Ground Source Heat Pump (NLC)

[Kev]

Was wondering if anybody on here has had any experience of Ground Source Heat Pumps? The house we bought a couple of months ago has got electric panel/storage heaters and I'm looking to change them before winter really kicks in. I was originally looking to get oil fired central heating but when I started to look at alternatives I came across GSHPs. I quite like the idea, but trying to find someone who has had real life experience of them.

[tut]

Only from Grand Designs.

Definitely worth looking at if you are building a house on the long term basis, but as you say, you really need feedback from someone who has done it.

tut

[Titanium S1 111S (gla)]

Absolutely no experience but they do seem like a good idea.

All the ones I have seen on grand designs involve digging trenches over large areas and putting in lots of shallow pipe. It has always seemed to me that you would get better results from drilling 2 or 3 holes down a couple of hundred feet and pumping the water through a vertical pipe. Much better heat gain. Given the manageable cost of sight investigation type drilling I can’t see why it wouldn’t work, unless you live on a rock of course.

Post up when you find out. I’m interested in avoiding big heating bills if possible.

[ClarkyBoy]

i have no experience of these kev,

but have you looked into woodchip burning central heating boilers?

you get a grant for fitting one (which pays the full amount i think - renewable energy and all that), and from what i know the wood pellets are pretty cheap,

Puffin Pellets would be a good start, i know the girl whose dad owns the company, i can get you the details if you want, but im sure if you googled puffin pellets you would get them.

[tut]

Post up when you find out. I’m interested in avoiding big heating bills if possible.

Piece of piss if you are over 60 and disabled. They did say though that 147,000 kw/hrs for the year was above average.

tut

[Kev]

Thanks Clarky, but after reading about GSHP I'm convinced thats the way to go. What I really like about it is I don't lose any garden space due to storage because the coils are underground and also I don't need to worry about servicing. I've been in contact with one company, but I need to get a survey done on my house first before they can quote me.

I've had a look into the renewable energy grants and you can get up to 30% of the cost up to a max of £4000. I'll post up when I find out more.

[Clarkie]

Try these guys sponsors of Falkirk FC http://www.land-drill.com/geothermal.html

Cheers Clark

[ed]

Id be tempted to put one in a new build but if you are installing one into a house that's already there I would think very carefully.

It will destroy your garden and require a large space to house the pump etc. Have you thought about solar panels as an alternative.
Dont think oil prices will increase much this year so may also be worth waiting.

[DJ]

No experience but I looked into these recently when investigating underfloor heating.

You are right about the grant and I spoke to a very helpful and knowledgeable lady called Joanne Ison at Encompas http://www.encompas.co.uk who will put together a quote for you FOC if you can give her floor plans. Thought this would be the way to go for a new build but she actually put me off GSHP as I will have mains gas to hook up to and she proved the payback time would be far too long. Different story if your only option is LPG when it does become more worthwhile - not sure about oil or elec but worth giving her a call to get her advice. As Ed says, you will need space for the pump which is about the size of an american fridge freezer. Secret is apparently to slightly undersize it so the pump keeps running as cost of running the pump is much higher if constantly switching on/off.

For an existing house you might want to look at air sourced heat pumps. Don't get as much press but much cleaner to install on an existing house.

All the ones I have seen on grand designs involve digging trenches over large areas and putting in lots of shallow pipe. It has always seemed to me that you would get better results from drilling 2 or 3 holes down a couple of hundred feet and pumping the water through a vertical pipe.

Options exist to do vertical pipes too if you have less garden.

[MacK]

Contact me I deal with them!


John

[Kev]

Yeah from what I've read there is little point in GSHP if you've got mains gas. For the cost of the GSHP and little difference in running costs it could be a lifetime before it's paid for itself. Where I am there is no mains gas, thats why I've started to look into GSHPs. I know they recommended them for modern new builds with underfloor heating but from what I've read, they will run happily with larger low temp radiators.

Space for the pump won't be a problem and neither will the garden. The house has been empty for a while, so there's plenty for me to do, I'm just putting it off till I get the central heating fitted. Hopefully I'll be able to get more information once I get the survey and get a couple of quotes done to see if it is worthwhile for me to go this way

[Kev]

Contact me I deal with them!


John

So what info do you need before you tell me I'm wasting my time

[MacK]

How much heat do you need? (Kw)
Just heating or hot water too?
Size of garden for trenches or bore holes?

Stuff like that

[thinfourth]

Don't even think about carrying this on via PM as there be other folk who might be intrested

[r10crw]

Don't even think about carrying this on via PM as there be other folk who might be intrested

me being one of the