Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Sir Tigger KC]

I think our Lord should get rid of that dirty old boiler, replace it with an Air Source Heat Pump and save the planet! 

Not while I still have breath in my body.....

They don't seem to work very well from what I hear.

I think you may be right Opti.

One of my friends very recently moved into a brand new house which has been fitted with one of these new fangled heat pumps.  Over the last week it has become very cold down here, but she tells me the heating will only get to a certain level and no more, with her bedrooms remaining quite cold!   Another friend of mine is a master builder, and is very well qualified in the plumbing, and electrical, fields.  He says that the heat pumps have a limit on how much heat they actually push out, which is no where near as high as it is with an gas central heating system.

What the hell is going on I think?!!  Why are heat pumps being so enthusiastically promoted if they have limits for houses in our climate?!

And yet 60% of homes in Norway have them, and year ok year they don't all freeze to death...

I think it's far more likely that we in the UK don't have the expertise to size, install and configure them correctly (yet).

Norwegians are hardy folk who wear those big chunky fishermans jumpers so they don't realise how cold their houses are. 

[STEMO]

I think our Lord should get rid of that dirty old boiler, replace it with an Air Source Heat Pump and save the planet! 

Not while I still have breath in my body.....

They don't seem to work very well from what I hear.

I think you may be right Opti.

One of my friends very recently moved into a brand new house which has been fitted with one of these new fangled heat pumps.  Over the last week it has become very cold down here, but she tells me the heating will only get to a certain level and no more, with her bedrooms remaining quite cold!   Another friend of mine is a master builder, and is very well qualified in the plumbing, and electrical, fields.  He says that the heat pumps have a limit on how much heat they actually push out, which is no where near as high as it is with an gas central heating system.

What the hell is going on I think?!!  Why are heat pumps being so enthusiastically promoted if they have limits for houses in our climate?!

And yet 60% of homes in Norway have them, and year ok year they don't all freeze to death...

I think it's far more likely that we in the UK don't have the expertise to size, install and configure them correctly (yet).

Our houses are not insulated to any kind of degree to those in Norway. You need to keep any heat which is generated, not pass it through your roof, windows and walls.

[Viral_Jim]

Our houses are not insulated to any kind of degree to those in Norway. You need to keep any heat which is generated, not pass it through your roof, windows and walls.

I agree 100%, I'd never advocate for one in an older house, but in the new build house Lizzie mentioned, a heat pump, correctly sized and setup should be more than up to the job.

[Sir Tigger KC]

Our houses are not insulated to any kind of degree to those in Norway. You need to keep any heat which is generated, not pass it through your roof, windows and walls.

I agree 100%, I'd never advocate for one in an older house, but in the new build house Lizzie mentioned, a heat pump, correctly sized and setup should be more than up to the job.

I'd wager your average new build house, especially if built by one of the big companies, isn't insulated enough for a heat pump.

[Kevin Wood]

And yet 60% of homes in Norway have them, and year ok year they don't all freeze to death...

I think it's far more likely that we in the UK don't have the expertise to size, install and configure them correctly (yet).

.. but they build houses properly, have actually invested in their energy infrastructure since the 1960s, have an abundance of renewables and don't put daft green subsidies on their electricity bills, I'm guessing.

Being Scandinavian, they probably supplement it with lots of wood burning, too.

[STEMO]

And yet 60% of homes in Norway have them, and year ok year they don't all freeze to death...

I think it's far more likely that we in the UK don't have the expertise to size, install and configure them correctly (yet).

We burn wood too, Kevin. They grow it in Canada, turn it into pellets and send it by sea and rail to our environmentally friendly power station at Drax.
.. but they build houses properly, have actually invested in their energy infrastructure since the 1960s, have an abundance of renewables and don't put daft green subsidies on their electricity bills, I'm guessing.

Being Scandinavian, they probably supplement it with lots of wood burning, too.

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

I think our Lord should get rid of that dirty old boiler, replace it with an Air Source Heat Pump and save the planet! 

Not while I still have breath in my body.....

They don't seem to work very well from what I hear.

Until Mrs Opti decides that you need to save the planet a bit more.   

