.png){kind=spacer}
We've finally been able to install our own air source heat pump at Artimus Towers, so I'll be able to provide a running commentary on issues (of which there will of course be none) and performance. The huge advantage is that I can now play with the settings and measure the results.
I'm also over-engineering the system just to see if some additional components will work and what effect they have.
The extras are:
A plate heat exchanger to separate the heat pump side from the radiator wet circuit. This reduces the amount of anti-freeze needed and enables the house to be renovated without the need to capture the anti-freeze every time we break into the wet circuit.
Fan-assisted radiators. They're hardly ever used in this country but they have a far higher output for their size and work at lower flow temperatures and so make the heat pump more efficient. Another Brucie bonus is that they have the ability to provided cooling as long as the heat pump can cool as well as heat – and of course I fitted one that does. We are only fitting these radiators in the key rooms that have fairly constant use and will potentially need cooling during the summer.
I'm replacing the other radiators with triple convector radiators, which are also able to work at lower flow temperatures for the equivalent size of other radiator profiles.
Currently we are working with the old radiators and have a weather compensated flow temperature of 60°C when the outside air temperature is minus 3°C, and a flow temperature of 40°C when the outside is 18°C. What this means is, as it gets colder, the heat pump automatically raises the flow temperature to compensate for the additional heat loss. It's currently 2°C outside and the flow temperature is sitting around 55°C and the house is nice and warm – well warm to me, Fran may have other thoughts!
I hope to upgrade the radiators over Christmas, so I'll have gathered a few weeks' of data on the old system to compare with the upgraded system and can then demonstrate the level of savings from actual observations. I'll let you know how it goes!
Stay warm!
–Steve
コメント