air to air heat or storage heaters

ian103

The bungalow we live in Cornwall is heated via storage heaters and a log burner in the lounge, the property is quite exposed so the effect of the heating is quite varied, to further compound the problems the heaters are also undersize in the study /main bedroom. We have had a quote for air to air heating but it sounds too good to be true, less cost and more heat, apart from the install cost.

So 2 options, swap the undersize heaters and use the correct size automatic heaters, the cost will be a few hundred pounds or rip it all out and have an air to air system, were just concerned as anything that sounds too good to be true usually is. Any advice or pointers to websites with unbiased reveiws,

DREKLY

Hi ian103, do you know what wattage your "undersized" storage heaters are?

Also, whereabouts in Cornwall are you, anywhere near to Truro??

I would imagine you will get replies advising you to firstly add more insulation to the property, before spending more on additional outlay for bigger heaters or air source heat pumps, which are very efficient, but at quite an initial cost outlay;
I shall be interested to follow your thread and final decision on how to improve your heating levels !

There are lots of threads on here about ASHP, if you do a search.

ian103

Insulation wise the bungalow is good, 400mm in loft, insulated cavity walls, the floor is an uninsulated raised timber floor and it would be very difficult to insulate the underside. Heater wise they were fitted in circa 2000, the problem rooms should be at lèast 2.5kw minimum.
Weve had a quote for a air source pump, but it all sound too good to be true, especially as the property is occupied for 24 hours a day so the running costs could get high.

matelodave

Air-to-air heat pumps are pretty good. They will produce around 3-4kwh for every kw of leccy that's put in.

They are different to what most people call an air source heat pump which is usually an air to water system and uses radiators/underfllor heating.

Have a look on t'interweb for air to air heat pumps. They are usually split units having the compressor unit outside and an internal blower unit - they look like air conditioners and most of them will cool as well as heat. Some can have a single outside unit and multiple inside units.

You can also get combined units which poke through the wall.

You do get instant heat (or nearly instant)with an A-A unit but you do need space outside for the compressor units. They dont really lend themselves to E7 as they dont store heat, however their energy cost is around 25-30% of an equivalent panel heater, so probably around the same price as gas per kwh.

If you are tempted then try and find an installer who has got one running to see what you think.

People do say that the outside units are noisy, but generally they are reasonably quiet and blend into the background. We've got an 11kw air to water ASHP with two very big fans, and yes you do know when it's running and when it's not, but only when we are outside near it. We cannot hear it indoors, even with the nearest window open. The leaves in the trees make more noise as does the passing traffic.

Cardew

DREKLY wrote: »

There are lots of threads on here about ASHP, if you do a search.

As indicated above, nearly all the threads on ASHPs(Air Source Heat Pumps) are for expensive systems that heat hot water that is supplied to large radiators or underfloor heating.

The Air to Air heat pumps referred to by the OP work on the same heat pump principle but blow warm air into the property. They are much cheaper to install and used widely abroad.

sk240

I went from LPG to an air to air mini split system years ago, and it reduced my heating costs by 75%, so i personally would reccommend them.
You should be able to have multiple inside air units plumbed into one large compressor unit outside.
Somthing like this
https://www.orionairsales.co.uk/toshiba-air-conditioning-ras-m14gav-e-multi-room-inverter-heat-pump-2-x-35-kw--12000-btu-240v50hz-4834-p.asp