get why I'm fffffffing livid at this carry on.

kabakuyu

Seems very expensive,what the quote before grants?

NickNickleby

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122700377#Comment_122700377

Sorry, no idea.

To be honest, I'm just venting, because nothing I say will matter, the salesman became their friend and blinded them with science. It's too late now anyway.

I was hoping someone would say planning permission would be needed, to put the unit up high on the wall , which I would have used as a get out of jail card.

I've a blood pressure monitor here, which I'm not going to use in case it explodes.

10-10-20

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122700301#Comment_122700301

Eh what? Is the gunbarrel at least exposed/over-floor or under the floor-boards?

Havenowt

Gun barrell was used for underground pipping, So ground floors would have to dug up.

Heat pump runs at low temps so existing rads might not be suitable as you normally go with larger size rad (aluminum) to compensate for the lower temperature.

I would not be mounting on exteranl wall of house as it need to hang 12 to 24 inches for air movement. The vibrations will travel through the bracket when the unit is running.

There is low heat loss insulated piping available so they could position the HP away from the house.

What size water cyclinder (300L) are they installing for them? I would be making them bring it to existing hotpress.

NickNickleby

The floors are wooden, upstairs and downstairs. The pipes are mostly gunbarrel, except where newer rads were installed.

In fairness, the spec requires that a couple of the rads need to be upgraded.

I'll try to impress on the victim that mounting the unit on the wall is a bad idea. But the contract is signed so I don't know what leverage they have. Other than to tell the conglomerate where to shove their contract and the devil take the hindmost.

Padre_Pio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122700108#Comment_122700108

Also needs to have decent airflow around all sides.

kabakuyu

Sounds like they are getting rode on price,it will turn out to be a very expensive job.

I tried to convince neighbour not to go with a national solar company,but he wouldn't listen,paid twice as much as me for very similar system.