UPDATED: Air Source Heat Pumps/Air Con - Full Info & Guide, is it cheaper to run than mains gas?

albyota

we tend not to use the manufacturers cylinders due to the expense, and we can pass those savings onto the customer, however, if you are getting the system fitted by an MCS installer, you would only pay 5% vat on the lot, if you buy the cylinder yourself you would pay full Vat at 17.5% or whatever the rate is at the time. have a look at McDonald engineering Ltd.

threekittymother

Hi, I have some specific questions about ASHP.

I realise I have to get planning permission for an ASHP, looking at the online planning portal, I was thinking the documents I would have to produce would a be a plan indicating where I wanted to site the outdoor unit, and technical details of the unit in question. Will I need to provide any more than this?

I'm a bit worried that by the time I have got planning permission, all the grants will have gone

Thanks for your advice albyota, I am now awaiting quotes for 2 more ASHP installers. I quite liked the daikin altherma system so far. Are there any major pros/cons between daikin altherma and ecodan or are they fairly similar (I know daikin has a back up heater in it).

Thanks

richardc1983

threekittymother wrote: »

Hi, I have some specific questions about ASHP.

I realise I have to get planning permission for an ASHP, looking at the online planning portal, I was thinking the documents I would have to produce would a be a plan indicating where I wanted to site the outdoor unit, and technical details of the unit in question. Will I need to provide any more than this?

I'm a bit worried that by the time I have got planning permission, all the grants will have gone

Thanks for your advice albyota, I am now awaiting quotes for 2 more ASHP installers. I quite liked the daikin altherma system so far. Are there any major pros/cons between daikin altherma and ecodan or are they fairly similar (I know daikin has a back up heater in it).

Thanks

You dont need planning permission you just need to site it away from boundry walls etc. They are no louder than a gas boiler flu.

You only need planning permission if your going to install in an area where it may annoy your neighbours.

Cardew

richardc1983 wrote: »

You dont need planning permission you just need to site it away from boundry walls etc. They are no louder than a gas boiler flu.

You only need planning permission if your going to install in an area where it may annoy your neighbours.

Who determines annoyance?

richardc1983

Cardew wrote: »

Who determines annoyance?

A lot of it is down to common sense, inverter units are very quiet.

Cardew

richardc1983 wrote: »

A lot of it is down to common sense, inverter units are very quiet.

Since when did common sense apply to councils?;)

Although this may change, it is my understanding that the council must be consulted although formal full planning permission procedure may not be required.

Someone posted recently that they were refused planning permission for an ASHP - albeit on a flat!

That said if you installed an ASHP without consultation(as many do) and nobody objected, there wouldn't be a problem.

peat

I currently heat my home with a wet electric central heating system using a 12kw heatrae sadia (amptec) heater. I use around 16,500 kwh per year. I have been quoted for fitting a Danfoss 12 AX air source heat pump in to the system. How much can I realistically expect to reduce my electricity consumption by (all thihgs being equal)? I live at sea level at 57 degrees north on the east coast.

albyota

Hi peat, going on this last winters temperatures and lengthy spell of approx 210 days, a good quality heat pump at worse would equate to 9,170 kWh at a COP of 1.8, or at best 5,500 kWh at a COP of 3.0, however, not sure if your 16,500 is for heating and hot water only or includes general lighting and power, this of course would make a difference to the calculations. It would be interesting to know what price you have been quoted for the Dimplex 12 AX, it is also worth noting that a replacement amptec C 1200 would cost around £700-£800. Do you have a seperate hot water cylinder?
At the moment your annual fuel bill is around £1,900, an air source heat pump would reduce this down to between £660 & £1,100 assuming 12p/kWh.

Danfoss quote COP of 4.4 at 7C degrees ambient and water temp 35C - it uses R407C is soft start but not inverter driven. they quote 60C but only at 0C.
Is 35C good enough to heat your exising radiators?, most ASHP's are inverter driven and use the R410A refrigerant and 55C is the hottest water temp, however the efficiency drops off a bit, an exception to this is the Sanyo CO2 ECO which heat water to 65C without increasing the rads.

peat

The 16,500 kwh is for heating and hot water but I use bottled propane for cooking. I am on the Economy 10 tariff, I use a thermal store, water is only heated during off-peak periods and I try to only use power-hungry devices at off-peak times. I was quoted £8.7K. I don't think 35C would be adequate. but I am swithering between changing the occasional radiator or boosting the temp with the amptec.

arty68

The first thing I would do is get some more quotes £8.7k is well over the odds you maybe better getting a cheaper which may be less efficient but saving you £3-4K.

Shop around and haggle..