Air to Water Heat Pumps

thedesigntribe

Hello,

I'm renovation a house in Galway at the moment and installing a new heating system. I'd love to go with some form of renewable heat pump but I'm finding myself bogged down in low quality fluff information that lacks any real experience/facts/figures. I've been following the wind-turbine thread & the Geothermal one but these two options are not suitable.

Geo-Thermal is not an option; do not have the ground space for a horizontal system or the access to get a rig in to bore a vertical system.

A Wood pellets boiler would be good but again I don't have the rear access (or space) to store the pellets.

Again unfortunately the axis of my roof is not ideal for the placement of solar panels.

So I'm left with considering an 'Air to Water Heat Pump' system.

I'm hoping someone can advise me on this type of heat pump!

1. Are they to be recommended?
2. Has anyone seen one of these in action?
3. Has anyone installed one of these?
4. Do they need to be attached to a under floor heating system or will they also heat a tradition radiator type system.
5. Can anyone recommend a supplier?
6. Where could I see one in action?

Any help greatly appreciated as I'm just about to give up the ghost & get an oil boiler.

Newshound

I too have the same problems as yourself.
Finding it very hard to get impartial advice from someone who actually has an air heatpump.
I believe they can be installed with existing radiators though but you have to double the amount of rads in each room because of the low temperature of the water in them.

CJhaughey

I am not sure if Scanhome will sell you one ofthese as a stand alone unit , however you could always ring him and ask him how they work.
The guys name is Lars.

yop

Lads,

I don't have an ASHP but have a mate who has one and visited a site where there was one installed.
To try and answer your questions:

Are they to be recommended?
Yes if you don't have any other choice, any thing is better than oil!!!
Of the 3, Ground Source and Bore hole been the other 2 then it would be the least efficent.


Has anyone seen one of these in action?
A SWECO unit in Boyle in Leitrim and my mate has another model, cannot remember the maker. The SWECO had a "coffin" like unit with as far as I remember 6 fans ( it maybe 3, sorry I cannot exactly remember), the unit was quite.
My mates was one large fan

Has anyone installed one of these?
Nope, not happy with their performance and I have the choice of the other available to me.

Do they need to be attached to a under floor heating system or will they also heat a tradition radiator type system.
They are best used with UFH BUT there are these new rads out there now which were supposidly made to suit the alternative energies, if you check the other threads then you can find people who have installed these rads.

In saying that my mate who has the ASHP has normal rads upstairs with no issues.


Can anyone recommend a supplier?
I have talked to SWECO, very informed BUT I wanted the GSHP and they kept on and on about the ASHP been better etc, I have talked to a number of independent people who had told me that this is not true.
Systemlink - Wanted a maintenance contract which did not impress me.

I am sure there are now loads out there, but beware there are now more cowboys selling these than in a good western

Where could I see one in action?
Where u based, I could ask my mate in Leitrim?

thedesigntribe

Cheers Yop

I'm based in Galway, that's me in the real world in the sig - do ask your mate if I could see it. A phone call with someone would even be great.

conbre

i used to install both ground source and air to water, the air to water are good, and less problematic, as far as i can remember you can use it with rads, but underfloor heating would be prefferred. geothermal-solar is a company installing all aspects of renewable energy, also look up dimplex.

demanufactured

You could go ahead and get an oil fired boiler and also get a solid fuel stove or range....just another option thet a lot of people are turning to.