green heating - Has anyone buried water tubes yet

[Anonymous]

We were wondering about green heating, not because we are the worlds greatest environmentalists, but because I read in a paper somewhere that in future your house would be rated according to how environmentally friendly it was.
This in turn apparently could affect its sale prospects...a bit like selling a car and having to disclose how many miles to the gallon it did.
1)- I was looking at the notion of buried pipes in the garden to run heating on a heat exchange basis.
2)- There is a water tank collection system which collects rainwater and filters it for non drinkable use which apparently will cover 50% of domestic use, loos, washing etc
3)- Solar panels?? Any good in this country? I saw some which were coloured to not affect their ability to be used on listed buildings.

Has anyone got any of these things? Are they any good? And how much do they cost versus effect. Any other ideas to consider whilst we have the option?

 

[Anonymous]

Heat pumps are more efficient when heating a lot of water to a low temperature, rather than less water to a higher temp. This means that it works best with very large radiators and/or underfloor heating, neither of which is easy in most period properties.

Photovoltaic solar panels are marginal in this country with current technology but hopefully better ones will emerge in the next 10 years.

Your best bet is probably a wood burning stove or heating system but for some obscure reason only pellet stoves and boilers qualify for a grant. I dont know if this extends to the "green credits" but it is pretty stupid since burning logs is likely to be more efficient....

Combined heat and power might get a look in eventually, but for now the best bet is probably to look at insulation/double glazing and draughts... IMO

G.

 

[Anonymous]

Frances

We are in the process of installing the underground heat source system with Ice energy. We have put in the trenches and are waiting for the equipment. At the same time we are installing under floor heating on the ground floor and cast iron rads upstairs. Will have to let you know if we heat up ready for next winter!

 

[Anonymous]

Is it horribly expensive or comparable with a normal cost of a boiler etc? Also do you need a lot of outside ground for the pipes? A field or a deep plot? How much disruption is involved? etc etc

Having just had a long and cold winter in a nearly unheated house, I want to try and do something sensible and preferably green (if that doesn't get ridiculous) before another.

 

[Anonymous]

Frances

Yes it is expensive, there is some grant money to knock off and VAT. We are heating a 5000m2 house so it got to do the job. The trenches are 1m wide x 1m deep with the coil of plastic tube in the bottom but with sand above and sand below. We needed 3 x 85m trenches dug in the back garden.
The trenches cost £1400 to dig and refill, we put the sand in (£1000) with wheelbarrows and the tube which was hard work. We have also had archaeology to pay for too. Ring Ice Energy to get a idea of cost.
Did you say you were filmed for the TV? If you want to see us and our heat pump we being filmed for Grand Designs at the moment!

 

[Anonymous]

How bigs your house? We got both out heat pumps from Ice Energy too, well recommended. The boreholes as we had no ground cost £7250 plus the cost of the sand another £200 to backfill the pipework.Ice energy are the only onrs to offer the N Power grant of £1500 per unit, so we get that twice.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Jon

The house is 5500sq ft over 4 floors. We have gone for 2 geothermal heat pumps and it's single phase. We have put in 2 cast iron second-hand radiators in each room and under floor heating on the ground floor. Did I read that you were just about to turn yours on?. I would be very interested to hear how long it takes to heat up. I am right in thinking yours has been uninhabited for years. Ours has been a ruin for 50 yrs so there is a lot of drying out to do but in the short term we are about to install some woodburning stoves.

 

[Anonymous]

We have very similar size projects, We are single phase too with soft start. The pumps were delivered on thursday and one will be comissioned a week on monday. We have a pump for each wing which will heat underfloor heating circuits on the ground, first and second floors.
Currently we only have the groundfloor circuit installed in each wing but I intend linking both these together for now to get some heat into the building and just let it run 24/7.
How far away from turning on yours are you?

 

[Anonymous]

Jon

All the external work has been completed, but as we haven't finished the floor levels on the groundfloor we haven't ordered the pumps yet. We were going to have 3 phase orginally but the electricity board came up with a rediculous cost.
Ice Energy have said it only take a couple of weeks for the pumps so hopefully we will order them in about a month. We hope to have them turned on for my 40th Birthday in June!
If you are interested in the type of house/ruin it is http://www.hellifieldpeel.co.uk

 

[Anonymous]

It's terrific - I lurve tower houses, bastles and other fortified dwellings! We are in the middle of Border Reiver country so surrounded by them.

More info on Images of England.

 

[Anonymous]

Evelyn

Glad you like it!

Well it needed saving, not much life left in it I'm affraid. We were the only mad pair out there to try! (and some very dedicated stonemasons living in caravans outside through 2 winters, poor things!)
Nearly complete now.
Hope English Heritage is happy and they de-schedule it, as we will need AMC to change a light bulb!

Karen

 

[Anonymous]

This page says the owner is 41, but the article is dated 08/07/07 so I suppose that makes it right. Strange.


http://www.castlestudiesgroup.org.uk/page29.html

 

[Anonymous]

Has Pete Ryder been to see it recently?

 

[Anonymous]

I assume it's been on the EH At Risk register because of it's Ancient Monument status - as it's Listed II that would have made SAVE's Register but not EH's!

Maybe they might upgrade to II* if stabilised and remove Ancient Monument status?

 

[Anonymous]

Biff
Not sure where the Castles studies group get their info from must be last years Yorkshire Post article when it was taken off EH building at risk register. But I'm the wife ,they are talking about the husband. Francis is 3 years older!
Karen

 

[Anonymous]

Evelyn

Yes, Peter Ryder has been down since work has started.

 

[Anonymous]

Evelyn

The question has been asked , we are waiting for an answer.

 

[Anonymous]

Karen,
I love your house. It looks amazing and must be a terrible amount of work. Well done.

Graham

 

[Anonymous]

Graham

Thank you, glad you like it. We were very lucky to be able to save it, as we were nearly picked to the post by developers (which we are not) to make it into apartments (probably holiday homes) as we are next to the Yorkshire Dales.
As I know from reading posts every one here does if for love and not for profit.
It is a bottomless pit for money but luckily the Skipton B S came to our rescue!

At least now it should stand a few more hundred years and the village is pleased to see it roofed again as some remember it before it was plundered in the 1950's.

Karen

 

[Anonymous]

This is a second attempt at leaving this post as it just disappeared last time.

Sound a very similar sized property to ours albeit much older as ours is 1675/6 on the build, dated by dendrochronology. We will only commision one of the pumps now as we have the entire underfloor system to instal on the upper 2 floors. We have cellars too but no heating down there at the moment. Should be commisioned and running up well in time for my 40th in May.
Have a look at my place on the link below, yours looks impressive to.
I would keep an open dialogue with David Webb at Ice energy over availability as their stock levels do seem to fluctuate. Go for the soft start option it will reduce the starting current from about 80 amps to 30 on a 14kw unit.
Also how have you approached the vat situation with your project?


http://merchants-house.co.uk