air-air/water heat pump + solar + backboiler

aust82

Would a combiniation of air-air/water hp, solar panel (flat plate or tubes) and a backboiler stove be enough to do central heating & dhw?
Ive read alot about heat pump but they seem to be mixed and seem to be from a few years back.
My thinking is that during april-september there would be no need for ch, the solar panels if sized right should provide all if not most of the dhw. So the hp shouldnt need to come on. Ive read on a company web page (cant find it now) that they set there hp cylinder to 70 deg, but thats to do ch & dhw, should i not be able to turn the cylinder down to say 55 deg in april-september so the panels can provide on there own?
I should point out this is an existing building with a back boiler in place and currently using a oil boiler which is well over 20 years old. There is also steel rads which in a few years i hope to replace with alu rads. Id like to move away from oil if i can. I wil be insulating the attic, new doors and windows and possibly cavity pumped.
I know the hp will use electricity and efficiency dips in colder weather but im thinking I'll still be saving by not having oil or gas?
Thanks for any advise

Have you a good source of cheap fuel? If not back boiler stoves might not make economic sense. Also, if you're home late in the day from work etc, and then the fire goes on it mightn't make sense.

Boiler stoves are not for everyone.

Markcheese

My brother in law put in air-air heat pump and a couple of stoves (in a 1930 house), and I wasn't impressed. Maybe he'd undersized or something but they're noisy enough (bit of a hum), and I though the house was coldish a lot of the time, wouldn't like to see their ESB bill either...
If your going solar for DHW, I think tubes are probably better, more heat at the shoulders of the year, I've flat panels and they're great mid summer...but it's the rest of the year you'll want it as well...
Are wood pellet stoves /boilers gone by the wayside now ??
Insulate, seal ,insulate.... You'll get more return off that than anything fancy....
My dad has a couple of fancy fan powered radiators in his living room, they're supposed to work well with low temperature water(ie.heat pumps) . They work like a car radiator...(look like one too under the case) but take up f-all wall space

aust82

rarnes1 wrote: »

Have you a good source of cheap fuel? If not back boiler stoves might not make economic sense. Also, if you're home late in the day from work etc, and then the fire goes on it mightn't make sense.

Boiler stoves are not for everyone.

I've being thinking the backboiler stove over and im unsure about it. Id have a good bit of fire wood but like you said if your not at home during the day it's not going to be on. I have a bb fireplace which is losing heat so putting in a stove will cut down the heat loss i just need to work out boiler or not. I don't think I'll make proper use of the boiler to justify the money but them is it a waste of having the chimney plumber for it already! If i use it a few hours in the evening would it justify the cost of a boiler stove even if i just have it doing either the ch or dhw only!

aust82

Markcheese wrote: »

My brother in law put in air-air heat pump and a couple of stoves (in a 1930 house), and I wasn't impressed. Maybe he'd undersized or something but they're noisy enough (bit of a hum), and I though the house was coldish a lot of the time, wouldn't like to see their ESB bill either...
If your going solar for DHW, I think tubes are probably better, more heat at the shoulders of the year, I've flat panels and they're great mid summer...but it's the rest of the year you'll want it as well...
Are wood pellet stoves /boilers gone by the wayside now ??
Insulate, seal ,insulate.... You'll get more return off that than anything fancy....
My dad has a couple of fancy fan powered radiators in his living room, they're supposed to work well with low temperature water(ie.heat pumps) . They work like a car radiator...(look like one too under the case) but take up f-all wall space

Im leaning towards tubes over for flat plate for the reason you pointed out. But another spanner has being thrown in and it's those thermodynamic panels, i know there more or less a hp with immersion but I've being looking at a tread of a particular make and only one person has put on running cost but they seem very good and im thinking that may be a option. But then I've to work out what will do the ch. Wood pellet are still there as far as i know it's just i don't have the space for the boiler and hopper plus it's very expensive for a reliable pellet boiler and good quality pellets. I've looked at wood gasification and id need a very big wood supply and then it's to be cleaned regularly and i need a buffer tank and cylinder (open to corrections on this) which i don't have room for both unless it's in the garage which would lead to heat loss through the pipe.
Im putting in new doors and windows insulating the attic better and im looking into cavity fill but im getting warned that moisture will transfer through to the inside.

Blowheads

we have a boiler stove and are both working during the day. I can say is its sized correctly and a you can access turf/timber then its well worth the extra few bob to put in a bb. we come home in the evening, light the fire (maybe have it readied in the morning), have the oil set to come on maybe 1/2 hour before that and let it heat up the water then the stove will take over. One plumber told me an oil burned could burn 4 litres oil an hour (am open and expect correction here) compare that to a bucket of turf, also if you notice the place is generally warm while the oil is on but can get chilly if turned off. we also burn coal during the cold snap and if you buy good coal then 1 bucket of turf/timber to light it and one bucket of coal will keep ye warm for the night, also takes care of the dhw.
just my two cents

aust82

Blowheads wrote: »

we have a boiler stove and are both working during the day. I can say is its sized correctly and a you can access turf/timber then its well worth the extra few bob to put in a bb. we come home in the evening, light the fire (maybe have it readied in the morning), have the oil set to come on maybe 1/2 hour before that and let it heat up the water then the stove will take over. One plumber told me an oil burned could burn 4 litres oil an hour (am open and expect correction here) compare that to a bucket of turf, also if you notice the place is generally warm while the oil is on but can get chilly if turned off. we also burn coal during the cold snap and if you buy good coal then 1 bucket of turf/timber to light it and one bucket of coal will keep ye warm for the night, also takes care of the dhw.
just my two cents

Id have a good bit of fire wood no turf. How long does it take for your stove to heat up enough to do ch? Would you go through a lot of timber and turf/coal in a night? Would you recommend the make of boiler stove you have? id have to get the right size boiler for my house but can you pm me what one you have please