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A load of hot air?

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    #41
    Originally posted by mattster View Post
    There are electric boilers now with nearly 100% efficiency (equivalent to gas), that can be dropped into existing systems as a direct replacement for gas boilers.
    If I was going all-electric, I'd rather get away from a plumbed system with boiler and radiators. It has always struck me as a bit dumb circulating hot water in a house for heating. There is far less to go wrong with individual electric heaters and an immersion heater for hot water.

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      #42
      Originally posted by ns1 View Post

      If I was going all-electric, I'd rather get away from a plumbed system with boiler and radiators. It has always struck me as a bit dumb circulating hot water in a house for heating. There is far less to go wrong with individual electric heaters and an immersion heater for hot water.
      I can't stand those electric heaters. Maybe they've improved but you definitely couldn't hang an airer off them to dry your clothes, back in the day.

      I also wonder how a Tado type system would work with electric heaters?

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        #43
        Originally posted by d000hg View Post

        I thought a GSHP required a big machine like used in pilings... they go 100 feet or more into the ground so it's not just a digger making a hole.
        Yes, I believe so - one of those giant drill bits? I guess it depends on how long it takes - if you need one of those machines for a week, then there's your £10k I suppose. Just read a bit more about it and no wonder it costs so much - you might end up needing multiple 100m bore holes, 6m apart, 5m from the nearest building and dug by an enormous truck mounted machine that almost certainly won't be able to drive into your garden. Bonkers.

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          #44
          Originally posted by ns1 View Post

          If I was going all-electric, I'd rather get away from a plumbed system with boiler and radiators. It has always struck me as a bit dumb circulating hot water in a house for heating. There is far less to go wrong with individual electric heaters and an immersion heater for hot water.
          Agreed, although if you can swap just one component and already have the rest then that probably makes more sense.
          We've got electric underfloor in the bathroom and it's great. I imagine it is every bit as efficient as gas, since turning electric into heat is quite easy I think, but of course electric is 3-6x the cost of gas usually per kwh.

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            #45
            Originally posted by mattster View Post

            Yes, I believe so - one of those giant drill bits? I guess it depends on how long it takes - if you need one of those machines for a week, then there's your £10k I suppose. Just read a bit more about it and no wonder it costs so much - you might end up needing multiple 100m bore holes, 6m apart, 5m from the nearest building and dug by an enormous truck mounted machine that almost certainly won't be able to drive into your garden. Bonkers.
            Except you don't if you go for shallow ones, see my earlier post.
            …Maybe we ain’t that young anymore

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              #46
              Originally posted by WTFH View Post

              GSHP can go deep or shallow loops at about 1-2 metres below the surface, depends on how much ground you have.

              e.g.
              https://www.kensaheatpumps.com/slinky-pipes/
              Not seen those before, interesting. As an array you need a lot of space and it means pretty much ruining your garden from what I can see. For those in the country not a bad option on the face of it - although we have our septic tank drainage loop in the space this might fit!

              Originally posted by MaryPoppins
              I'd still not breastfeed a nazi
              Originally posted by vetran
              Urine is quite nourishing

              Comment


                #47
                Originally posted by mattster View Post

                There are electric boilers now with nearly 100% efficiency (equivalent to gas), that can be dropped into existing systems as a direct replacement for gas boilers.
                Indeed there are but a couple of issues:
                1. Electricity is historically 3-4X as expensive as electricity... current crisis aside that is
                2. Gas boilers might be running in the 20-30kW range, GCSE physics tells us that's going to draw 80-125 Amps. This is right at the limit that a domestic electricity supply is rated for, we recently had our old one (40A) updated and they put in an 80A fuse/breaker.

                Originally posted by MaryPoppins
                I'd still not breastfeed a nazi
                Originally posted by vetran
                Urine is quite nourishing

                Comment


                  #48
                  Originally posted by mattster View Post

                  Agreed, although if you can swap just one component and already have the rest then that probably makes more sense.
                  We've got electric underfloor in the bathroom and it's great. I imagine it is every bit as efficient as gas, since turning electric into heat is quite easy I think, but of course electric is 3-6x the cost of gas usually per kwh.
                  We've got electric underfloor in the bathrooms and hall and it is great when its on but we don't use it due to cost. You can see the meter spinning off its axis whenever the underfloor heating is used

                  Perhaps we need home sized nuclear fusion reactors
                  Last edited by tazdevil; 20 October 2021, 13:34. Reason: Update

                  Comment


                    #49
                    Originally posted by d000hg View Post
                    Indeed there are but a couple of issues:
                    1. Electricity is historically 3-4X as expensive as electricity... current crisis aside that is
                    2. Gas boilers might be running in the 20-30kW range, GCSE physics tells us that's going to draw 80-125 Amps. This is right at the limit that a domestic electricity supply is rated for, we recently had our old one (40A) updated and they put in an 80A fuse/breaker.
                    I think whatever happens going forward, electricity is going to have to get (at least relatively) cheaper, and supplies are going to need upgrading. What happens when we all try to charge our EVs overnight?

                    Comment


                      #50
                      Originally posted by mattster View Post

                      I think whatever happens going forward, electricity is going to have to get (at least relatively) cheaper, and supplies are going to need upgrading.
                      ...how about people consume less?

                      Crazy idea, I know, because our economy is reliant on more people consuming more stuff.
                      …Maybe we ain’t that young anymore

                      Comment

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