Cumbria farmhouse heating options

[Billiedog18]

Hi
We've just bought an old farmhouse near Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria. We are looking at heating options, specifically, log burners with back boilers, thermal store, underfloor heating and possibly a ground source heat pump. Has anyone had any first hand experience of such in this area before we spend an awful lot of money?!! Ie. Do ground source heat pumps work in old farmhouses in Cumbria?
Many thanks

 

[Still Farming]

We all got "first hand " experiences in spending a lot of money in these area's !

 

[akaPABLO01]

Post the plans and I’ll take a look

 

[renewablejohn]

Hi
We've just bought an old farmhouse near Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria. We are looking at heating options, specifically, log burners with back boilers, thermal store, underfloor heating and possibly a ground source heat pump. Has anyone had any first hand experience of such in this area before we spend an awful lot of money?!!
Many thanks

Old farmhouse in Lancashire dating back to 1650 if thats any good. Originally heating and cooking by oil but now heating and cooking by wood.

 

[renewablejohn]

We all got "first hand " experiences in spending a lot of money in these area's !

Some of us pride ourselves at not spending a lot but then they call us skinflints. I think its something in the water it seems to affect Yorkshire as well.

 

[Billiedog18]

Post the plans and I’ll take a look

Plans? As in existing floor plan?......

 

[akaPABLO01]

Plans? As in existing floor plan?......

Yes, in order to complete an analysis I’d need to complete a room by room heat loss calculation. This would be a floor plan including all room wall length plans, where windows are, sizes of window including doors (front and back). Room heights, wall type, cavity, sandstone, internal/external insulation if present, depth. Loft access, loft insulation depth. Solid/suspended ground floor- basement? Double/single glazed windows, pre/post 2002 install.

I can post a plan for you to look at and get the idea if you need?

 

[akaPABLO01]

Oh and your question

All heat pumps will work, I have them installed in farmhouses built from 1700. Lovely and toasty warm.

 

[renewablejohn]

Get the insulation right and you wont have to worry so much about heating. We originally had a fridge with a gale blowing through it heated by a 60kw oil fired central heating system. Now we have a warm filtered environment heated by a 20kw wood fired central heating system.

 

[wasted years]

Get the insulation right and you wont have to worry so much about heating. We originally had a fridge with a gale blowing through it heated by a 60kw oil fired central heating system. Now we have a warm filtered environment heated by a 20kw wood fired central heating system.

Good point about insulation, I was asking about GSHP on another thread but decided that although it might work the might wasn't good enough.
So I've been on my ladder and hands and knees filling gaps with expander foam and decided to open up an old fireplace to instal a second wood burner.
I'd rather spend on what I can see and understand than what might work.

 

[Billiedog18]

Yes, in order to complete an analysis I’d need to complete a room by room heat loss calculation. This would be a floor plan including all room wall length plans, where windows are, sizes of window including doors (front and back). Room heights, wall type, cavity, sandstone, internal/external insulation if present, depth. Loft access, loft insulation depth. Solid/suspended ground floor- basement? Double/single glazed windows, pre/post 2002 install.

I can post a plan for you to look at and get the idea if you need?

Yes please, that'd be great. Thanks for your help.

 

[Billiedog18]

Get the insulation right and you wont have to worry so much about heating. We originally had a fridge with a gale blowing through it heated by a 60kw oil fired central heating system. Now we have a warm filtered environment heated by a 20kw wood fired central heating system.

Thats encouraging. Is your property in Cumbria too? Did you go down the wood pellet route?

 

[phillipe]

If it has had nothing done to it in recent times ,it wont have a ounce of inssulation ,very cold floors ,and crappy uvpc windows badly fitted.to get a large house up to a decent standard wirh a few green options ,you will need 150 grand to start with ,floors up insulated ,all window back out and put properly ,wall inulation system in all room s ,a rewire and replumb.all appliances and fittings to be replaced with a low usage .look ar all the systems as they all have good and bad points ,also do you have acess to wood for fuel or running water nearby ?

 

[renewablejohn]

Thats encouraging. Is your property in Cumbria too? Did you go down the wood pellet route?

