New house - no heating

TheBallbag · 20 May 2014 at 4:07AM

First post so go easy on me.

I've just purchased my first property and need some advice on heating.

Its an ex council property, 3 bedrooms and had 3 electric old school storage heaters, the area does not get gas and the storage heaters were in bad shape and have now been removed.

The house is going to have a fair bit of work done before its habitable and therefore I wanted to fit a brand new central heating system Whilst its empty and easy to fit.

Now weighing up my options I just wondered what you guys would recommend, in the position I'm in, both for initial outlay and monthly/yearly cost once fitted.

Obviously, my simplist option is new electric heaters, I've read a lot about these jazzy German things and I'm fully aware the claims made by a lot of these companies are bull so was wondering if there are any recommended cheaper alternatives etc.

Oil would probably be my ideal choice, but then I have to have a big horrible tank in my back garden and the first quote I had including replacing the water system was a lot more than I expected.

The other option I've been considering is underfloor heating, I like the idea of it, it doesn't sound too pricey to install etc.

Anyway I wanted your opinions/thoughts.... With a blank slate and no current heating system what would you go for?

Cardew · 20 May 2014 at 10:03AM

Welcome to the forum.

I assume by underfloor heating you mean electric heating - either by hot water pipes or mats? If so, remember that with ALL electric heating you get exactly the same amount of heat for the same running cost.

There are many different threads in this section of MSE that address your dilemma, and you should read them.

Perhaps the most import point is to ensure that you get the very best insulation possible.

The obvious alternatives are oil CH, new storage heating, a heat pump (air to air, ASHP or GSHP) solid fuel or simple electrical heating. Much will depend on your lifestyle(out at work or someone home all day)

Me - I would have oil!!

captainhindsight_2 · 20 May 2014 at 10:10AM

Put in a heat pump, take advantage of the renewable heat incentive and it will pay for its self and much cheaper to run than any other alternative.

Air source heat pumps prob the cheapest but if youve got the space outside ground source is the best ROI but much more expensive to install.

It would be very silly to install any alternative as you will regret it in the future.

Also remember to take advantage of the home improvement fund and get as much of the £7600 cash back as you can seeing as your doing a refit and remember loads of insulation it will save you so much money in the long run.

Pincher · 20 May 2014 at 10:25AM

First poster? Don't tell Rolf Harris. He wants to be the first to tongue kiss you.

Under Floor Heating likes low temperature flow, which is good for heat pump technology.

Insulate. 40mm thermal plaster.

Opportunity to put in lots of flush sockets: power socket, terrestrial/sat/cable TV, BT/Broadband point, CAT 6 Ethernet. Make sure electrical wiring is protected in conduits, otherwise you will get earthing shorts.

Once you have super-insulated, you need to get rid of the moisture. Check out MVHR setups.

Robwiz · 20 May 2014 at 11:23AM

Insulate and eliminate draughts. Go to the Energy Saving Trust website and read up on insulation and work out what's most suitable for your house. Think walls, floors, loft and possibly windows too.

With high levels of insulation it really isn't worth the cost and hassle of putting in central heating. A point source (wood burning stove or air to air heat pump) can provide all the heat needed to balance the (low) heat losses.

I would never install a permanent heating system in a new home before living there over a winter and learning its heating requirements. Slight exaggeration, I would get an electric radiant heater with a PIR sensor installed in the bathroom.

Instead, hold onto your capital, buy a few 2kW convector heaters and view the electricity bill running them as an investment in learning what your heating requirements actually are. Any contractor pitching for your business will probably use an inaccurate 'rule of thumb' to over-specify the size of source and emitters. Arm yourself by understanding how much heat is required per room to give the comfort you want.

Smiley_Dan · 20 May 2014 at 12:14PM

What Robwiz says is the rational choice but the trouble is that people are neither rational nor knowledgeable and when you come to re-sell, having no CH may be a turn off to most potential purchasers.

The most important thing is to reduce the amount of energy loss. That way, even if you go for electrical or oil heating at least you won't have to use much of it. It also buys you some time... maybe heat pump technology will improve yet further?

I personally would go for UFH throughout the ground floor as well, as it expands your options and in itself is more efficient (lower losses than rads running at double the temp).

lstar337 · 20 May 2014 at 12:41PM

TheBallbag wrote: »

Oil would probably be my ideal choice, but then I have to have a big horrible tank in my back garden and the first quote I had including replacing the water system was a lot more than I expected.

Can the tank not go underground?

My parents use LPG and their tank is underground, you cant tell at all. I actually thought they were on mains gas until they told me they were on LPG, that was 2 months after they moved in!

Robwiz · 20 May 2014 at 7:27PM

Smiley_Dan wrote: »

What Robwiz says is the rational choice but the trouble is that people are neither rational nor knowledgeable and when you come to re-sell, having no CH may be a turn off to most potential purchasers.

The most important thing is to reduce the amount of energy loss. That way, even if you go for electrical or oil heating at least you won't have to use much of it. It also buys you some time... maybe heat pump technology will improve yet further?

I personally would go for UFH throughout the ground floor as well, as it expands your options and in itself is more efficient (lower losses than rads running at double the temp).

Just to clarify, I'm not saying I would never install central heating – just that I would leave it a winter so that I could confidently spec the boiler and radiator sizes (as few and as small as possible) based on the actual heat losses. If it transpires that central heating isn't needed other than for the estate agents' listing, then I would install the most minimal and low cost system available.

I'm not convinced about UFH because it works against making the most of solar gain in winter, which closes off a free heat option (worth about 4º on a February afternoon in our house). As I wrote earlier, discover the thermal characteristics of your house!

Smiley_Dan · 20 May 2014 at 9:13PM

Robwiz wrote: »

I'm not convinced about UFH because it works against making the most of solar gain in winter, which closes off a free heat option (worth about 4º on a February afternoon in our house). As I wrote earlier, discover the thermal characteristics of your house!

Does UFH reduce thermal mass then? I would've thought with the requisite floor insulation it would make it OK.

Cardew · 20 May 2014 at 11:00PM

Smiley_Dan wrote: »

I personally would go for UFH throughout the ground floor as well, as it expands your options and in itself is more efficient (lower losses than rads running at double the temp).

This is what the OP posted:

The other option I've been considering is underfloor heating, I like the idea of it, it doesn't sound too pricey to install etc.

As I stated in Post#2 I suspect the OP might be thinking about underfloor heating mats, see:

http://www.heatmat.co.uk/

Smiley_Dan · 21 May 2014 at 9:02AM

Ah, yeah I remember reading that now and thought it curious (due to the perceived low cost). I must've got carried away later.

New house - no heating

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