12-10-2023, 08:04 AM
We had an air source heat pump fitted to our 1950s bungalow about 15 years ago.
The house was, and is, extensively well insulated.
We were early uptake and benefitted from a grant, interest free loan and a heat production feed in tariff. Even with this, the system was expensive to buy and run. In all honesty it did not really keep the house warm.
Each winter the system caused trouble and broke down, this caused an immerser to kick in which only really showed up when the quarterly bill arrived!
After 13 years I ditched the system in favour of very efficient gas boiler which keeps house very warm indeed and costs 1/3 of what the air source heat pump did, to run.
We had early technology, which will have certainly improved. Our retirement project is a system that draws from solar, wood fired back boiler, heat pump, photovoltaic and oil. They all work gently together to feed a large hot water tank - no system is strained and one failure wil not lead to a cold home.
Our parents fitted photovoltaic panels to their home around 20 years ago, in stark contrast the early uptake tariff they benefitted from has been a total success.
In summary, do not expect the heat pump to be a direct and sole replacement for your old heating system, particularly if you live in a house that was built more than 10 years ago.
The house was, and is, extensively well insulated.
We were early uptake and benefitted from a grant, interest free loan and a heat production feed in tariff. Even with this, the system was expensive to buy and run. In all honesty it did not really keep the house warm.
Each winter the system caused trouble and broke down, this caused an immerser to kick in which only really showed up when the quarterly bill arrived!
After 13 years I ditched the system in favour of very efficient gas boiler which keeps house very warm indeed and costs 1/3 of what the air source heat pump did, to run.
We had early technology, which will have certainly improved. Our retirement project is a system that draws from solar, wood fired back boiler, heat pump, photovoltaic and oil. They all work gently together to feed a large hot water tank - no system is strained and one failure wil not lead to a cold home.
Our parents fitted photovoltaic panels to their home around 20 years ago, in stark contrast the early uptake tariff they benefitted from has been a total success.
In summary, do not expect the heat pump to be a direct and sole replacement for your old heating system, particularly if you live in a house that was built more than 10 years ago.