LPG bulk tank - switch to Air Source Heat Pumps?

MickyC_4

Hi all,

New to the forum although have been browsing for a while!

We currently have an LPG bulk tank at the bottom of the garden which is supplied by Calor, and all in all the service (automated Think Tank) is pretty good - BUT, the prices seem pretty high. The property is a G2 listed terrace cottage, mid-terrace, no cavity walls but roof is insulated, approx 1,000sq ft. total floor area and only 2 occupants, yet our monthly direct debit has just gone up to £111/month!! All it does is heating and hot water - hob and oven are electric.

Anyway, was looking at switching suppliers and read about air source heat pumps as an alternative. Our current combi boiler (we have no water tank) is around 10 years old (although has been regularly and well serviced), and so the idea of an ASHP seems like a good one given the boiler may need replacing soon anyway.

So, what I want to know is has anyone made this switch and how have you found it? Are there any cost savings to be had? The way I see it, gas prices are only ever going to go up before running out, and we have no intention of moving for a good few years yet! The boiler may need replacing the and the external unit can sit where the tank currently sits - although is there any distance isues here, as currently the gas tank is 110ft away from the house at the bottom of the garden!

Any help/advice/experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

albyota

MickyC, have a read of the threads on here about air to water air source heat pumps, you have to do your own research before deciding, yes they will save you money on your running costs but to get the most efficiencies you would need to have a hot water cylinder installed. there are many manufacturers producing these, but steer away from the cheapo 'buy one now, buy one next year' type, like anything else you get what you pay for, the better systems are Mitsubishi Ecodan, Sanyo ECO CO2, Daikin Altherma, insulation and double glazing really is a must. siting the unit upto 15 meters away from the house is allowed but you would have to insulate the pipes, check whether you would need planning permission, as they are percieved to be noisy, I personally think the noise is comparible to a older gas/oil boiler flue. 49dBa at 1 metre.

Cardew

There are 2 types of ASHP. One feeding radiators and the other just warm air.

You will need a hot water tank, or an 'instant' electric hot water heater. Either way will require some plumbing and electrical re-wiring.

A wet system will require you to uprate your radiators as the water temp is not as high as a conventional boiler output.

For all practical purposes you will not be able to fit an ASHP 110ft away from your property.

MickyC_4

Hi guys,

Thanks for the advice. The noise factor would be an issue as we are in a terrace of 4 cottages, and I wouldn't want to upset the neighbours by having a noisy unit in the garden, particularly if it can't be too far from the house!

Perhaps I am best sticking with gas and changing supplier? We already have double glazing and loft insulation, although I think we could get better loft insulation at some point!

Will try and read up on these pumps some more, but from the noise perspective alone it might be a no-go sadly!

Swipe

I find mine about half the noise levels of next doors oil boiler so I dont think noise is an issue. I'm more concerned about my neighbour complaining about me blowing icy cold air across his pathway

MickyC_4

Randomyl, we visited some family friends the other day and they have one of these pumps in their back garden, and it seemed pretty quiet and is apparently cheap to run too!

So, a few questions hopefully someone can answer quite quickly! Our current system is a bulk gas tank feeding to a combi boiler - we have no hot water storage tank.

What would we need to replace - the whole lot I'm guessing? The ASHP will replace the gas tank, but do we still have a boiler or just a hot water tank? Can't see how a boiler works without gas!!

Also, how much does this sort of installation cost? And how will they get a water tank into the loft? The loft hatch is pretty small and I don't fancy removing the roof!

Cheers for the advice

samtheman1k

No, you don't have a boiler, the ASHP is basically the boiler, but yes, you do still need a water tank if it is providing your hot water too. The problem with ASHPs, is that they are expensive to purchase, think £5k + installation for a good quality system. Be wary of seeing other systems operating in summer and think they are quiet! In winter, when they are operating at full whack, they are a bit noisier and they are modulating!

davisand

there is a case history for a property that switched from LPG to air source heating on the web site for green air central heating which claims a 40% saving in running costs. worth a look....

MickyC wrote: »

Hi all,

New to the forum although have been browsing for a while!

We currently have an LPG bulk tank at the bottom of the garden which is supplied by Calor, and all in all the service (automated Think Tank) is pretty good - BUT, the prices seem pretty high. The property is a G2 listed terrace cottage, mid-terrace, no cavity walls but roof is insulated, approx 1,000sq ft. total floor area and only 2 occupants, yet our monthly direct debit has just gone up to £111/month!! All it does is heating and hot water - hob and oven are electric.

Anyway, was looking at switching suppliers and read about air source heat pumps as an alternative. Our current combi boiler (we have no water tank) is around 10 years old (although has been regularly and well serviced), and so the idea of an ASHP seems like a good one given the boiler may need replacing soon anyway.

So, what I want to know is has anyone made this switch and how have you found it? Are there any cost savings to be had? The way I see it, gas prices are only ever going to go up before running out, and we have no intention of moving for a good few years yet! The boiler may need replacing the and the external unit can sit where the tank currently sits - although is there any distance isues here, as currently the gas tank is 110ft away from the house at the bottom of the garden!

Any help/advice/experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Cardew

I take it you are selling Air source heat pumps - so spam.

Your(?) organisation apparently installs the Mitsubishi Ecodan system - apparently a very good system as owners on this site will verify -. however we don't need spam