Next door in Lancashire. I process logs so stuck with logs. Pellets are fine for convenience but your at the whim of the manufacturer. I will be replacing my Esse cooker with a Lohberger cooker which uses logs but has a pellet facility so that it can do a timed autostart while I am still in bed.
If your fitting new woodstoves I would recommend fitting with external air supplies which will reduce draughts. Also go for a stove that is approved for smoke controlled areas even if your not in a smoke control area at the moment because a nationwide smoke control area seems to be coming.

 

[Billiedog18]

Next door in Lancashire. I process logs so stuck with logs. Pellets are fine for convenience but your at the whim of the manufacturer. I will be replacing my Esse cooker with a Lohberger cooker which uses logs but has a pellet facility so that it can do a timed autostart while I am still in bed.
If your fitting new woodstoves I would recommend fitting with external air supplies which will reduce draughts. Also go for a stove that is approved for smoke controlled areas even if your not in a smoke control area at the moment because a nationwide smoke control area seems to be coming.

Many thanks, your guidance is much appreciated.

 

[Billiedog18]

If it has had nothing done to it in recent times ,it wont have a ounce of inssulation ,very cold floors ,and crappy uvpc windows badly fitted.to get a large house up to a decent standard wirh a few green options ,you will need 150 grand to start with ,floors up insulated ,all window back out and put properly ,wall inulation system in all room s ,a rewire and replumb.all appliances and fittings to be replaced with a low usage .look ar all the systems as they all have good and bad points ,also do you have acess to wood for fuel or running water nearby ?

Hi, its a very run down tenant farm approx 250 years old, knackered basically but wow, what a location (foot of the Howgills)! Good insulation in loft space, rubble filled walls, single pane windows with rotten wood surrounds (double glazed window quotes in, step one of 1,000 on the 'to do' list), yep, as you suggest, flagged floors up re underfloor heating (powered by ? down the track) confirmed job on the 'to do' list, cracking beck running down the side of the farm which could be used re electricity? Been working with the Parks people to make sure we comply with the local regs....We'll be looking for a hard wood supplier in bulk near Kirkby Stephen at some stage for the multi-fuel wood burners yes. Thanks for your guidance, appreciate any ideas or tried and tested methods for this area. We're not frightened of very hard work and know its a life long project

 

[phillipe]

Hi, its a very run down tenant farm approx 250 years old, knackered basically but wow, what a location (foot of the Howgills)! Good insulation in loft space, rubble filled walls, single pane windows with rotten wood surrounds (double glazed window quotes in, step one of 1,000 on the 'to do' list), yep, as you suggest, flagged floors up re underfloor heating (powered by ? down the track) confirmed job on the 'to do' list, cracking beck running down the side of the farm which could be used re electricity? Been working with the Parks people to make sure we comply with the local regs....We'll be looking for a hard wood supplier in bulk near Kirkby Stephen at some stage for the multi-fuel wood burners yes. Thanks for your guidance, appreciate any ideas or tried and tested methods for this area. We're not frightened of very hard work and know its a life long project

There are many routes to take,but insulation , insulation,insulation,i bave a 200 odd year house ,good wooden double glazing ,i sulated reasonablywell where poss.a large 5 bed place at a 1000ft above sea level.i have 2 wood burners and a modern gas boiler .electricity and gas came in at 550 pounds last year ,plus firewood but i have my own wood.there are many ways you can go ,pellet boiler ,gshp ,solar panels,air source etc look at the costings very carefully .all the green type of energy sources are good but pricey to install.long term good value .

 

[Ffermer Bach]

what are the pros and cons of underfloor heating? I like the idea of digging up the concrete floors (eventually) and re laying limecrete flooring with insulated glass backfill before the limecrete, is fitting underfloor heating pipes a good idea at this stage?

 

[Courier]

If you are digging up the floors anyway it is the ideal time to fit underfloor heating pipes for a Heat Pump of any persuasion.

 

[Doing it for the kids]

what are the pros and cons of underfloor heating? I like the idea of digging up the concrete floors (eventually) and re laying limecrete flooring with insulated glass backfill before the limecrete, is fitting underfloor heating pipes a good idea at this stage?

you only need a lower grade (40 deg C) to make it work as you have large surface area / emitter. Rads are the opposite.

works well with heat pumps but costs more to install than rads often. dries the dog beds well but heats their water bowls up! causes more dust in boot room for sure!