Electric warm air ducted system help needed 10 April 2018 at 11:44PM edited 30 June 2018 at 5:22PM in LPG, heating oil, solid & other fuels 9 replies 2.5K views

danrv

Hi
Not sure if this is in the correct forum but I have just bought a 3 bed semi detached property that has an old electric warm air system installed (1975).
No gas in the area.
There!!!8217;s a large storage/fan unit in the hallway cupboard which you manually switch on then this
pushes warm air through in wall ducting and out of vents in the rooms. There!!!8217;s an adjustable thermostat too.
It works ok and a new fan was fitted 3 or 4 years ago but would like to update or renew the heating.
After contacting a few heat pump companies, it seems this system can!!!8217;t be updated using a more modern unit but with the current ducting. Heat pumps are for wet radiator underfloor systems.
I!!!8217;m due to move in in a few weeks and I think I!!!8217;ll have use what!!!8217;s there for now but if going for wet central heating, it!!!8217;s best to install now while the place is empty.
Anybody had any experience with this type of heating?
Any help appreciated.

jk0

If the system works I'd keep it. They are quite efficient I believe.

Your alternative of installing heat pump & radiators will of course cost less to run, but at what cost? Estimate how many years you will own that house, and divide the cost by that number. If that is more than the saving in electricity, you have your answer.

Now, of course a gas central heating system adds value to a house, but I'm not so sure about an aged heat pump.

danrv

Thanks, very helpful.
Good idea about doing the sums. Also oil central heating would add value to the house. That seems to be the preferred option in rural areas and villages.
I'm not too concerned about whether the heating system adds value. Just like to be comfortable without huge heating bills and adding value would be a bonus.

Another CH option is an electric boiler and radiators so no big oil tank.
Air source heat pump and rads with potential financial help from the Renewable Heat Incentive.
Quite a big decision and don't want to rush into it before I move in.

RobertJr

danrv wrote: »

Hi
Not sure if this is in the correct forum but I have just bought a 3 bed semi detached property that has an old electric warm air system installed (1975).
No gas in the area.
There!!!8217;s a large storage/fan unit in the hallway cupboard which you manually switch on then this
pushes warm air through in wall ducting and out of vents in the rooms. There!!!8217;s an adjustable thermostat too.
It works ok and a new fan was fitted 3 or 4 years ago but would like to update or renew the heating.
After contacting a few heat pump companies, it seems this system can!!!8217;t be updated using a more modern unit but with the current ducting. Heat pumps are for !!!8216;wet!!!8217; systems.
I!!!8217;m due to move in in a few weeks and I think I!!!8217;ll have use what!!!8217;s there for now but if going for wet central heating, it!!!8217;s best to install now while the place is empty.
Anybody had any experience with this type of heating?
Any help appreciated.

With a wet central heating system, a central heat source (usually a boiler) produces hot water which is distributed around the property, heating radiators and becoming available for use from hot taps and showers. This is generally considered the most cost effective and efficient way to provide heat and hot water for a property and is the most common form of heating in UK homes today with over 90%*1 having a central heating system

Let me show you the ductless mini split system:

When it comes to heating one!!!8217;s home, increased efficiency is highly sought-after. For this reason, many are electing to install ductless heating systems, also known as mini-splits.

Heating systems that utilize duct work, which are found in a majority of homes and businesses can consistently lose energy due to the way heat is dispersed throughout a home. Conversely, mini-splits can greatly reduce the heat and energy loss common among ducted systems. Additionally, mini-splits with heat pumps offer easy installation and other great features.

SaraR2018

With a 'wet system' hot water circulates through a system of pipes that connect to the radiators throughout a house. At the centre of the system, a boiler burns a fuel - or sometimes there is a 'heat exchanger' and this heats the water that feeds the network of pipes. 'Wet systems' are the most popular form of heating system in the UK.

Radiators, despite their name, do not just give off radiant heat, in fact they deliver most of their heat through convection; air warmed by the radiator naturally rises, and cool air falls relative to it, as a result the warmed air circulates and the 'space' in a room is warmed.

