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New Build heating suggestions

  • 17-02-2014 10:38pm
    #1
    ryaner1979
    Closed Accounts Posts: 222 ✭✭


    Looking to start building a 2500sq ft house later this year and looking for suggestions for the best heating system. Our architect tells us new regulations coming in next month means we have to have either a heat pump or a geothermal system installed. Is this true and which is the more reliable and cost effective of the two. We will have a stove with back boiler and also looking to have a gas tank buried in the garden. Any suggestions?


Comments

  • #2
    shane0007
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,677 ✭✭✭shane0007


    Geothermal will be using a heat pump. A heat pump can source its primary heat from ground, which will be geothermal or air source.

    You cannot have solid fuel with a heat pump unless it's going into a thermal store as the two waters cannot mix. Heat pumps will be using UFH, so the solid fuel cannot also go into this system.


  • #3
    ryaner1979
    Closed Accounts Posts: 222 ✭✭ryaner1979


    Cheers Shane. What would you suggest for heating a new build? Pretty clueless when it comes to heating and plumbing


  • #4
    shane0007
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,677 ✭✭✭shane0007


    In all honesty, it's really difficult for me to specify your heating. Many many factors come into play, such as your preferences, lifestyles, number of occupants, types of occupants (young, elderly, etc.).
    Some people love UFH, but equally some dislike it. Generally though, don't mix UFH with rads, do one or the other.


  • #5
    MicktheMan
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,867 ✭✭✭MicktheMan


    ryaner1979 wrote: »
    Looking to start building a 2500sq ft house later this year and looking for suggestions for the best heating system.
    Do a proper job on the thermal fabric of the build (not just insulation but also thermal bridging and air tightness) and your heating solution becomes very simple.

    ryaner1979 wrote: »
    Our architect tells us new regulations coming in next month means we have to have either a heat pump or a geothermal system installed.
    News to me! What new regulations exactly?


  • #6
    ryaner1979
    Closed Accounts Posts: 222 ✭✭ryaner1979


    shane0007 wrote: »
    In all honesty, it's really difficult for me to specify your heating. Many many factors come into play, such as your preferences, lifestyles, number of occupants, types of occupants (young, elderly, etc.).
    Some people love UFH, but equally some dislike it. Generally though, don't mix UFH with rads, do one or the other.

    UFH is a no no for us. Both in early 30's but hopefully some kids will arrive in a few years. Will be using gas for cooking and stove in main living area to heat rads/water but will need another another source as obviously lighting a stove won't be possible in the summer. So is geothermal or a heat pump the best option or only option? House will be a 2 storey approx 2500 sq ft and extremely well insulated
    MicktheMan wrote: »
    Do a proper job on the thermal fabric of the build (not just insulation but also thermal bridging and air tightness) and your heating solution becomes very simple.



    News to me! What new regulations exactly?

    Can't find much about it online and knew nothing about it until our architect mentioned it last week. All new builds must have a renemable energy source from March 2014. Is this true?


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  • #7
    MicktheMan
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,867 ✭✭✭MicktheMan


    This
    ryaner1979 wrote: »
    All new builds must have a renemable energy source from March 2014.

    is not the same as this
    ryaner1979 wrote: »
    Our architect tells us new regulations coming in next month means we have to have either a heat pump or a geothermal system installed.

    There are other ways of satisfying the renewable energy requirement of new builds without going the heat pump route.


  • #8
    Condenser
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 536 ✭✭✭Condenser


    ryaner1979 wrote: »
    UFH is a no no for us. Both in early 30's but hopefully some kids will arrive in a few years. Will be using gas for cooking and stove in main living area to heat rads/water but will need another another source as obviously lighting a stove won't be possible in the summer. So is geothermal or a heat pump the best option or only option? House will be a 2 storey approx 2500 sq ft and extremely well insulated



    Can't find much about it online and knew nothing about it until our architect mentioned it last week. All new builds must have a renemable energy source from March 2014. Is this true?

    Geothermal shouldn't even be considered where rads are the distribution system. They're not compatible


  • #9
    ryaner1979
    Closed Accounts Posts: 222 ✭✭ryaner1979


    MicktheMan wrote: »
    This


    is not the same as this



    There are other ways of satisfying the renewable energy requirement of new builds without going the heat pump route.

    Thats the 2 he mentioned. What else is there? Solar panels can be hit and miss so what would you suggest?


  • #10
    dc14
    Registered Users Posts: 31 ✭dc14


    Hi Shane0007,
    just wondering about your advice not to mix water from two systems :
    You cannot have solid fuel with a heat pump unless it's going into a thermal store as the two waters cannot mix. Heat pumps will be using UFH, so the solid fuel cannot also go into this system.

    I'm in the middle of a build and we will be installing a stove with back boiler. We were going to have rads & the builder is recommending aluminium rads (which I thought were more suited to heatpumps). I was interested in the option of renewables & he's recommending an air source heat pump, but based on what you are saying, this wouldn't be compatible with the stove/backboiler? Can you clarify please? Thanks.


  • #11
    shane0007
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,677 ✭✭✭shane0007


    dc14 wrote: »
    Hi Shane0007,
    just wondering about your advice not to mix water from two systems :

    I'm in the middle of a build and we will be installing a stove with back boiler. We were going to have rads & the builder is recommending aluminium rads (which I thought were more suited to heatpumps). I was interested in the option of renewables & he's recommending an air source heat pump, but based on what you are saying, this wouldn't be compatible with the stove/backboiler? Can you clarify please? Thanks.

    Recommendations based on something that will just tick a box to meet a particular required really is disgraceful advice. If your builder does not understand the implications of his advice, then he should keep stum about it & his advice should be to ask somebody who can give the required advice. This happens so many times & many home builders follow this advice & then wonder why it all went horribly wrong.

    These decisions should be made before commencement of the build & not half way through.

    Solid fuel waters will pitch. They will overheat. They must be open vented.
    System fed by heat pumps, whether they be air or ground source, must be pressurised & operate at low temps.
    There are limited options available but not easily achieved & not cheaply achieved. You can get anybody to install anything but will it be correct?

    So in a public forum environment, we can only throw things out there, we are not looking at your plans, we are not seeing your requirements & most importantly we do not have the whole picture to hand so advice can be incorrect & I am reluctant to do that. Solid fuel with back boilers usually throws many technologies up in the air & complicates installs.

    Sorry I can't be of greater help, but you need to get it correct now & not looking back on how you wished you had hindsight.


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  • #12
    dc14
    Registered Users Posts: 31 ✭dc14


    Thanks Shane, I appreciate your input and am glad that I saw this thread in the first place. I'll be meeting the builder again on Monday & will bring it up with him. I know he has been speaking with energy consultants so I'll see if we can all get together to make sure we proceed with the correct plan.


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