Warm air heating,installing GCH

kipsterno1

No knowledge on whats best but remember to look at the room layouts with radiator placenents in mind when you view.

parcival

danrv said:

parcival said:

My mother had warm air (electric) in her 2 bed flat.  Warmed the place up very quickly and the Economy 7 costs were reasonable.  She did have a replacement unit - Dimplex I think which she was told had a 10 year life.

Must’ve been sometime ago as the storage heaters are no longer made.

Think it was about 4 years ago and it might have been a reconditioned unit - it certainly pumped out some heat. It was quite a dry heat, she used to have humidifiers around.....

Phil4432

Another poster that asbestos seals are ok for a competent installer.

No, no and no.

High content asbestos can only be handled by a licensed asbestos company.  Anyone else should not be touching the stuff.  A 'competent installer,' is not a licensed asbestos company.  This is very dangerous misinformation.

So the first thing to do would be to get an asbestos survey.  They and the heating installer could then work out how to take out the existing boiler safely.  This is the expensive part.  And it depends if and where you have asbestos.  If it's an old flue, they might advise encapsulation. (Painting over with special paint).

Do not skip this step.  Do not employ cowboys who will quite willingly, through incompetence and/or ignorance, endanger you and your family.

Looks like there might be a concrete floor downstairs, so that would be pipes running up the wall.  Not an issue really.  For upstairs, I'm guessing you'll be replacing the carpets.  Do that after the heating installation.  Last thing after everything else is done in fact.  If you wish to keep them, get a carpet fitter who knows how to roll, store and refit carpets.  Otherwise, expect creases from the heating installer taking them up and putting them back down.

With the floorboards; if they are ply I'd find a carpenter to take up the areas that need to be taken up for the installation of pipes, then put them back down again.  May be easier to take up and replace specific boards,  Otherwise, you may get a bumpy floor.  With planks its generally easier and the heating installer should be able to handle them.  But don't count on it.   If in doubt, get a carpenter to do the carpentry. 

With regards to the advice on getting a new warm air system; warm air in this country is rubbish.  Very few engineers know how to repair/maintain them.  Yes, some of the new systems are a combi boiler and relatively simple fan, but just don't bother with warm air.  It's not worth it.   

danrv

parcival said:

danrv said:

parcival said:

My mother had warm air (electric) in her 2 bed flat.  Warmed the place up very quickly and the Economy 7 costs were reasonable.  She did have a replacement unit - Dimplex I think which she was told had a 10 year life.

Must’ve been sometime ago as the storage heaters are no longer made.

Think it was about 4 years ago and it might have been a reconditioned unit - it certainly pumped out some heat. It was quite a dry heat, she used to have humidifiers around.....

Thanks. Useful to know as it’s very rare now.

danrv

Phil4432 said:

but just don't bother with warm air.  It's not worth it.   

I suppose the modern option for warm air would be aircon. I’m considering using my warm air ducting with a heatpump as I’m on electric only.
With the OP on mains gas, a conventional radiator system would seem to be the logical choice.

Phil4432

danrv said:

Phil4432 said:

but just don't bother with warm air.  It's not worth it.   

I suppose the modern option for warm air would be aircon. I’m considering using my warm air ducting with a heatpump as I’m on electric only.
With the OP on mains gas, a conventional radiator system would seem to be the logical choice.

The other issue with WA as if you extend the property.  With WA its not the same with rads, where you can simply add another rad.  Additional space may reduce the effectiveness of the WA system.

And finding a competent engineer to advise and plan how to make the WA system work is near impossible.

My advise to anyone who buys a property with Warm Air is to take it out when it needs replacing.  So budget for that in the asking price.

danrv

Phil4432 said:

danrv said:

Phil4432 said:

but just don't bother with warm air.  It's not worth it.   

I suppose the modern option for warm air would be aircon. I’m considering using my warm air ducting with a heatpump as I’m on electric only.
With the OP on mains gas, a conventional radiator system would seem to be the logical choice.

The other issue with WA as if you extend the property.  

Yes, good point. 
Would have to settle for an electric radiator or single split heatpump.