Air source heat pump?

[grendel]

Our existing (?30 year old) oil-fired boiler is about to turn up its toes so we'll need to replace it before the winter. We could just buy a modern, more efficient one but still be at the mercy of oil prices, or we could be radical and go for an air source heat pump instead.

Has anyone already got an air source heat pump? Is it any good? How much did it cost to install? Where did you get if from? All information and opinions gratefully received!

Haven't got one, but we looked into it and discounted because they seemed large, ugly and noisy.

You should find your new boiler is more efficient so your oil costs won't be so high.

Friends have got a ground source heat pump and still need an oil boiler and tank as back-up for when it's really cold. Would you definitely be able to get rid of the boiler completely?

Daisy, any idea how much they have needed the back-up oil heating? Do your friends have underfloor heating or normal radiators? I thought that a ground source heat pump could do the low heat required even when it is very cold.

Our friends have a ground source heat pump and it heats their house (large, old draughty and in Scotland!) very effectively. And it does this through radiators not underfloor heating. So I think the ground source ones can be very effective.

However we can't afford the installation costs of a ground source HP which is why we were looking at the air source HP as a cheaper alternative.

I have also come across reports that they are quite noisy and better with underfloor heating rather than radiators. Has anyone actually got an air source heat pump who can report back on a) noise and b) efficiency?

marking my place, as we are in a similar position to you, Grendel, in that we will need to replace our (two) oil boilers in the near future. We have the space/land for a ground source heat pump but not sure about the costs of installation.

Thanks, Grendel. Very helpful and am feeling a bit more optimistic about a ground pump.

Dotty, we too need to replace our oil heating system soon. The quotes we have gotten for a horizontal ground heat pun installation are around 7000 euros

I don't know how much oil they use now tbh, I just know they do need the oil when it's really cold to the extent that they bought a new boiler when theirs died. Underfloor heating; however part of their house has vaulted ceilings through to the first floor, so presumably needs a fair bit of oomph to keep it heated through.

Ah Daisy, thanks. It is the issue of overall insulation, I guess. We have pretty poor insulation as the house is built of stone.

I would love to have an air or ground source heat pump if we can remove the existing boiler. It is huge!

Watching this thread with interest. Maybe Piglet knows something about these newer heat pump systems?

Was going to post this same question!! We are moving (hopefully) to a house which is currently oil fired boiler and will be doing major building working and we are looking at heating systems.
We are looking at either air source heating or Rointe digital heating (oil filled radiators which run off of electricity).
We are looking at getting solar panels so the Rointe may work out better for us.
What we want to know about how these systems are,
Are they reliable?
Do they it heat your house adequately?
How long does it take to heat the house if you need a boost?
How do costs compare?

Sorry for hijack grendel

Cherry - have you looked at thermal store systems (also called accumulator tanks). Like a large hot water tank, but the water stays hot for longer and you can have multiple heat inputs. We will be plumbing the current solar thermal tubes into ours (previous owner) and linking in a new woodburning boiler. Will also have a back up oil fired boiler, but hope we won't have to use it so much. It's not the cheapest system to install but I hope it will give the system song longevity ie can also wire in solar electric if they improve efficiency in the future (apparently our roof isn't in the right place!). Can't report back yet as it's not done, but I hope it's going to be a wise decision.

this looks like a good summary if you havn't seen it
www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Generate-your-own-energy/Air-source-heat-pumps

We have a Mitsubishi ecodan 14kW. It is very economical to run through underfloor in three of four downstairs rooms and radiators in lounge, bathroom and four bedrooms. We have two wood burning stoves that we used when temperatures hit -15 two years ago. We are perfectly warm down to about -5. We use the lounge woodburner because we like it rather than need it. Our radiator circuit is designed to run at the cooler temperatures of the air source.

If you're looking to do a straight swap from an oil boiler to an airsource you will probably need extra radiators because of the lower temperature of the circulating water. You may need to upgrade your water tank and have an immersion on timer for occasionally bringing the water temp up to very hot to kill any bacteria that could potentially exist operating below 65.

We have been unfortunate we had one unit recalled and two have had major failures, all in the space of three years. All warranty repairs/ replacements. I think I would get one again but make sure I had a good contract and relationship with the installer.

Various grants are available. Google renewable heat incentive for latest. The ground source has regular payments to subsidise use which may make it come back into the frame.

Thanks for all your replies to my hijack!
ANTagony - that is the size of house we are aiming to be heating and we were also thinking of getting a woodburner too as a boost and because we love them!