TRL Helpdesk

[gazza77]

Two heating related questions I'm looking for advice and experience of please.

We're currently looking at upgrading our old oil boiler, as the tank is set to be condemned and the boiler itself is probably 12+ years old. We're not on mains gas so that is out, however LPG is an option as we already have a tank and connection to the house. Other options we're looking at are biomass and air source heat pump.

LPG advantages seem to be cheapest and easiest to install. Downside is not carbon neutral. Biomass advantages appear to carbon neutral, downside is initial cost and will need a sizeable area to install and lots of subsequent disruption. Air source advantages seem to be carbon neutral, disadvantages appear to be it increased electric costs to run it and requirement for a very high level of insulation for it to work effectively. We live in a 17th century farmhouse, so although thick walls and some insulation, it's far from air tight and the pennine hills is not the most naturally warm area in the UK. We may in the future look to install Solar PV however, which would potentially offset the increased running costs of air source by eliminating the electricity cost element.

The current system is also operated on a single zone for all 3 floors, with TRVs and an electronic control for on/off timings. I'd like to upgrade this to be more controllable, so adding separate zones on each floor and by installing Hive or Nest (or something similar) with electronic TRVs to control the temperature in each room. Does anyone have any experience or advice in this area?

[Futtocks]

My sister lives in an old farmhouse, in fact the house where we grew up. She took advantage of some long-gone rebate to install a wood-pellet powered central heating system, as well as a few solar panels. However, the latter are limited in size, due to the house being in a National Park, and certain things can't be visible to passing tourists.

She considered the multi-zone/Hive thing, but went with a single remote temperature control. It does mean that you can't get the house warmed up in advance if you're coming home after a few days away, but you have to balance expense with how often you need it.

But the combination of the central heating and one hell of a lot of gap-plugging in the walls means that, for the first time in living memory, it is warm in winter outside the kitchen and living room, and a gale doesn't blow through the house even with all the doors and windows shut. The rain doesn't come through the roof any more either!