Heat pump experiences

[Milzy]

I once had an install before gas safe. The flu wasn’t sealed properly & the piping wasn’t straight. I thought sod this just spent over 5 grand here and reported to Corgi inspector made their head guy look a right idiot. Made them sort it all out. Then the company boss said to me, you didn’t have to grass us up. We would have sorted it. I said I’ve just left home 5 grand is a lot to me it should be right, you deserved it. They went under a year later. Prob from all their young apprentices been inept because their bosses don’t have a clue either.
Found a porn mag in the loft later on in the year, prob from one of the apprentices.

 

[MontyVeda]

Ground Source heat pumps are a way better solution than ASHP, but the up front capital (even with the grants) doesn't really encourage individuals to install them.

It should be made mandatory for all new build block of flats / estates and then your heating and hot water is all part of your service charge / ground rent.

GSHP isn't an option for the vast majority of smaller, more affordable properties up here. Only realistic options are either switching to air-source or sticking with gas or electric heating.

 

[mjr]

But it's yourself that brought a now defunct organisation, Corgi, into this as though they were still operating. They ain't and telling others things that are seventeen years out of date, regulation wise, is a stupid thing to do when it comes to gas safety.
Someone might actually believe you know what your going on about. Which given that there's still some cowboys out there with "Corgi Registered" on their advertising/business cards, could lead to costly mistakes.

I've been quite clear that I stopped burning fossils for heating years ago, so "someone" will take my comments in that light.

But it seems your post is incorrect too: CORGI isn't actually defunct (see www.corgiservices.com ), so there are still installers showing their current logo perfectly legally and ethically, but it's no longer the required registration body for gas engineers. It seems that the Brown government gave the contract to "Capita Gas Registration and Ancillary Services Limited" who keep the "Gas Safe Register". I'm sure Capita are running things as wonderfully as they usually do (see also the TV Licensing topic, or them losing control of smart meters).

 

[mjr]

My however is to ask the question about optimisation of the system, because it needs to work together to best effect. Is there an all-enveloping system which can really run this, plus an EV-type tariff, plus some feed in, plus 2 EVs, plus all the gubbins above, plus diverting the ASHP in part during May-Sept to heat a small pool?

Yes, several. I suspect you either get a battery controller that can control a compatible ASHP, or you get a battery controller and ASHP that can work together easily, or you get a system custom-made for you based on something like Home Assistant or Domoticz. Better to ask the installers what they can work with, or ask on more specialist home control forums if you're minded to build your own.

 

[rogerzilla]

One big problem with heat pumps is that they don't seem to have a very long service life in the real world and the grant absolutely does not apply to a replacement. That's why some people have gone back to gas or even oil when their heat pump crapped out; the capital cost was just less. If they did all the recommended insulation for the heat pump, the benefits would continue for gas or oil.

 

[rogerzilla]

GSHP isn't an option for the vast majority of smaller, more affordable properties up here. Only realistic options are either switching to air-source or sticking with gas or electric heating.

Our house is perfect for a GSHP but it was still economically disastrous when I looked into it. Cost was £30-35,000 and it would cost the same to run as oil*. Moreover, we make very light use of the central heating (just to get up in the morning, and hot water), as we get a lot of free firewood.

*Iran war notwithstanding, buying a big storage tank means you can fill up when it's cheap. I paid 68p/litre this summer, which is about the same per kWh as mains gas, and cheaper when you allow for standing charges.

 

[classic33]

I've been quite clear that I stopped burning fossils for heating years ago, so "someone" will take my comments in that light.

But it seems your post is incorrect too: CORGI isn't actually defunct (see www.corgiservices.com ), so there are still installers showing their current logo perfectly legally and ethically, but it's no longer the required registration body for gas engineers. It seems that the Brown government gave the contract to "Capita Gas Registration and Ancillary Services Limited" who keep the "Gas Safe Register". I'm sure Capita are running things as wonderfully as they usually do (see also the TV Licensing topics).

If only you'd followed your own link.
CORGI is not, and hasn't been the regulatory body for gas engineers since 2009. They even say as much on the site you linked to. Therefore your conclusion that a gas engineer can legally, and correctly use a registration of a defunct regulatory body(In this case, CORGI) is wrong.

