What are you all up to
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JVB, our boiler is fairly new but we don't user the timer at all. We switch the heating on and off manually via the thermostat in the hall. Hope you have an easy way to operate yours without the timer.
Interesting to hear about heating in France RedKite.
Good to hear you enjoyed the break WN, Hope the bike saga comes to an end soon!
Good luck with your travel plans Nellie.
Hope the KJ family illnesses improve. Not a good time of the year for "bugs" even without Covid.
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Thanks brue, I am feeling a it better, but OH is not so good. Eating a little, then afterwards wishing she had not. Sitting here wrapped in a fleecy blanket, shivering.
DD and Nathan have new coughs and colds.....again.......and I am sniffing a bit too.
SIL is still under the weather, so DD has abandoned him and gone to sleep on a sofa, so all i all, we are not too good at present!
I will do a lateral flow test before going to the hospital on Monday, and hope I avoid catching anything while there.
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That is what our man said about our almost 34 year old Pottertons....they do not make them like they used to!
No doubt spares for ours are no longer available, we have one for the main house and one for the granny flat, and they are inefficient now, so we will hopefully be getting the main one changed in a couple of months . We have decided on a Viessmann, but not a combi as we prefer to have stored water due to having 3 bathrooms.
In DD's flat there was an Ariston with a very basic timer built in, I changed that to a more sophisticated separate timer, and she kept that when she had a new boiler fitted back in 2013, the old one had become unreliable. The separate timer was easily fitted, so that would also be an option for you JVB.
We prefer a timer operated system to a thermostat controlled one, and I plan to fit one that we can operate remotely as the boiler is downstairs and we mainly live upstairs.
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Good news I'm free to go out, isolation over.
Really impressed, test taken yesterday at 11.15 then taken and posted. Testing lab sent Text this afternoon to say they had it and were processing it, email arrive at 23.05 to say test negative Yippee.
Oh hasn't heard anything, he tracked the delivery, it was still in Edinburgh
hopefully he will hear tomorrow. 1 -
We swapped to a Combi boiler about 17 years ago. I've never been particularly impressed with it. Takes forever for water to run hot from the taps so any savings on gas(doubtful) are offset by water consumption. The boiler i still working at the moment but I'm wondering whether to replace it while were are still able or whether it will see me out.
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Aren’t combi boilers out of favour now, because a tank is ideal for a heat source pump system?
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The "problem?" of heating hot water when heating is not in use, as we were advised by the company we chose to install our Viessman combi boiler ,is not to have the boiler a long way from the hot taps ,as the heat exchanger is cold and has to heat up before hot water is supplied whereas when the heating is on the heat exchanger is already hot
We have our boiler fitted in the utility room which is just under the bathroom and the kitchen taps are close by next door to the utility room,
,We were advised by other installers to have the boiler fitted in the loft to give more room in the living areas, we are very glad it is fitted where it is
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To my mind having stored hot water is a bit inefficient. Since having the Combi installed and getting rid of the hot water tanks we use far less gas because we are not heating water that, in the main, was not really used. I don't know if it makes any difference but our shower room is next door to where the boiler is housed so only a short run for hot water. Generally I have found the hot water supply fine, although if Margaret turns on the hot tap in the kitchen the water can suddenly cold for a moment!! As I mentioned we have the Hive system which can be set to three temperatures throughout the day. At this time of year we tend to have it at 19 degrees over night, then 20.5 from morning until five in the evening and then 21 until it clicks back to 19 at 11.00pm. If we need more heat you can press the boost button on the main thermostat in the hall of I can do the same via my phone.
David
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That I believe is the case, though at the moment we don't want a heat source pump. The amount of space they take up is ridiculous.
We got rid of our tanks years ago and went to a new version Combi boiler. It's in the attic directly above the kitchen, bathroom is a longer run but it's the kitchen where you use more hot water.
The boiler has an Eco setting and normal setting. On the normal setting the hot water takes seconds to come through as the heat exchanger is always hot, even if the heating is not on. When in Eco mode it does take longer as the heat exchanger is not kept hot.
We would not want to go back to tanks, we don't have a bath, we took that out at the same time as having the new boiler put in. The washer and dish washer are both cold fill so why have tanks again. It's a big backward step in our opinion.
The boiler is just over 10 years old so we might bite the bullet and get it replaced in the next few years. It's working fine so would be a shame but really don't want the alternatives.
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We saw the sun yesterday and it seemed like Spring Steve!
Strangely I would much rather go and see Stonehenge at this time of the year as it must have been a big turning point for our ancestors.I'm looking forward to the TV programme on the 30th about the mammoth finds in Wiltshire, life seems easier now, even with the present struggles!
It's interesting hearing about heating systems (well sort of...) but I guess we've all got different homes and needs. I mentioned to OH that if our son and family arrive safely tomorrow bang go any economy savings with the gas and electricity!
We had a nice walk this morning, it's very misty so yet again the sun has vanished. Hope everyone's day goes well.
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Changes in legislation since the original heating installation can result in a financial shock. Naively I just thought worn out stuff was replaced with new stuff. Mistake - replacement oil tank had to be a bunded (double skin) tank located elsewhere outside to avoid roof overhang & proximity to drains (environmental and fire regs). Cost £3000! Replacement oil boilers are now fitted with a heat exchanger to improve efficiency. No bad thing but means (in my case) a replacement boiler will need to be relocated (outside) to provide required drainage and ventilation. Boiler & installation works £4000!
