Oh Dear when the Air Source is Working

[Chickcatcher]

Not had this sort of experience since installing Solar Pv in 2012.
Now 28 days into the "Retirement Home" which has air source heat pump doing what it should do, ie. working.
But 26 days into watching the Electric meter clock up with the intensity that I watched the Pv meter clock up in the Old property I feel I need to get a small wind turbine fitted (5Kw) expert advise needed of which one to go for, or what model of bike to get for Mrs Chickcatcher to peddle to generate electric when she uses the Iron or I use the washing machine!
Perhaps need to fit a battery system as well! which one?

 

[Exfarmer]

Small wind turbines, reliability, and good warranties, are never words used normally in the same sentence.
And if you do install one, make sure you have good wind, I know of two who will never pay for themselves in 25 years if they keep working

 

[Exfarmer]

Not had this sort of experience since installing Solar Pv in 2012.
Now 28 days into the "Retirement Home" which has air source heat pump doing what it should do, ie. working.
But 26 days into watching the Electric meter clock up with the intensity that I watched the Pv meter clock up in the Old property I feel I need to get a small wind turbine fitted (5Kw) expert advise needed of which one to go for, or what model of bike to get for Mrs Chickcatcher to peddle to generate electric when she uses the Iron or I use the washing machine!
Perhaps need to fit a battery system as well! which one?

Since I own a ASHP , i have been warning for years against them, if you think they are bad now, wait for the winter and freezing up!

 

[davidroberts30]

My parents ashp has never froze in the 6 years it's been fitted

I would suggest to the op to fit a 5kv solar array and set timers

 

[Chickcatcher]

Morning Ex, "Cottage" is 199SqMtrs what sort of kw have you been using annually?
Load of logs cut monday, perhaps need to get a couple more for the 2 wood burners.

 

[Chickcatcher]

Morning David.
Experience of lots of Solar Pv is that when I will need a bit of heat (winter) Pv dosn't do a lot even on 50Kw systems.

 

[CORNFLAKE]

Since I own a ASHP , i have been warning for years against them, if you think they are bad now, wait for the winter and freezing up!

Exfarmer are you really disappointed with your ashp? We are doing a couple of barn conversions at the moment and was planning on putting them in. Next door neighbour has one in his new house and says it’s brilliant. You’re worrying me know.

 

[Exfarmer]

My 6 Kw, 18Kw rated output ASHP, runs my swimming pool. I set the timers to run between 10 and 2 roughly to optimise running during peak sunlight on my 8 Kwp house array. The pool also has a solar cover intended to maximise insulation and heat gain .
My issues arise when we try to extend swimming into the winter, whaen air temperatures sink too low, below 8-10 c. and the humidity is high, such as typical November weather, the heat pump becomes a block of ice, continually shifting between heating and defrost mode.
I believe many heat pumps actually use internal heating elements to get round this issue.
The heat pump is very efficient at all other times, but I seriously worry at the cost of running them for a house during the winter. If your efficiency is dropping below 3 to 1 then it is expensive heating compared to using a gas boiler on the mains.
It strikes me that government proposals to make all new housing have such units installed after 2025 a pure gift to the electricity generation industry

 

[Mur Huwcun]

Have you just installed a new system in a new build? Our GSHP nearly had me in panic mode during first three or four weeks as it was using electricity for fun, something like 200kw in three or four days! Thankfully it settled down eventually but the first month electricity usage was phenomenal.

 

[Exfarmer]

Have you just installed a new system in a new build? Our GSHP nearly had me in panic mode during first three or four weeks as it was using electricity for fun, something like 200kw in three or four days! Thankfully it settled down eventually but the first month electricity usage was phenomenal.

That is a very good point, if you have underfloor heating it must take some time for the floor to fully dry out and warm up

 

[akaPABLO01]

Not had this sort of experience since installing Solar Pv in 2012.
Now 28 days into the "Retirement Home" which has air source heat pump doing what it should do, ie. working.
But 26 days into watching the Electric meter clock up with the intensity that I watched the Pv meter clock up in the Old property I feel I need to get a small wind turbine fitted (5Kw) expert advise needed of which one to go for, or what model of bike to get for Mrs Chickcatcher to peddle to generate electric when she uses the Iron or I use the washing machine!
Perhaps need to fit a battery system as well! which one?

How are you controlling the heat output, do you always adjust the thermostat?

 

[Mur Huwcun]

That is a very good point, if you have underfloor heating it must take some time for the floor to fully dry out and warm up

Yes, the 10 day floor drying mode used a sizeable chunk of electricity but the first month or 6 weeks was heavy. Half our house was new built and the other half was gutted snd dry lined or re plastered all over plus some new joists and stud work etc and underfloor heating therefore there was a lot of drying and warming work to be done.

 

[Chickcatcher]

How are you controlling the heat output, do you always adjust the thermostat?

Hi Aka,
No I was told way before I moved in not to fiddle with thermostats and have unusually for me behaved myself.

 

[Chickcatcher]

Yes, the 10 day floor drying mode used a sizeable chunk of electricity but the first month or 6 weeks was heavy. Half our house was new built and the other half was gutted snd dry lined or re plastered all over plus some new joists and stud work etc and underfloor heating therefore there was a lot of drying and warming work to be done.

Mur what you have done sounds near enough the same as done here. Old 1911 built totally stripped and dry lined with insulation and floors liftted and underfloor installed with a 60 odd SqMtr extension. Floor turned on way back in February and thermostats set at 15 C whilst builders were working. Since they vacated 33 days ago thermostats set @ 20C.

 

[Mur Huwcun]

Mur what you have done sounds near enough the same as done here. Old 1911 built totally stripped and dry lined with insulation and floors liftted and underfloor installed with a 60 odd SqMtr extension. Floor turned on way back in February and thermostats set at 15 C whilst builders were working. Since they vacated 33 days ago thermostats set @ 20C.

Ours was very similar, 36 sq/m per floor extension on a similar sized stone built house. The new build part is a hundred times better place to live in regards constant temp and lighting from large windows. Even now mid June our living room in the old part is too cold without some form of secondary heating, log burner usually. Kitchen extension is 21-23degrees just by sunlight. Should of bulldozed the whole flipping house and claim the vat on a new built etc!!!

Due to trying to co-ordinate the heating/renewables engineers and our own electrician and getting things on site we only managed initial switch on at beginning of November and were moving in three weeks later. Some plasterboard joints are evidence that things dried up fairly quick but it had to go through the ten day floor drying mode which increased the water temp in the floor loops right up to the max 30something degrees. The house was actually unworkable in by the last two days and we were in t shirts and bare foot finishing the kitchen!!