I'm aware that some people, like yourself spout nonsense saying that they are, when the truth is very different. I'm also aware that there are "gas service engineers" out there that still "flash" their CORGI(Note it's an anagram, not a company name nor a charity) ID as proof they're registered to do work on gas appliances.

"CORGI Services Limited is the fund-raising arm of The CO Research Trust – a registered charity, focusing on research into Carbon Monoxide poisoning"

The same company also do van rentals and sales, but oddly don't do any that run on natural gas.

 

[rogerzilla]

It's also worth noting that Gas Safe doesn't cover all types of gas or gas appliance. You need to look at their registration to see what they can do. Those allowed to work on LPG (which, due to its density, has some safety issues that don't apply to mains gas) are few and far between.

 

[mjr]

If only you'd followed your own link.
CORGI is not, and hasn't been the regulatory body for gas engineers since 2009. They even say as much on the site you linked to.

And I even said as much in my message!

their CORGI(Note it's an anagram, not a company name nor a charity)

It's an acronym, not an anagram.

Showing the CORGI logo is legal. Using it to claim legally-required registration is fraud.

 

[classic33]

And I even said as much in my message!

Exactly where did you say that!

It's an acronym, not an anagram.

Showing the CORGI logo is legal. Using it to claim legally-required registration is fraud.

It's now a company name, who've copyrighted the logo and the name. Same company even tried using the Corgi logo, registered trade name and copyrighted logo so they couldn't.

Use of a company name and trademark/logo if you're not entitled to isn't legal.

 

[Drago]

So, my take from this increasingly confusing thread is that if you get a corgi stuck up your borehole your wood burner might pollute your flue.

 

[mjr]

So, my take from this increasingly confusing thread is that if you get a corgi stuck up your borehole your wood burner might pollute your flue.

I think the RSPCA might have something to say about that!

Just avoid the whole mess and stick with heat pumps.

 

[Tenkaykev]

Gas boilers are the easy option for installers. Just bang a substantially oversized unit into the property, set the flow to 80 degrees and walk away, safe in the knowledge that the house will be hot enough. The installer isn't fussed about the cost to the consumer of running it that way, even if the boiler is running flat out before shutting down for a short period, rinse and repeat a process known as " cycling ". The manufacturers stated efficiency figures are measured under ideal lab conditions where they run the boilers " low and slow " which is the way that Heat Pumps are designed to run. If you have a modern gas boiler then it should have an external weather sensor and be set to ' weather compensation " which monitors the outside air temperature and adjusts the boilers output to suit, producing just enough to keep the house at the desired temperature. The easy pickings though are insulation. Your house doesn’t care where the heat is coming from, gas boiler, heat pump, oil burner, wood stove or electric radiators, heat is heat and physics tells us that heat travels from a hot place to a cold place until it reaches equilibrium. The greater the temperature difference the quicker that heat is lost. An analogy might be filling bucket with water, if the bucket has holes then the water will leak out, just like the heat " leaks " from your house. The number and size of the holes affects how rapidly the water escapes from the bucket, and the amount of water needed to top it up. Adding insulation is like patching some of the holes in the bucket and slowing the rate of escape so you use less water.
Anyway, I've rambled on enough, just my observations from heating our current house over the years.
Stay warm folks.

 

[Gillstay]

Correct. When i had a new boiler I told the engineer I wanted a smaller jet fitted so the boiler cycled less and he was most surprised.

`The best thing to so , but I never get asked' was his comment.

 

[Drago]

I once had an install before gas safe. The flu wasn’t sealed properly & the piping wasn’t straight. I thought sod this just spent over 5 grand here and reported to Corgi inspector made their head guy look a right idiot. Made them sort it all out. Then the company boss said to me, you didn’t have to grass us up. We would have sorted it. I said I’ve just left home 5 grand is a lot to me it should be right, you deserved it. They went under a year later. Prob from all their young apprentices been inept because their bosses don’t have a clue either.
Found a porn mag in the loft later on in the year, prob from one of the apprentices.

I can recall staying with my Grandad in Kent for the suymmer, around 1972 or 1973, and he removed a gas fire from the living room. He closed off the pipe by tapping a piece of cork into it, then plastered over it. It's probably still there! Even at the tender age of 5 or so I realised that perhaps that wasn't the most diligent method of doing things.