The pipework may also be connected to a hot water cylinder (tank), which will provide a supply of hot water for bathing and washing.

danrv

'Wet systems' are the most popular form of heating system in the UK.

Yes. My system is the same principle (heat distributed from a central source) but it’s dry.
I have grills in the walls instead of wall mounted radiators.

As I have Economy 10, maybe an electric boiler wet system would be ok. My immersion heater
is very quick to heat water so thinking of having an electric boiler on a timer to heat water in a tank off peak.
Then a pump to circulate water around the radiators. If water cools then reheat during the off peak daytime slots.
Would be interested to hear from anyone using electric wet central heating on E10.

danrv

Scrub the Electric boiler idea. Not very efficient at all as the water in the pipe work would cool too quickly.
Regarding the ductless mini split system, this could work as part of a heating system. As the property
is a 3 bed semi detached I would need several of these.
Options left are:
Oil fired wet central heating. Specialist job but adds to property value. Would need maintaining.
Electric radiators either on existing Economy 10 or normal rate. I really only need to heat one or two rooms at a time and could fit them myself.

ed1178

Depending on the system you may qualify for RHI payments if you go with a heat pump, which will offset some or all of the high install costs. Running costs are likely to also be lower than or at least comparable to oil. With any heat pump system it's vital to ensure insulation is up to scratch though, as they operate at lower temps. if you're doing a full referb have you considered a heat pump with wet underfloor heating? Heat pumps are great for UFH and have the added benefit of adding a layer of insulation to the existing floor. Probably the most expensive option of all, but lasts a lifetime and has other benefits too- zero wallspace taken, rooms feel more comfortable, silent operation...

If heat pumps really aren't an option, go with oil. Electric resistance heating is the most expensive form of heating going- whether it's an electric boiler, convector heaters, "miracle" German electric radiators (beware pseudo science nonsense!) or slightly cheaper storage heaters. In any case, economy7 type tariffs are likely to change drastically in the future as we all start charging our electric cars overnight....

danrv

ed1178 wrote: »

Depending on the system you may qualify for RHI payments if you go with a heat pump, which will offset some or all of the high install costs. Running costs are likely to also be lower than or at least comparable to oil. With any heat pump system it's vital to ensure insulation is up to scratch though, as they operate at lower temps. if you're doing a full referb have you considered a heat pump with wet underfloor heating? Heat pumps are great for UFH and have the added benefit of adding a layer of insulation to the existing floor. Probably the most expensive option of all, but lasts a lifetime and has other benefits too- zero wallspace taken, rooms feel more comfortable, silent operation...

If heat pumps really aren't an option, go with oil. Electric resistance heating is the most expensive form of heating going- whether it's an electric boiler, convector heaters, "miracle" German electric radiators (beware pseudo science nonsense!) or slightly cheaper storage heaters. In any case, economy7 type tariffs are likely to change drastically in the future as we all start charging our electric cars overnight....

Thanks. Think I may have to go with oil eventually. I can use the warm air system for a while while I redecorate then get central heating done afterwards.

danrv

RobertJr said:

Let me show you the ductless mini split system:

When it comes to heating one!!!8217;s home, increased efficiency is highly sought-after. For this reason, many are electing to install ductless heating systems, also known as mini-splits.

Heating systems that utilize duct work, which are found in a majority of homes and businesses can consistently lose energy due to the way heat is dispersed throughout a home. Conversely, mini-splits can greatly reduce the heat and energy loss common among ducted systems. Additionally, mini-splits with heat pumps offer easy installation and other great features.

Thanks, this is useful. Old post I know but still have the Electricaire warm air system.
Reading up on heating for new builds in the future, ASHPs feature as one of the viable options along with network and hydrogen heating.
I guess a few of these ductless mini splits would need to be installed for a three bed semi detached main heating/cooling system.
Have also seen multi split air to air systems with several indoor units from one outdoor.