Replacing Warm Air Central Heating.

Lard74

Its run off mains gas

Bendy_House

Your chosen installation should really be future-proofed for low-temp systems, such as AorGSHPs, and even for gas-(even hydrogen) powered systems, the former because low-temp is pretty much all they can produce efficiently, and the latter because they operate more efficiently at low water temps - they extract more heat from the combustion process.

That means either UFH - the most pleasant and aesthetic system (ie, you can't see it) - or over-sized rads. And, by oversized, we are probably talking around twice the current size per room.

If I were starting from scratch, I'd go UFH.

Of course, the single most effective improvement you can do is insulation.

If money were no object, then perhaps a PV system feeding batteries to power an ASHP to supply UFH - that should be pretty effective!

The cost of all these systems should continue to fall, I think; Octopus are apparently building a factory in NI to churn out ASHPs at pretty much the equivalent cost of a gas boiler (when Gov grants are factored in). 

Personally, I'd learn how to use the current system as effectively as possible, look at ways of reducing your energy usage this winter (threads on this), and carry on doing your research. A sheet for each system, with as near a comparable running cost at the bottom of each as you can muster, obviously with the installation cost of each factored in too.

I think there's a general consensus that a home which has been well insulated and fitted with an energy-efficient heating system will command premium prices.

Or, perhaps, renewables will gradually become effective enough to provide energy at previous cost levels?

Lard74

Hi,
Oh completely agree about a good amount of insulation, naturally replace any old or popped windows.

Forgive my ignorance on this but what are AorGSHPs?

I hadn't really considered Under Floor heating. Seems a good solution for downstairs - what would you suggest for upstairs?

thanks

Lard74

I've also seen those electric style skirting boards - whats the opinion on those?

deano2099

They do still make warm air heating systems, so you could replace with something similar. It'll have a similar footprint and be the least invasive way of doing it as no need to fit radiators and piping. 

If you are going to use it over winter, do be sure to get it serviced and checked, we moved into a place a few years back with one and turned out it was dangerous as wasn't vented properly as various works had been done on the place without accounting for it.

Bendy_House

Lard74 said:

Hi,
Oh completely agree about a good amount of insulation, naturally replace any old or popped windows.

Forgive my ignorance on this but what are AorGSHPs?

I hadn't really considered Under Floor heating. Seems a good solution for downstairs - what would you suggest for upstairs?

thanks

Air or Ground Source Heat Pump. 'Ground' means that a collector pipe is buried in your garden. A LOT more cost, but also a lot(?) more effective.

Heat Pumps are powered by electricity, but the idea is that this power is used to grab MORE heat from the Air or Ground than is actually used by the machine itself. So, you should, ideally, get 3, 4, 5 perhaps more out than you put in. Only then is it cost-effective, since electricity is still very costly.

Usually just normal wet rads upstairs - too costly to fit UFH everywhere, so it's usually kept in the main living areas.

LV_426

Apodemus said:

Are warm air systems really so bad?  North America seems to manage quite well with them. 

Works ok in my caravan. Prefer radiators in my house though.

Bendy_House

Lard74 said:

I've also seen those electric style skirting boards - whats the opinion on those?

Yes, that could be a possibility - it all depends on their output. If you can get skirting rads that will output the same as an oversized normal rad, then it would be a much neater system.

I have no idea of how powerful they can be, tho'.

Don't forget that any 'wet' system - UFH, water-filled radiators - should be designed to work with a low water temp supply, around 40-odd degrees? So they need to have large overall radiating surfaces. That's one reason why UFH is so effective - it's a HUGE heating surface, so the water temp can be really low.

Worth researching current skirting heaters, yes.

macman

Lard74 said:

I've also seen those electric style skirting boards - whats the opinion on those?

I don't quite get why you would want to be deriving any of your heating from electricity when you have mains gas available?

Lard74

Im just getting a feel for alternatives at the moment

Chance are I'll end up with a conventional central heating system.