Can air or ground source heat pumps work in old buildings?

[Jerry]

As above….

House is old, 1800’s.
House is listed
House is big, 7 double beds plus 5 reception rooms and kitchen.
No double glazing but roofs completely redone in the last 2 years and plenty of insulation in roof space.
House is stone built that are thick walls

Current heating is oil, ans boiler is less than 4 years old and been fine but family member reckons air source would be cheaper ans more reliable.

I’m worried that house is not insulated enough and can’t cost effectively be brought up enough to make air source work.

Would need new oversize rads in all rooms.

Would need glazing to be updated but listing an issue.

Would probably end up with a big electric bill and a colder house??

 

[grainboy]

Why not try it and let us know, !!!

 

[roscoe erf]

no

 

[Lincs Lass]

Have heard of air source heating costing £8 per day and thats in a relatively modern house ,,thats a considerable lump of money

 

[JD6920s]

As above….

House is old, 1800’s.
House is listed
House is big, 7 double beds plus 5 reception rooms and kitchen.
No double glazing but roofs completely redone in the last 2 years and plenty of insulation in roof space.
House is stone built that are thick walls

Current heating is oil, abs boiler is less than 4 years old and been fine but family member reckons air source would be cheaper abs more reliable.

I’m worried that house is not insulated enough and can’t cost effectively be brought up enough to make air source work.

Would need new oversize rads in all rooms.

Would need glazing to be updated but listing an issue.

Would probably end up with a big electric bill and a colder house??

I think you would be far better off with a biomass or straw boiler than air or ground source in your situation, IF you really wanted to move away from oil.
Air and ground rely mostly on lots of insulation and double/triple glazed.

 

[deleted user 837354]

Without serious double glazing and windows that seal tight I can't see that it would work. Thick stone walls won't help either, you would have to line the house with insulation on the walls first?

If you have access to timber or biomass (straw) then I would go with that but otherwise stick with oil.

 

[Lincs Lass]

Need an acre of land to bury the pipe work for ground sounce and preferably not stoney .

 

[JD6920s]

Need an acre of land to bury the pipe work for ground sounce and preferably not stoney .

And a solar array to run the heat pump.

 

[primmiemoo]

 

[Farfrae]

They will work; but won't keep you warm and will cost a fortune to run.

Little story about 8 years ago we undertook a major renovation of our already quite well insulated barn conversion. I investigated ASHPs and GSHPs as they were begining to get mentioned and a visit to a major building exhibition in London showed every Cowboy in the UK was getting in on the new bonanza.

I didn't know who to believe; so got in touch with the tecnical department at Worcester Bosch and sent them the drawings of out conversion and our propsals. Despite the fact that we were putting in more insulation they shook their heads and to their credit told us that one would not work satisfactorily in our house because of the volume (high vaulted ceiling), I am so thankful that they were completely honest about things.

In a super insulated, air tight new build they may (particularly GSHPs) have a place in old buildings forget it IMHO.

 

[Timbo]

As above….

House is old, 1800’s.
House is listed
House is big, 7 double beds plus 5 reception rooms and kitchen.
No double glazing but roofs completely redone in the last 2 years and plenty of insulation in roof space.
House is stone built that are thick walls

Current heating is oil, ans boiler is less than 4 years old and been fine but family member reckons air source would be cheaper ans more reliable.

I’m worried that house is not insulated enough and can’t cost effectively be brought up enough to make air source work.

Would need new oversize rads in all rooms.

Would need glazing to be updated but listing an issue.

Would probably end up with a big electric bill and a colder house??

Not a chance.

 

[Speedstar]

As above….

House is old, 1800’s.
House is listed
House is big, 7 double beds plus 5 reception rooms and kitchen.
No double glazing but roofs completely redone in the last 2 years and plenty of insulation in roof space.
House is stone built that are thick walls

Current heating is oil, ans boiler is less than 4 years old and been fine but family member reckons air source would be cheaper ans more reliable.

I’m worried that house is not insulated enough and can’t cost effectively be brought up enough to make air source work.

Would need new oversize rads in all rooms.

Would need glazing to be updated but listing an issue.

Would probably end up with a big electric bill and a colder house??

Yes GSHP would work but you would need to have under floor heating or the new type rads with a fan's in them , Looking at it long term why do you not line all the rooms with insulation & put new plaster boards up , this will make a big difference to the house , to keep the heat in & the cold out, heating a house is a loing term thing spend some money now & in years to come you will save money

 

[ski]

Fitted a Ground Source in 2007, had a good plumber and it was a bit of a "lets have a play around with this GSHP stuff I've been hearing about", cheap chinese heat pump for about £1600 (but it did have an Hitachi scroll compressor), and it is linked to a ACV boiler. Now to be fair its been reliable but I don't think it saved me any money and my boiler room is like something off a submarine. I don't think you'll be any better of, you'll have spent loads so I'm afraid based on the the type of house you are describing and the fact that in many cases the hype is ahead of the performance stick with oil.

 

[Steevo]

Goodness knows how they’ll heat the small farmworker/fishermans cottages in years to come.

 

[Wurzeetoo]

I had a purpose built eco friendly house with air source heat pump. It was ridiculously expensive to run and annoying to live with. Had I of stayed in that house my plan was to remove the air source and install an oil fuelled boiler

 

[Hampton]

@Jerry
Spend the money on double glazing and draught excluders around the doors and watch your heating bills plummet. You will probably then decide that you need an oil boiler half the size of you current one

 

[deleted user 837354]

Goodness knows how they’ll heat the small farmworker/fishermans cottages in years to come.

There are bio/renewable alternatives to kerosene.

 

[Boysground]

oldest part of my house is 600 years old, it’s been extended a number of times. I have finally come to an agreement with my landlord to improve the heating. He was quite keen in putting a ground source system in, the agent sent a company in who they had used for other properties to do a feasibility study.

Short answer was not a hope. Looking at a conventional system now.

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[deleted user 837354]

oldest part of my house is 600 years old, it’s been extended a number of times. I have finally come to an agreement with my landlord to improve the heating. He was quite keen in putting a ground source system in, the agent sent a company in who they had used for other properties to do a feasibility study.

Short answer was not a hope. Looking at a conventional system now.

Bg

What you want is a fudge off great wood burner in the middle of the ground floor that will heat the bulk of the house. You will need a chimney right up through the middle of the house though.

 

[br jones]

As above….

House is old, 1800’s.
House is listed
House is big, 7 double beds plus 5 reception rooms and kitchen.
No double glazing but roofs completely redone in the last 2 years and plenty of insulation in roof space.
House is stone built that are thick walls

Current heating is oil, ans boiler is less than 4 years old and been fine but family member reckons air source would be cheaper ans more reliable.

I’m worried that house is not insulated enough and can’t cost effectively be brought up enough to make air source work.

Would need new oversize rads in all rooms.

Would need glazing to be updated but listing an issue.

Would probably end up with a big electric bill and a colder house??

not a chance unless walls and floors are insulated,and double glazing