Then you'll be here telling us how fantastic it is, we really don't need to heat our houses to 20 degrees and you didn't realise that 14 degrees can be quite comfortable when you're wearing half a dozen jumpers! 

I have no idea what these figures mean. My puny brain only works in Fahrenheit.

Cars set to 70 degrees in old money.

[Sir Tigger KC]

I think our Lord should get rid of that dirty old boiler, replace it with an Air Source Heat Pump and save the planet! 

Not while I still have breath in my body.....

They don't seem to work very well from what I hear.

Until Mrs Opti decides that you need to save the planet a bit more.   

Then you'll be here telling us how fantastic it is, we really don't need to heat our houses to 68 degrees F and you didn't realise that 52 degrees F can be quite comfortable when you're wearing half a dozen jumpers! 

I have no idea what these figures mean. My puny brain only works in Fahrenheit.

Cars set to 70 degrees in old money.

Dinosaur! 

Anyway I've fixed it for you. 

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

If it's not igniting at all it's not the photocell. More likely the ht transformer, fuel solenoid or pump.

Thanks Kevin. I replaced the pump about 5 years ago. I don't want to replace any 'suspect' parts in the hope I may get lucky. It could cost me a fortune.

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

I think our Lord should get rid of that dirty old boiler, replace it with an Air Source Heat Pump and save the planet! 

Not while I still have breath in my body.....

They don't seem to work very well from what I hear.

I think you may be right Opti.

One of my friends very recently moved into a brand new house which has been fitted with one of these new fangled heat pumps.  Over the last week it has become very cold down here, but she tells me the heating will only get to a certain level and no more, with her bedrooms remaining quite cold!   Another friend of mine is a master builder, and is very well qualified in the plumbing, and electrical, fields.  He says that the heat pumps have a limit on how much heat they actually push out, which is no where near as high as it is with an gas central heating system.

What the hell is going on I think?!!  Why are heat pumps being so enthusiastically promoted if they have limits for houses in our climate?!

And yet 60% of homes in Norway have them, and year ok year they don't all freeze to death...

I think it's far more likely that we in the UK don't have the expertise to size, install and configure them correctly (yet).

Norwegians are hardy folk who wear those big chunky fishermans jumpers so they don't realise how cold their houses are. 

......and if they are lucky Norwegian men have 22 year old  blonde leggy Norwegian girls to keep them warm during long winter nights.

[Marks DTM Calib]

I think our Lord should get rid of that dirty old boiler, replace it with an Air Source Heat Pump and save the planet! 

Not while I still have breath in my body.....

They don't seem to work very well from what I hear.

I think you may be right Opti.

One of my friends very recently moved into a brand new house which has been fitted with one of these new fangled heat pumps.  Over the last week it has become very cold down here, but she tells me the heating will only get to a certain level and no more, with her bedrooms remaining quite cold!   Another friend of mine is a master builder, and is very well qualified in the plumbing, and electrical, fields.  He says that the heat pumps have a limit on how much heat they actually push out, which is no where near as high as it is with an gas central heating system.

What the hell is going on I think?!!  Why are heat pumps being so enthusiastically promoted if they have limits for houses in our climate?!

The biggest issue with heat pumps is they are complicated to setup and get working well......sadly the fitters are not up to the task all to often.

You also need good insulation, suitable sized heat emitters (radiators, under floor heating etc, to run at a lower flow temperature), and to run them 24/7 (with the hot water heating at low cost hours.

Do this and they are excellent......but you have to get over the first problem first

[Viral_Jim]

If it's not igniting at all it's not the photocell. More likely the ht transformer, fuel solenoid or pump.

Thanks Kevin. I replaced the pump about 5 years ago. I don't want to replace any 'suspect' parts in the hope I may get lucky. It could cost me a fortune.

Pretty sure you could pull the photocell and test it with a torch and a multimeter. 

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

If it's not igniting at all it's not the photocell. More likely the ht transformer, fuel solenoid or pump.

Thanks Kevin. I replaced the pump about 5 years ago. I don't want to replace any 'suspect' parts in the hope I may get lucky. It could cost me a fortune.

Pretty sure you could pull the photocell and test it with a torch and a multimeter.

Didn't even occur to me. Would this work?