Heating Surveyor/Engineer

benz

We've just bought a house in the countryside which hasn't had any heating modernization or energy conservation done since the 70's. It's got a big old oil boiler which works well but not economic.

I would like a heating engineer to come and inspect and tell me what is practical and what my best options are, such as Ground/Air Source heat pump, external &/or internal wall insulation, floor insulation, stay with oil perhaps, underfloor heating, solar panels, etc. etc.

The place is between Cambridge and Colchester.

Can a kind soul recommend an engineer or a firm?

macman

If no mains gas, then oil is probably still going to be your cheapest option.
How do you know the existing boiler is uneconomic? It could take you a decade or more to recover the cost of a new boiler.

Smiley_Dan

I'm in a similar position, learning the energy demands of our new house. It's larger than our old one and off the gas grid, heated by oil, so I'm in a similar position.

I don't know of 'independent consultants' of this nature, but I'd love to know one! What I'm doing is reading as much as possible on these subjects from these forums, Navitron, Green Building Forum etc. This is on the basis that I think I should educate myself, because most of the people to consult on this stuff are trying to sell me something. It's clear that there has been mis-selling in this area (heat pump installations for example) and the gold rush that the RHI will bring will possibly make this worse.

Cardew

Smiley_Dan wrote: »

I'm in a similar position, learning the energy demands of our new house. It's larger than our old one and off the gas grid, heated by oil, so I'm in a similar position.

I don't know of 'independent consultants' of this nature, but I'd love to know one! What I'm doing is reading as much as possible on these subjects from these forums, Navitron, Green Building Forum etc. This is on the basis that I think I should educate myself, because most of the people to consult on this stuff are trying to sell me something. It's clear that there has been mis-selling in this area (heat pump installations for example) and the gold rush that the RHI will bring will possibly make this worse.

Agree 100% that most people will have a vested interest in selling your 'their' product.


It isn't 'rocket science' to research which heating system best meets your needs. A childless young couple out at work all day are going to have very different heating requirements to a retired couple in the house all day.


Whilst Navitron and Green building forum can be very good, their contributors are mainly 'Green' enthusiasts who often make outlandish claims. 'My two solar panels on the roof provide enough hot water etc etc'

Robwiz

Those aren't the only fora where members make outlandish claims! There is a lot of fact, analysis and experience on the Green Building Forum too.

I totally agree with Smiley Dan. My advice would be do nothing for at least 12 months. Monitor all your energy consumption at the highest resolution you can (i.e. daily if you have the motivation) and plot your usage against the heat degree days. In that year, educate yourself as much as you can. Most salesmen will put their own interest first in trying to sell you the most profitable solution they can.

I would suggest you look at insulating first. There are three paybacks: you will consume less fuel immediately; you will be able to turn your heating off earlier in spring and keep it off for longer in the autumn and when you install new heating you will need a smaller boiler and radiators which could be a substantial saving.

One of the best ways of learning is by doing your own experiments. Buy a couple of cheap convector heaters from Argos (£9.99 each) and use one in combination with a thermometer and an energy consumption meter to find out the heat loss for each of your rooms. That knowledge can be really useful in cross-checking any design a supplier proposes. I also suggest you don't use your oil heating in milder weather because unless you are very disciplined you will waste heat in rooms that aren't in use.

Draught and air leak sealing (doors, windows, pipes and cables passing through walls) usually gives a quick payback.