Heat pump to replace boiler

[NCTDN]

We need to replace our boiler as it's 25 years old and totally inefficient.
I know there's old threads about heat pumps but has anyone got one recently?

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Updated by MNHQ
Landed on this page in search of heat pump advice? Find our guide to installing a heat pump in your UK home here. HTH!

So do heat pumps only work with a storage cylinder for hot water? Not like a combi system?

I've never had anything but combi boilers so I don't know how that would suit.

That's really interesting, thanks. Also looks better if the water temperatures are hotter and can work with the existing radiators and water tanks. Might be worth waiting for this, it's no rush at the moment since the boiler works.

They are not powerful enough to heat water instantaneously like a gas boiler.

So you need a cylinder. So if you have removed your cylinder to fit a combi boiler you will need to find space for a new one.

All the installs I have seen have the cylinder close to the pump (ie on the ground floor). I have no clue whether this is a requirement, but if it is then if you have an airing cupboard it will often be upstairs, so it will not be possible to fit the cylinder in the same space. All the installs I have seen seem to have the hot water cylinder downstairs in close proximity to the pump, although I can't really think why this would have to be the case.

I haven't removed anything but we have a combi boiler upstairs, not a cylinder. I don't know whether the house ever had a cylinder.

The combi boiler's in quite a small space so I don't know if a cylinder even could go in there. So would probably need to sort a place for it downstairs.

Just here to say that Air source heat pumps are very expensive and not very good. Air source heat pumps are ugly and noisy.

Ground source heat pumps cost the same as a short shower to heat your home (in most cases). Can fit in a kitchen cupboard and are very quiet.

Please please make sure you view these two separately as they're very different.

No idea why radiators are an issue. Your standard radiators can work with a ground source heat pump. No need for any changes or extra.

Only night storage heaters need replacing because they're just awful!

Sorry am on a train and typing very quickly. And I feel like I just blurted it all out

I work in utilities.

Do you think someone in a 12 year old new build mid terrace house is likely to have the land available to site a ground source heat pump :) ?

Interesting @Autocadsausages in your experience do you think the additional cost of ground source is worth it. It was our initial thoughts but a couple of people asked can you really justify the additional cost over an air source.

Although, we’re not replacing the boiler in the next 2-3 years unless it breaks. So we have an interest but haven’t done thorough research yet.

I'm sure we don't!

please don't i've got one and could write a book about its failings and expensive service plans that don't deliver when you need them. my one is ten years old and is uninsurable as that's their predicted life span. it's a far cry from the 20 years it was supposed to last.

Thats the biggest radiator I’ve ever seen in a bathroom 😬. Ashp 🤔

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/136773497#/media?channel=RES_BUY&id=media0&ref=photoCollage

Yes, we had to have a hot water cylinder installed along with the ASHP as it was previously a combi boiler in the house.

The ASHP is one side of the wall, the cylinder immediately inside the wall - in the space under the stairs. It takes up about as much room as a kitchen cupboard (had originally wanted it in a kitchen cupboard but under stairs worked better).

No issue with pumping water upstairs to bath and shower from the cylinder
but it's only one floor above. The water pressure is better than we had with a combi.

In the US - love it. I'm in an area of the country that it gets really warm (86°F today for example) and cold (-20°F) during winter.

Depends on many factors.

For example if you are on the south coast, where there is little variation in air temperature over the year, it will be less good value than in say the middle of Scotland, where you might see a much larger air temperature variation in winter, justifying the cost through the more stable ground temperature and it's influence on COP.

This is the biggest problem I have with heat pumps. They are not plug and play. When people want to replace their heating system they just want something that is guaranteed to work and not cost too much more than what they currently have.

But the sheer number of factors involved with trying to establish one will work well in your property or not means you have to be something of an expert to get close to being confident that it will. Or trust the installers. Who to date have been somewhat unreliable in making sure they are only fitted where they will really work (to be fair they are getting better).

Maybe a better way to subsidise them would be a government guarantee that guarantees your home will not cost more to heat than it does currently - if it does they pay out the difference, if it costs less then they take the difference. Of course it would need some thought to stop people from gaming it.

Could I ask what make it is

So the tank is the size of a kitchen cupboard?

Sorry if I'm being thick!

@GasPanic

It's funny that you should mention the Ideal Standard boiler.

I don't think it was great and when I moved into my new build 26 years ago I had an Ideal Classic boiler and everyone kept saying that it was rubbish and it would break down and I was actually tempted to change it after a few years. But 26 years later is still going strong and all the plumbers that come round to service it say that it is bomb proof. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it goes on for ever!

That’s a shame but it isn’t for everyone. My husband and our installer had discussions about it for months
making sure everything was right. Not a straightforward undertaking at all but dh was committed. It was installed in April. All good so far but not had a winter yet.
points to note

1. it will save carbon emissions but not necessarily money. Ours is partly powered by our own solar which helps with cost.
2. new radiators does not mean redecorating. The new radiators (10!) are slightly larger than the old ones and we’ve had to do no redecorating because of them. However we did need some pipework replaced which did make a small mess, plasterer, repainting etc.
3. it’s not noisy. Can’t hear it in the house at all. Can hear it in the garden a bit but in the summer when I’m out there, it’s only on briefly twice a day.
4. if you want a constant temperature of above 22 degrees then it won’t be very efficient. If you’re ok with 20 then it can be. Temp is more constant not up and down as with a gas boiler, though ours goes down to 17 from midnight to 5am.

Sorry to hear this. Obviously I don’t know the circumstances here but our installers really were excellent and I know have many many happy customers happy with both the hardware and service. No service plan as such (though there is a warranty), any issues and they will come and fix. Meanwhile I have heard a lot of stories of installers who don’t really know what they are doing.

@IMustDoMoreExercise
The tank fits inside a standard width 60cm kitchen cupboard (a tall one).

Tank is very well-insulated so the water stays hot for at least two days before needing to heat it again. Probably would go longer than that but we're a family of 3 so use the water up!

Thanks for all the replies, all really interesting reading. Our boiler is Ideal Standard. Think we're going to keep an eye on these RED heat pumps, they look like a really good option since the water gets much hotter like a boiler. So they look like they might be compatible with existing radiators and hot water tank. We might need a 9kw, so will be able to see how the 6kw get on first. Our house is officially a 4 bed terrace even though we've only ever used 3 of them as bedrooms. And being 3 storey it's a bit bigger than a regular 3 bed.

I have one, air source. Its efficient, my bills are low for my set up.
The houses warms up really nicely if I put thermo at 19/20. Don't often need to go over that and I feel the cold. 3 bed semi, mid century.
I have wall cavity insulation and loft done. I see it as future proofing, whatever happens to the energy market, you have an efficient heating system.
Which means it costs less, however much you use.

Air source heat pumps work in conjunction with gas boilers, you always have access to hot water. In my experience.

We replaced our gas boiler with ASHP 18 months ago. We love it. House warmer and bills lower.

DM me if you want more details