ᐅ QUESTIONS about night storage heaters and electric heating systems
Created on: 9 May 2011 02:20
P
PLANETxHello, first of all, I’m glad I found this forum.
I am thinking about buying an old house with about 500 m² (5,380 sq ft) of living space.
I find the house very affordable.
Unfortunately, there is no regular heating system, only many old night storage heaters.
The seller tells me it only costs about 50 euros per month, and that they don’t consume more than that. Could that be true?
In any case, I want to modernize the house, but I don’t think I will get a large loan for that and therefore won’t be able to install a new gas heating system for the whole house.
What can you tell me about these old night storage heaters?
Would it make sense to install a solar system on the roof to get electricity cheaper for them?
Who can write to me about this and help me?
I am thinking about buying an old house with about 500 m² (5,380 sq ft) of living space.
I find the house very affordable.
Unfortunately, there is no regular heating system, only many old night storage heaters.
The seller tells me it only costs about 50 euros per month, and that they don’t consume more than that. Could that be true?
In any case, I want to modernize the house, but I don’t think I will get a large loan for that and therefore won’t be able to install a new gas heating system for the whole house.
What can you tell me about these old night storage heaters?
Would it make sense to install a solar system on the roof to get electricity cheaper for them?
Who can write to me about this and help me?
Hello,
If something seems particularly cheap, there is usually a reason 😉
You should be very careful here, especially with this size of living space!
What seems like a bargain can quickly turn into a money pit!
Good advice: find an independent expert not tied to sales!!!!!!!!
Best regards
PLANETx schrieb:
...I might buy an old house with about 500 m2 (5,382 sq ft) of living space, which I find very cheap, but unfortunately it doesn’t have a regular heating system, only many old night storage heaters
If something seems particularly cheap, there is usually a reason 😉
PLANETx schrieb:Yes, if the seller only heats one room in winter, keeps the room temperature at 10°C (50°F), or spends the winter in Mallorca!
...the seller tells me it only costs about 50 euros per month and that they can’t consume more than that, could that be true?
You should be very careful here, especially with this size of living space!
What seems like a bargain can quickly turn into a money pit!
PLANETx schrieb:Do yourself a favor and always have existing buildings evaluated by a building services engineer and a construction expert before you get into trouble!
...in any case, I wanted to modernize the house, but I think I won’t get a large loan for that and so can’t install a new gas heating system for the whole house
PLANETx schrieb:Pure waste of money!
...what can you tell me about the old night storage heaters?
PLANETx schrieb:Hardly!
...would it help if I installed a solar system on the roof so that I get cheaper electricity?
PLANETx schrieb:
...what about newer electric heating systems, for example… who can write to me about this and help me?
Good advice: find an independent expert not tied to sales!!!!!!!!
Best regards
Hello Planetx,
First of all: be cautious about the seller’s claims. Heating costs of 50 € per month for 500 m² (5400 sq ft) of living space, as Euro already mentioned, doesn’t seem realistic, even if the house were very well insulated. Make sure to ask to see the energy performance certificate for the property; the seller is legally required to provide this. If it is a consumption-based certificate, it shows the consumption of the occupants over three consecutive years. This data might be outdated and therefore not reflect the current situation. It’s also possible that only one person lived there temporarily, which would result in very low consumption. Therefore, the utility bills from recent years are also very important to review. A demand-based certificate reflects the building’s physical and technical condition and gives a more accurate impression. Depending on the building’s age and number of residential units, one or the other certificate is mandatory. It is also advisable to bring an expert to the viewing and, if needed, arrange for a property appraisal with estimated renovation costs to avoid it becoming a “money pit.”
In any case, replacing the existing heating system will sooner or later be unavoidable, since storage heaters must be phased out by 2020 according to the law. So if you are planning to renovate the house, you should include a heating system upgrade. From my point of view, a gas condensing boiler is a suitable option for several reasons. It doesn’t require a storage room for fuel (oil, pellets), the installation of a chimney is relatively simple, for example by an external flue, the technology is quiet and highly efficient (efficiency rating 103%), emits relatively low CO2, and can adapt to future lower heating demands over time through a modular system— for instance due to planned renovation measures.
Good luck with the house purchase!
Best regards,
Erik
First of all: be cautious about the seller’s claims. Heating costs of 50 € per month for 500 m² (5400 sq ft) of living space, as Euro already mentioned, doesn’t seem realistic, even if the house were very well insulated. Make sure to ask to see the energy performance certificate for the property; the seller is legally required to provide this. If it is a consumption-based certificate, it shows the consumption of the occupants over three consecutive years. This data might be outdated and therefore not reflect the current situation. It’s also possible that only one person lived there temporarily, which would result in very low consumption. Therefore, the utility bills from recent years are also very important to review. A demand-based certificate reflects the building’s physical and technical condition and gives a more accurate impression. Depending on the building’s age and number of residential units, one or the other certificate is mandatory. It is also advisable to bring an expert to the viewing and, if needed, arrange for a property appraisal with estimated renovation costs to avoid it becoming a “money pit.”
In any case, replacing the existing heating system will sooner or later be unavoidable, since storage heaters must be phased out by 2020 according to the law. So if you are planning to renovate the house, you should include a heating system upgrade. From my point of view, a gas condensing boiler is a suitable option for several reasons. It doesn’t require a storage room for fuel (oil, pellets), the installation of a chimney is relatively simple, for example by an external flue, the technology is quiet and highly efficient (efficiency rating 103%), emits relatively low CO2, and can adapt to future lower heating demands over time through a modular system— for instance due to planned renovation measures.
Good luck with the house purchase!
Best regards,
Erik
Hello,
Best regards.
Erik_IEU schrieb:The high boiler efficiency is less relevant; what really matters is the annual utilization rate. 😉 This is only about 65 to 70% for poorly to moderately designed condensing boiler systems. For precisely planned systems, it can be up to 85%, depending on whether domestic hot water production is included or not.
....., the technology is quiet and highly efficient (efficiency 103%), has low CO2 emissions, and adapts ...
Best regards.
A
Andreas7925 May 2011 22:00Hello Planetx,
I can only agree with the others. Heating costs of €50 per month cannot be accurate.
If you really want to buy this house, make sure to have a detailed inspection done (building structure, roof, electrical system, etc.), as there could still be significant issues.
Regarding the solar system: it would make sense if the heating load is correctly calculated and if photovoltaic and thermal solar systems are combined, in addition to the gas boiler.
I would advise against installing a new electric heating system given the net living area, unless you renovate the entire house to passive house standards.
Best regards,
Andreas79
I can only agree with the others. Heating costs of €50 per month cannot be accurate.
If you really want to buy this house, make sure to have a detailed inspection done (building structure, roof, electrical system, etc.), as there could still be significant issues.
Regarding the solar system: it would make sense if the heating load is correctly calculated and if photovoltaic and thermal solar systems are combined, in addition to the gas boiler.
I would advise against installing a new electric heating system given the net living area, unless you renovate the entire house to passive house standards.
Best regards,
Andreas79
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