Condemned boiler

matt_drummer

FreeBear said:

Installing a heat pump will require much larger radiators to be fitted at the same time - It would also pay to look at the routing of the CH pipes and possibly swap some of them for larger ones.

I am having a heat pump installed soon, I only need to change one radiator and that is just because it is old, the replacement will be the same size.

It is not true that every house will need every radiator changing.

matelodave

You only need to upgrade a radoator if it's output is insufficient to heat the room at a lower flow temperature. In many cases radiators like boilers were oversized and the flow temperatures were very high which allowed for a rapid heat up of a room but coud also cause the boiler to cycle on and off.

Running a radiator at a lower flow temperature will reduce its output but that may still be enough to heat the room if it kept on a bit longer. In some cases you might ned to upgrade a radiator but in many cases you wont but that should determined at the system design stage

An analogy is to drive a car at 80mph for 5 mins, then stop for 5 then drive at 80 for five more and stop for 5 and keep doing that for an hour - you'll actually only be moving for 30 minutes and travel about forty miles.

Alternatively you could drive at 40 miles an hour, still get there in the same time but with a lot less stress and probably save quite a lot of fuel as well.

The average speed is the same as would be the average heatoutput of a radiator over a period of time under similar circumstances. You could still run a radiator with a heatpump at the same temperature as you would a boiler but then you'd be defeating the object of saving energy.

Understanding how a heatpump works and how to operate it properly is the secret to their success and there's a lot of rubbish bandied about from both those who think that they are the curse of the devil or even those who reckon that they are better than sliced bread.

They are neither. As I said before they use a lot less energy than gas so thats a benefit, However the cost of the energy that they use is three times that of gas or oil so they dont actually work out much if anything cheaper to run.

In many cases the economics just wont work out or the installation will be too difficult and staying with gas or oil might be a better solution but they are worth considering if you can afford one and you are in a position where you need to renew or replace your heating system or boiler.

Same with an electric car, for some people they will suit, for others they wont but the cost of buying one is signficantly higher than the equivalent petrol or even diesel car. You need to do the sums to see if the economics stack up.

At least with an electric car the extra cost is partially offset by the lower cost of running it. Thats not true at the moment for a heatpump.

BUFF

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6443715/condemned-boiler

where do you live? E.g. in Scotland there are 0% loans & the like on a national scheme. Pretty much everywhere there can be differences in what is available via Local Authority Flex - check with your council.

matt_drummer

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/80027042#Comment_80027042

I'm hoping that an air source heat pump will actually cost me nothing to run.

OK, I admit that I had to spend a considerable sum of money on solar panels and battery storage to make it work, but they have other benefits too.

If you can run an air source heat pump on cheap or even free electricty then you will save money as a direct comparison of running costs (ignoring the capital outlay for this part).

You cannot get `free' gas or oil, you can get `free' electricity.

Over ten years I will at worst break even.

The key to my plan is that my exported electicity over nine months of the year will pay for what I need to import in the coldest and dullest three months of the year.

So far, its looking good, my gas and electricity bill for April will be -£100.

I also have an electric car and it is brilliant.

And for no actual cost in the end, I create no pollution whatsoever.

debitcardmayhem

"I create no pollution whatsoever" a tad untrue ,yes do don't create it directly, but of course the manufacture of , and delivery, installation and other ancillaries are not going to be without their pollution costs. I could go on with detergents,etc which your appliances use.
Still I applaud your doing your bit 🌲

matt_drummer

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/80027147#Comment_80027147

Well, yes, there was probably some pollution created in the manufacture of the stuff I bought and had installed, not much getting away from that.

But as far as the centre of Ipswich goes, I create no pollution whatsoever.

I have no appliances that use detergents other than a washing machine, I think.

As you say, I think I have done the most I probably can, and I applaud myself every day for it :)

markin

It could take months to get quotes and an install date for a new gas heating system or heatpump, and to arange the money for it, For now they just need a second opion on if its going to leak gasses and kill them in thire sleep or not. Unlikly.

Note: The new forum text editor has no spell check.

Inigo_Montoya

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/80027695#Comment_80027695

Ive recently been sorting out a new boiler & radiators & so far found boxt to be the most competative on price & they seem to have almost immediate install dates

https://www.boxt.co.uk/

cannugec5

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/80027064#Comment_80027064

I was going to say the same.

We are moving from an oil fired system that has gone wrong to a new Air Source Heat Pump , in Scotland and have been approved for a grant and interest free loan to cover the cost.
We are looking forward to the actuality.