No central heating

[garethd]

Afternoon plumbers, after some help please.


I’ve purchased a 1950’s property which has no access to mains gas (two bedrooms, only bathroom downstairs). It’s a bit worse for ware, but the misses fell in love with it so I didn’t get a lot of choice. However, it doesn’t have any central heating (apart from one storage heater in the corridor).


It does have an open fire with a back boiler to heat the hot water (although it can only get it lukewarm). There is a hot water tank with an immersion heater but we don’t use it due to the cost. All the cold water seems to run off the mains (no cold water tank in loft). The shower is electric, I have to put the cold water tap on a bit to release some pressure so it can heat the water sufficiently (even though it 9.8KW).


Suffice to say it all needs an overhaul. Ideally I’d like some form of central heating and hot water that doesn’t cost a fortune. I’m completely stumped as to what to do next, I’ve been looking on the internet at various options, but I’m getting a bit overloaded with information. I’m not sure who I can turn to for some independent advice.


We’ve put aside 7K to put in a new system of some sort. My best idea so far would be to put in a wood stove in place of the open fire (plenty of cheap wood in the area) with a back boiler and install radiators to run off it and also heat the hot water. Then also install a solar heater for hot water in the summer, I can then get rid of the rubbish electric shower. Although it all looks very expensive and complicated.


Any advice on where to start, who to go to or what to put in would be gratefully received !

 

[Barry98]

Welcome to the forums , where are you based am sure there will be a member on hear near you that can best advise

 

[garethd]

Thanks BOD, I'm near Newbury in West Berks.

 

[Mrs Tara Plumbi]

I see no one has come back to you.
Something like more than 90% of houses in England have either mains gas or LPG so you are unique!
I would have thought if you are not on mains gas then you should be extra conscious about insulating your home throughout.
There are so many unknown factors about your house, your lifestyle, your taste...
but a couple of things I would consider are:

1. Electric underfloor heating system - cheap to install (you can DIY) no maintenance costs and it could last longer than you do - take these factors into account when you think that the cost of running electric heating is more.
Electric UF heating would be better than rads because of the way you experience the heat.
2. Air to air heat pumps or some kind of heat pump system. Some people are not impressed wit them but others have good experience - worth thinking about.
See this Wocester Bosch clip about air-air heat pumps Tara Heating and Plumbing in Thanet, east kent: Air to Air Heat Pumps for Air Conditioning & Heating

I might think of combining 1 or/and 2 and your wood stove.

Find out what others do in your area - what are they doing in new house builds in your area?

 

[GasmanxxxR1]

check out wood chip boilers

 

[GasmanxxxR1]

or electric boilers, not sure of the running costs though

 

[Richie_77]

I'd go oil or LPG. Wood burners are a pain and just not as easy as just flicking a switch.
As for air and ground source heat pumps the ones I've worked with have been disappointing at best. Even the rep from dakin and there commissioning engineer told me they'd never fit them in there own houses.
From what I've been told there expensive unreliable and under perform.

 

[lame plumber]

dont tell those quoting your budget coz youll find the quotes will be very close or more lol

 

[TBServices]

You could get a very good oil/LPG system for that money. You may want to consider Multi fuel if you have access to wood etc, or a south facing roof for solar.

 

[rab250]

I would advise an lpg bulk store and combi or system boiler for the summer months and a dunsley link up system so you can utilise your solid fuel stove for the winter/colder months. The biomass system is the future i recon but your probably aout 30k shy in the old money department.