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Heat pumps are only it seems really efficient and effective it seems if you have enough ground for the pipe work ,and the air sourced type that would have to be fitted to most properties are not very good so far at either keeping a house warm or giving enough hot water
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They are only out of favour, or will be, because they burn gas. Many Combi boilers now are being made to be readily converted to using Hydrogen.
There are two different types of heat source pumps. Air heat source and Ground heat source. Both would need a water tank. There are a lot of questions as to the efficiency of, particularly, air heat source pumps because they can't create enough heat in cold weather so have to rely electricity as a top up measure which could be costly. You also need to have larger bore distribution pipes and larger radiators. This might be fine for new build homes but I suspect many existing homes would find the cost and disruption too much? This sort of system costs at least twice as much, if not more than a conventional boiler. Ground heat source pumps might be more efficient as they are not so impacted by the weather. Not sure how many will be willing to spend £15000/20000 on having such a system installed. Oh, I forgot to mention they have to dig a massive great hole in your back garden to bury the pipes for the system!!! The Government are not planning to prevent the sale of gas boilers until 2035 which suggests they are not so sure that heat pumps are the answer? One possible way around the problem might be the increasing use of solar panels and batteries which might help reduce the running costs of heat pumps?
David
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Our local council a few years ago installed different types of houses with heat pumps. Some were ground source (1 just down the road from us) and some air source. The trial was short lived as the occupants of said houses complained their bills were even greater than before and the houses colder.
I know from my own experience at work that the heat pumps are not really any good in cold weather (just when you need them) where I worked they replaced the old oil boiler with a heat pump in one part of the building. Again the staff complained all the time that it was cold, we ended up having to buy fan heaters for them after tests should that when the outside temperature dropped the heat pump couldn't cope. Considering we live in Scotland and the temps here can go to - 10c on a regular basis in winter it doesn't seem a good system for our climate. Our friend has air source heat pumps but the equipment takes up half of his small bedroom. So far I don't think you can beat gas/oil boilers for instant heat and water.
Our sons rented house has a full electric heating and hot water system, massive heat exchanger in the garage and tanks, it's a 3 storey town house the cost of running that system is cost prohibited, he hates it and only uses it for hot water choosing to heat the house with other forms of heating.
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I’m not surprised, all the hype seems a bit like the ‘emperor’s new clothes’ really - a form of alchemy. Best we can probably achieve is heat pumps providing some supplementary background (take the chill off) type heating and more conventional electric heating (hopefully green) to make the space comfortable enough to sit in without needing to keep your coat on. If that is the reality, can heat pumps ever make economic sense?
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TG. The first house we bought in Scotland, 30 odd years ago was a new build with a heat recovery system. We never got warm in the winter, we had storage and panel heaters and installed a baxi grate, sitting round the fire was the warmest spot in the house! Some of these systems have been around a long time but I'm not sure any have proved to be as good as expected.
Another thick fog has descended here, sitting round the fire just now....
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We're keeping our fingers crossed that the boiler just keeps on going. Can't say the heat pumps etc. inspire any confidence in me.
Thick fog coming down here as well Brue.
Is it too late to turn the Sprouts on or have I missed the boat???
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I know it’s still days away, but we did a Final Shop today. It’s all in the freezer, the pantry or fridge. I’ve started making some dishes and stashing away. But we still have to eat every day, so normal cooking continues.
And the tree has lights on. I’ll add the ornaments tomorrow if OH fetches them down from the Box Room.
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Another grey, very cold and foggy day here. I am getting fed up with it now as we haven't seen the sun for days. I have had quite a busy week delivering christmas cards and wrapping presents. I also met up with a good friend who had a nasty fall at the beginning of September. It was so lovely to see her out and about again albeit slowly and with a walking stick. We popped over to our daughter's today with the christmas cake for her to decorate The plan is for us all to be at her's for christmas day but I am beginning to wonder whether we will be allowed to go ahead now. I am stocked up with christmas food just in case.
I hope you and your family all feel better soon KjNn. There are some nasty bugs around this year. Pleased to hear that you are safely home TG and that your PCR test came back quickly and was clear. I hope your OH's is good also. So pleased you had a good few days away WN and that your new bikes were a success. I hope you get away OK nellie and don't have to cut your trip short this Christmas.
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We have been invited to OHs son for Christmas Dinner but OH is having second thoughts as OHs son and his two boys who live and work in London, ,will also be there,?
I may have to see what our local Co oP has for a backup just in case
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Another grey, very cold and foggy day here.
Same here, miilie, however we were able to get most of the going away stuff loaded in the van, just in case we have rain tomorrow morning. If we have to come home, so be it, but we might just sit out any lockdown on site, provided we get to our Xmas destination before it happens.
Kjell, hope that all of your family, including yourself, are soon over their various ailments.We
Good to hear that your test was negative, TG, hope that's the same for your OH.
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Sounds like a good plan JB.
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I hope that all you suffering from Bugs { and I don't mean the some-time moderator of that name }, coffs n sniffles, aches and chills are soon on the road back to good health.
As posted by somebody recently it will soon be That Good Day again when the nights start drawing out. The one thing that always comes to mind when I thing of Solstice is a caravaner called Malcolm who used to be the lead poster on that subject
and Brian always wonders how the rascal is getting on .All Cards, presents etc written, wrapped, labelled and ready for delivery ~~ must get more sticky tape before the next big wrapping session !
Take Care -- keep safe -- keep warm and dry !!
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