Hello - first post and I am installing an ASHP

[bassman]

Hi all

Just joined the forum today as it seems to have a lot of useful information available

I have just ordered a 16Kw Daikin Altherma Monobloc ASHP for my 185 Sqm detached bungalow that is well insulated and has UFH throughout and has all floors tiled

I have all my oil bills from when I built the house, so will be able to give readers a hands on comparison as to running costs etc

Hope the install to happen towards end of September 2011

The installer mentioned fitting a new Daikin "Nordic" model that is used more in the north of Scotland and the Nordic countries, has anybody heard of this

I am situated in Northern Ireland

Comments on the above welcome

[clivejo]

Where are you in N Ireland?

[bassman]

Co Down

[dhaslam]

Do you intend to use off peak electricity only?

[bassman]

I intend to use Economy 7 - this gives 12am - 7am at 6p kwh with the rest resorting back to around the normal rate of around 15p

Hope the floor will act as as a buffer to release the heat during the day when the tariff is normal

[dhaslam]

It would be better to have a buffer tank  so that  you can  supply heat  at different times,  while just running the heat pump at night.    You may find that on sunny days that some floors are too hot  if they are heated all night. 

[StationHouse]

Sounds like you are putting together a cheap to run system  

So many folk link these things to rads    

Keep us posted...

Edit 6p kwh Economy 7 is only 2p a unit cheaper than my regular tariff 

[martin]

Forgive my scepticism on just using an ASHP, I'd suspect that the only way to keep the running costs reasonable, (and bearing in mind the unlikely situation that you could get away with only using "economy" electricity), would be to add something like a woodburning stove for the coldest weather, and solar hot water for domestic hot water during the summer months -quite apart from wanting "back up" for that time you lose power supplies when it's freezing cold....

[brackwell]

Station House,
Are you saying your standard tariff is only 8p/kwh.  With whom and what tariff?
Ken

[StationHouse]

8.710p after the first few standing charge units @ 17.240p - nPower Sign Online 21.

Ok nearly 3p ish higher ...

So far running costs are peanuts @ £20pm  

Backup heating is alway a good idea as power cuts in the country are not unknown  

My supplies of wood and coal are in their final resting place ready for winter.

Still some LPG in the tank for the  flame effect fires if the ASHP goes pear shaped in deepest darkest winter  

Edit: Solar PV survey soon, not that it will keep me warm...

[JonG]

Hi there the Nordics are a new product from Daikin in the UK, (they may be more established on the continent though), they look good because the outputs available at lower ambients are greater giving you more coverage, without a big drop off in efficiency when compared with their standard model. It is currently about 4-6 months away from MCS accreditation in the UK but I don't know whether this would apply where you are.

You say you have UFH already, but if this was designed for higher flow temps and a delta t different to that of the Daikin (5 degrees) you may want to check that it will provide enough heat from the floor with a lower flow temp and use as buffer to avoid destabilising the unit. If the manifolds have blending valves we would recommend removing them too.

JonG

[bassman]

Cheers for all the replies

I now have the 16Kw Daikin Altherma installed and running

The company also fitted an inline KwH meter so I can get an accurate reading of the ASHP power usage

Only in 4 days now but I know from past costs that the ASHP is heating my hot water at 50% of what oil cost, I know this will change as the weather gets colder but is a good sign

On the first night after installation I turned up all my room stats (11).  Next morning the house was very warm and had a tank of hot water, all on Economy 7 ----- COST --10 units at 6.08p per unit, again I know this will change as the colder weather hits but it still looks promising

I am keeping an accurate log of costs etc and will try and update here on a regular basis

I have the original oil boiler still connected as backup and have a 8Kw Stovax woodburner in the living room for the

 -15 C days


The Bassman

[StBarnabas]

Hi Bassman

I will be very interested in seeing how the system works over the winter. I was pleased my main source of heating was a GSHP rather than an ASHP last December and I had a WBS amongst other things as a backup. A lot I think depends on how well the system is designed, in the UK ASHPs normally perform well below the manufactures specification in terms of COP. Curiously in discussion with NAREC the other day there is a new Netherlands study in which the actual performance of ASHPs seems to be better than published COPs. Will try to get a link to the NL study if anyone is interested.

[StationHouse]

Cheers for all the replies

I now have the 16Kw Daikin Altherma installed and running

The company also fitted an inline KwH meter so I can get an accurate reading of the ASHP power usage

Only in 4 days now but I know from past costs that the ASHP is heating my hot water at 50% of what oil cost, I know this will change as the weather gets colder but is a good sign

On the first night after installation I turned up all my room stats (11).  Next morning the house was very warm and had a tank of hot water, all on Economy 7 ----- COST --10 units at 6.08p per unit, again I know this will change as the colder weather hits but it still looks promising

I am keeping an accurate log of costs etc and will try and update here on a regular basis

I have the original oil boiler still connected as backup and have a 8Kw Stovax woodburner in the living room for the

 -15 C days


The Bassman

Great to hear all is well 

I think what a lot of people forget is that a well designed ASHP system keeps your house at a nice warm even temp with loads of hot water for sod all running costs. If it is a bit dearer in winter so what... 95% of time its buttons to run.

So many oil/LPG users I know spend way way more and hardly heat their houses at all    Indeed I was in a friends modern house, oil boiler, recently and it 14c, to expensive to turn on until winter  Our house was like that last year but no more 

[martin]

 "for sod all running costs"  - 
Wait until winter!