Heat Pump experience........ad vice please

I want to know this too!

Are you interested in a ground source heat pump or an air source heat pump?

We have an air source heat pump with underfloor heating and are very satisfied with it. The house is all electric. The pump was installed when the property was built - I believe retro-fitting isn’t straightforward and radiators may have to be changed.

We’ve got one. It was installed by the house’s previous owners, who found it economical after having storage heaters. I had always been used to gas CH and when we moved it didn’t seem very cheap but gas is not an option here. Since the energy crisis it’s probably a sensible choice. It works fine - probably takes a bit longer than a gas boiler to heat up the radiators but the house is perfectly cosy with plenty of hot water.

A cousin has it and is delighted, but it is new build, super insulated and underfloor heating, ground source is much more efficient.
You do need a large garden to accommodate the underground pipe work, adapting an existing house with underfloor heating and extra insulation can be difficult.

My DD has just had an air source pump installed in her very old, thick walled house. She is more than happy with it. The

Think I read it takes years to cover the initial outlay. I am too old to get any benefit and frankly just cant face the upheaval.
Relying on our 32 year old boiler to just keep going. Fingers crossed.

I would be interested to know the cost of installing one. Would we have to improve our insulation: not sure how in a house with no cavity walls.

Jane71

I would be interested to know the cost of installing one. Would we have to improve our insulation: not sure how in a house with no cavity walls.

My husband had some of the exterior facing- interior walls removed, insulation added, then new interior walls and trims. Worked a treat.

Not the interior wall in the inside rooms, just the walls inside the exterior bricks, if that makes sense.

We replaced an oil boiler - no gas here - with an air source heat pump ten years ago. We have underfloor heating downstairs and radiators upstairs. You need to get used to leaving it on most of the winter and controlling it with room thermostats, then it keeps the house at a pleasant temperature. We did to help save the planet rather than to save money. It also meant we didn't have to worry about getting oil when we needed it, which only those who have used oil will understand

Although we've been happy with our heat pump I do know of some people on new build houses in the area with a heat pump and underfloor heating ie no radiators have not been anywhere near satisfied and have been buying extra heaters.

There was an article in Saturdays Telegraph about this.

Jane71

I would be interested to know the cost of installing one. Would we have to improve our insulation: not sure how in a house with no cavity walls.

If you don’t have cavity walls dry lining is the first improvement needed whatever else you decide to do.

Air source heat pumps are much cheaper than ground source they are less efficient, when outside temperatures are below freezing they produce very little heat, to counteract this they have electric elements to provide heat.

You can’t extract much heat from air that is already below freezing, ground source gets heat from soil that is at a constant temperature, around 8C.

Well, the rep came today and my head is spinning with technical data ......... and I am still non the wiser.