Air Source Heat Pump + radiators

[goldenshoe]

Please tell me about your ASHPs in old houses and/or with radiators rather than underfloor heating!

We've had a quote to fit our small one bed Victorian cottage with an ashp connected to radiators rather than ufh. It's a tiny house, only about 60 sqm. The person quoting didn't seem keen on ufh for us and said the heaters they use produce heat from the top and bottom and work very well. The ashp will supply our hot water also.

It's very expensive and there are no new incentives announced from the Scottish Gov to replace the ones that end this month but hopefully they will announce something soon. Having the ashp will potentially halve our bills, and we are considering adding solar panels at a later date.

Does anyone have experience with this set up and can say how they're getting on with it? Thank you!

How well insulated is your house? Ashps are not designed to make water as hot as a normal radiator would be. They are only good at heating the water to a warm temp. This is why they only really work in will insulated houses and with underfloor heating, which doesn't need to be run as hot at a radiator (20c Vs 60c).

It's moderately well insulated and we're adding better loft insulation imminently, and underfloor insulation as part of a renovation later this year.

It's the suggestion of radiators rather than ufh that's making me wonder if it's the right solution, I think everything I've read about ashp says it will work better with ufh and I'm not sure why it wouldn't work here, apart from the general upheaval of having it fitted. They would be convector radiators and he did mention they would be thicker than the radiators that we currently have.

We've just fitted an ashp to our house with conventional radiators, basically replacing an old oil boiler with the pump. We have a 1970s house, well insulated, which helps a lot. The radiators get warm, not hot, it's true, but the house is lovely and warm because they are on all the time. We are also able to heat water for baths and showers and that really is hot, so don't worry about that. We have solar panels which is a logical addition to that system and we love it. It cost an arm and a leg, so it's not something to be done lightly, but we plan on staying here for some time, so it's worth it.

If you are considering solar, also factor in having a battery to store the electricity as well as that's really a game changer. You can store the electricity you make and also fill up the battery with cheap electricity from the grid when there is no solar, if you have a variable tariff.

Thanks for your reply.

I think we're erring towards solar panels rather than air source after a lot of researching last night. I just can't see larger radiators and the relatively large water tank that you need for an ASHP working in our small house.

We can get a small water tank that will cover 2 people in our one bed house easily and the solar output should more than cover that. Solar with battery Also looking at a wind turbine - v expensive though!