Storage heater alternative.... Infrared vs lpg vs Air source heat pump 12 April 2021 at 9:50AM in LPG, heating oil, solid & other fuels 83 replies 3.2K views

ispookie666

@Reed_Richards same here, i'd have to dig the whole garden up or go bore hole, the cost just goes up and up.  

Reed_Richards

@ispookie666 I think you will find you need to apply for planning permission if you want to install more than one air conditioning unit.  Of course you could chance it and hope that nobody complains but you risk being left with some unsightly holes in your walls if you are obliged to remove 2 of the 3 units.

Electricity prices will only go up but oil prices won't?  Surely the issue is about which goes up faster?  Those rates of increase must be parameters in your Excel file somewhere.    

coffeehound

It's possible to run multiple indoor evaporator coil units from a single outdoor condenser A/C -- can that not be done with ASHP units, too?

ispookie666

Well, at least there has been fluctuation in oil price, but leccy seems to only go one way.  

Good point about planning permission, don't think I would need one.  Regarding noise, fingers crossed - it would be similar to ASHP.  

Reed_Richards

I admire your pioneering spirit, @ispookie666 , but there is a blog here https://www.revk.uk/2018/07/air-conditioning-at-home-planning.html from someone who got into difficulties over planning permission for air conditioning units after there was a complaint.

Cardew

I have experience of Air to Air heat pumps in the USA. Whilst the Specification for noise(in db) stated it would be whisper quiet, it was quite intrusive. When travelling my experience of cheap motels in the USA, with presumably cheap Air heat pumps, certainly  demonstrated noise was a problem.

Modern heat pumps could be quieter, but I would check that aspect and the siting; there have been several posts on here about neighbours reporting a noise issue.

matelodave

TBH I think noise is in the "ear (and eye*) of the beholder" rather than a a real nuisance however that doesn't meant that they aren't completely silent anymore than a oil boiler or even some gas boilers.which can be as noisy if not more so.

*However there are some who just take exception to the sight of something like an air-con unit hanging off the side of the house and will just complain because they can or because someone has told them that they are noisy and some people just make an issue out of them.

I do agree with what you say about some of the cheap and cheerful aircon-units, especially some of those which are poorly installed and rattle. Likewise some interior fan coil units can make a noise, not necessarily mechanical noise but just the air movement through a fan (even the air through the fan in my SKY box can be heard when it's quiet).

My unit has a low noise setting which reduces the fan speed and can be set for times whne it's particularly quiet (like in the middle of the night) and the fans are inverter driven so they only run at full bore when necessary which isn't very often. Compared with the ambient noise of roads, aircraft, dogs and even trees in the wind, the noise level is a lot lower. I guess older fixed speed units are probably noisier than more modern inverter driven units with variable speed fans and compressors which are soft start and control their speed to reduce wear and noise. Likewise very few heatpumps have reciprocating compressors any more, most are rotary or scroll compressors which are virtually silent. My fridge and freezer make more noise than the heat pump compressor.

worlestone

Reed_Richards said:

This will be the 48th reply to a question to which the OP has never made any further comment.  Why are we bothering?  

Because there are others like me who will benefit from reading the discussion and really appreciate the input from others who have experience. We’ve been in our current house for 8 months, 1980s built 4 bed in rural Dorset, we have storage heaters an immersion and no chance of mains gas. Currently contemplating what heating before we change the flooring! We’ve used 6500kWh since the beginning of the year and I anticipate 18000kWh over the year. 

Do appreciate the replies to the discussion, even if I don’t understand all!

Reed_Richards

Thank you @worlestone. It's more the psychology of people who pose a question then seemingly disappear off without waiting for an answer that I struggle to get my head around.

In your case I would first look at your EPC to see if loft or cavity insulation is recommended for your house.  If not then you can consider a heat pump with a view to claiming the Renewable Heat Incentive.  If either is recommended you would have to install those first.  I have an ASHP and purely radiators.  If instead I had underfloor heating I should be able to run my heat pump a bit more economically but I would have to learn to cope with the slow response time of underfloor heating.

[Edit:  You can look-up your EPC here https://find-energy-certificate.digital.communities.gov.uk/ ]

It looks as if the running cost of my ASHP will be similar to the oil boiler I had before.  But an ASHP is "greener", I don't have the bother of an oil tank and getting it filled, and servicing costs should be less.  My ASHP has an "Intelligent" function which in principle you can turn on then forget about what it is doing.  But that's not me, or not yet; I have adjusted the water outlet temperature down manually as the weather got warmer to optimise the economy.        

ispookie666

Reed_Richards said:

I admire your pioneering spirit, @ispookie666 , but there is a blog here https://www.revk.uk/2018/07/air-conditioning-at-home-planning.html from someone who got into difficulties over planning permission for air conditioning units after there was a complaint.

Well I sat and did the planning application, for the three units - that was hopefully £260 well spent.  Many thanks - better safe than sorry.  
A bit of gamble, but will get the two 2.5KW units installed but wait for the bigger one.  
Anyway, getting a Daikin for the 2.5 and Mitsubishi for 7.1 KW .  

Regarding noise 
one one side I have a main road and the other side a train line - hopefully this should not cause major problems with my neighbours,  the units will be more than 4 m on one side and 8 m on the other side 

back to op
I always find these threads to be very informative for anyone in a similar situation.  I do feel like, I hijacked it partially.