Open vented or Presurised Options?

DPM1

I want to get the heating system in my house upgraded from storage heating to gas and to possibly incorporate a wood burning stove as well. The estate I live in already has gas outside the door. I have been reading the heating and plumbing section of boards for some inspiration and have learned a lot from previous posts. I live in a 4 bed bungalow in Cork so the presurised option might seem to be the handiest / most cost effective approach as I don’t have an upstairs to deal with but which is the best i.e. are there an draw back to a presurised system?

I would like to incorporate a wood burning stove during the construction phase depending on the costs but I understand that if a boiler stove was specified then the vented system is what’s required. I don’t need to have a boiler stove but if starting from scratch is it worth the effort and additional expense of getting the boiler and even a thermal store to make the most of the stove and leaving the option of adding solar down the road if I wanted it, does anyone have any thoughts or advise? I know every job and situation is different but with a blank canvas what would you do?

Outkast_IRE

If this is a home that you intent to live in for a long time then consider it an investement.

Using a thermal store will almost always be the best way when there are multiple heat sources.

Before leaving room for solar in the future you must consider
1. does your roofspace suit solar ? is it south facing ? ideally it should be.
2. Is there much free space on the roof ? some roofs have velux etc which limit placement.

If you do have south facing roofspace and enough space for a few panels or tubes then do leave room for it to be connected in the future.

If given blank Canvas i would .
No1. Consider how well my property is insulated ? If you insulate to an excellent standard first, then you will save yourself money on the heating side of things afterwards. The best way to heat your home is to not lose the heat in the first place.

No2. Thermal store With Stove , Solar, And either gas or oil connected(or if you home is well insulated enough i would consider air-water heat pump).
All these systems must be linked with excellent controls.

DPM1

Thanks for the reply Outcast

Firstly I do intend living in this house for a long time so that’s why I’m considering such work at the moment as the sooner I do the work the more I will save in the long run. The insulation in the house was upgraded last year with the seai grant, pumped walls and attic insulation so that should be ok.

As far as solar is concerned the rear of the house is south facing will plenty of roof space, no windows etc.. At the moment I’m not considering solar but don’t what to be saying in a few years’ time why did I not prepare for it while doing the rest of the work.

What I need to know as well is if I go down the thermal store or heat bank route with a boiler stove does that mean that a presurised system is not an option to me. If going for the open vented heating system there is more extensive work required but the benefits may outweigh the initial additional work and out lay involved with installing it.

Outkast_IRE

DPM1 wrote: »

Thanks for the reply Outcast

Firstly I do intend living in this house for a long time so that’s why I’m considering such work at the moment as the sooner I do the work the more I will save in the long run. The insulation in the house was upgraded last year with the seai grant, pumped walls and attic insulation so that should be ok.

As far as solar is concerned the rear of the house is south facing will plenty of roof space, no windows etc.. At the moment I’m not considering solar but don’t what to be saying in a few years’ time why did I not prepare for it while doing the rest of the work.

What I need to know as well is if I go down the thermal store or heat bank route with a boiler stove does that mean that a presurised system is not an option to me. If going for the open vented heating system there is more extensive work required but the benefits may outweigh the initial additional work and out lay involved with installing it.

The boiler stove will usually require an open system, there are solutions for a sealed system but im not familiar with them and personally dont like the idea of them. And dont reccomend them as im not sure of insurance implications etc.

I would prob assume at this stage that you will require an open system.