Complete new system - but what type to go for

[BornInABarn]

HI all, I'm a newbie here so I hope I'm in the right place on the forum.

I'm in the process of moving home from a modern bungalow with heating by a nice reliable oil fired Firebird Kitchen 70 90 boiler - hopefully to a completed barn conversion which has no central heating at the moment. So I'd be grateful for some advice on what to get fitted. Sadly its an area without gas so I guess it has to be Oil or Electric ?

We'd be looking to centrally heat the entire ground floor (utility room, kitchen, lounge, hallway, WC, bedroom & ensuite, office), which is a 60 foot length in the middle with a 20 foot room going off at 90 degrees at each end, so a sort of square cornered C shape.

I guess I'll need the boiler, 1 single rad for the Utility room, 1 double rad for the kitchen, 1 double rad for lounge which also has an open fireplace, 1 single for the hallway, 1 single for the WC, 1 double and 1 single in the bedroom and en-suite and a final single for the office.

If anybody can give me advice on alternative types and a gut feel for install costs I'd be a happy camper. Thank you.

 

[Ermintrude]

Mix in some renewables. Solar thermal and oil on unvented cyl ?

 

[happyflyer]

Mix in some renewables. Solar thermal and oil on unvented cyl ?

Ermi,

Sound like you baking a cake, if he installed oil and had a little standby generator, he will be laughing your socks off when the power cuts come.

 

[hammers4spanner]

underfloor downstairs
rads upstairs

lpg or oil for me
solar looks soooooo ugly

 

[Gray0689]

underfloor downstairs
rads upstairs

lpg or oil for me
solar looks soooooo ugly

Solar looks great

 

[happyflyer]

underfloor downstairs
rads upstairs

lpg or oil for me
solar looks soooooo ugly

First line spot on, that's what I would do, never never ever put UFH on the first floor unless the first floor is concrete slab, why because if you put UFH on first floor and it's timber you will never get to the other services again, waste,electric, data, phone, unless you take the ceiling down.

Solar can be made to look good, the photo Gray attached looks very neat, they are tubes that have refrigerant gas in them, sealed in a vacuum, no freezing up.

 

[hammers4spanner]

when i get a chance will take a pic of an estate down my way looks shocking dazzles you on a sunny day must be about 30 bungalows with panels on roof

 

[hammers4spanner]

sorry gray dont like those either mate

 

[Gray0689]

sorry gray dont like those either mate

Everyone to there own mate

 

[BornInABarn]

thanks folks, its appreciated. So, being a bit of a traditionalist, it sounds as if I'd be most likely heading for LPG or Oil but with a standby genny. I never looked at LPG before, thats interesting. The solar panels is a nice idea but in my eyes it would ruin the look of the barn. Thanks for the advice.

What do you reckon to a guesstimate on cost for an LPG system based on my first post, £8k ? Or am I dreaming ?

 

[Ermintrude]

LPG your stuck to one supplier. Oil you can shop around and stock up in the summer.

You can get a tile in solar solution that matches in really well with slate. It's poor installs that look rubbish (mostly PV bolted on houses my sparks)

If you have a few fields or outbuildings put PT on.

Standby genny; get one with auto switching and a heated block. Then run a separate zone from your ch to genny then when it's minus 5 outside power comes on instantly . If your really clever and Eco don't use bleach get a digester and run genny on methane / LPG. Use water cooling to help your heating?

 

[solutions]

If the level of insulation in the conversion will be good and I assume it will be reasonably good to meet current regs, then you should considder ground source and air source heat pumps. Ground source is easier if you have a good chunk of land you can lay pipework under. They are most efficient with under floor heating as they generate lower temperature flow.

 

[hammers4spanner]

Done a barn last year came to nine grand put back ten tho

 

[BornInABarn]

Just under an acre of land. Have to admit I know nothing about ground or air heat pumps.

Thanks for the advice on the cost mate !

 

[Ermintrude]

If u got land gshp . Get paid for it too

 

[happyflyer]

Ermi,

You should be in sales??? :cuss: