Hello,
This is about my parents’ house. It was built in the 1960s and is very well maintained. A few years ago, my parents had additional seals installed on the double-glazed windows, and the roller shutter boxes were insulated. For the roof, my father added a layer of mineral wool, I believe with a membrane and then drywall, but I’m not completely sure about the details. The whole house has radiators; there is no underfloor heating. The house is divided into two apartments: the ground floor is rented out, and my parents live on the first floor.
My father has been pestering me for years about the heating system. At the moment, they heat with oil. I estimate the heating system is about 15 years old, maybe a bit older. It works perfectly. My father always says that eventually it will need to be replaced anyway, and he’s not sure if he should start now because he could get good subsidies. If he waits until it breaks down, he’s uncertain whether subsidies will still be available. Would you replace a heating system that’s actually working fine now? I’m skeptical about that. With the current energy crisis, he’s even more eager to act.
The second question is what type of heating to choose now or later. Heat pumps don’t work that well with radiators, right? I have read that it’s possible to retrofit ceiling heating and then cover the ceiling with drywall. Does anyone have experience with this? Gas isn’t connected to the property anyway, and I would hesitate to consider it at the moment. Pellets, well, they are getting more expensive as well. It should also be noted that the orientation is not ideal for solar thermal or photovoltaic systems, and there are large trees casting shadows on the roof. If installing a new heating system, would solar thermal or photovoltaic panels be mandatory?
Many questions, maybe someone can give an assessment.
Best regards,
Tobi
This is about my parents’ house. It was built in the 1960s and is very well maintained. A few years ago, my parents had additional seals installed on the double-glazed windows, and the roller shutter boxes were insulated. For the roof, my father added a layer of mineral wool, I believe with a membrane and then drywall, but I’m not completely sure about the details. The whole house has radiators; there is no underfloor heating. The house is divided into two apartments: the ground floor is rented out, and my parents live on the first floor.
My father has been pestering me for years about the heating system. At the moment, they heat with oil. I estimate the heating system is about 15 years old, maybe a bit older. It works perfectly. My father always says that eventually it will need to be replaced anyway, and he’s not sure if he should start now because he could get good subsidies. If he waits until it breaks down, he’s uncertain whether subsidies will still be available. Would you replace a heating system that’s actually working fine now? I’m skeptical about that. With the current energy crisis, he’s even more eager to act.
The second question is what type of heating to choose now or later. Heat pumps don’t work that well with radiators, right? I have read that it’s possible to retrofit ceiling heating and then cover the ceiling with drywall. Does anyone have experience with this? Gas isn’t connected to the property anyway, and I would hesitate to consider it at the moment. Pellets, well, they are getting more expensive as well. It should also be noted that the orientation is not ideal for solar thermal or photovoltaic systems, and there are large trees casting shadows on the roof. If installing a new heating system, would solar thermal or photovoltaic panels be mandatory?
Many questions, maybe someone can give an assessment.
Best regards,
Tobi
A
alterego13421 Jul 2022 15:47Tobibi schrieb:
...
Heat pumps don’t work very well with radiators, do they?
...You can’t really say that in general. There is a great video presentation from the Fraunhofer Institute on this topic, which can be found quite easily.
I have a similar case in the family. Gas would be an option but is currently 40% more expensive in consumption. Pellets are only 10% cheaper.
Result: Do nothing or possibly optimize the system. Until proper insulation is done, replacing the heating system makes no sense. Oil burner from 2005, protected by existing rights until 2035.
Result: Do nothing or possibly optimize the system. Until proper insulation is done, replacing the heating system makes no sense. Oil burner from 2005, protected by existing rights until 2035.
I also believe it’s best to do nothing. If the burner breaks down, it can be replaced inexpensively within a few days. The subsidies mainly cover the additional costs due to labor and material shortages and the often unnecessary energy consultant.
A heat pump works better the lower the supply temperatures are, meaning a well-insulated house and large heating surfaces.
A heat pump works better the lower the supply temperatures are, meaning a well-insulated house and large heating surfaces.
My parents are currently looking into options as well (their oil heating system has had occasional minor issues, and they expect it’s only a matter of time before they need something new). Sometimes, recommendations are made to lower the flow temperature of the current heating system for a winter (while keeping the radiators fully open) to see if a heat pump could still be reasonably efficient. (We haven’t tried this yet.) There are also high-temperature heat pumps available, but there are almost no user experiences to be found about them. The energy consultant also recommended a pellet heating system to my parents, but they have not been convinced by that so far.
At the moment, their favorite option is an air-to-water heat pump, and they might also consider implementing one or two additional measures suggested by the energy expert. (Some improvements have already been made over the decades, e.g. insulated and clad facade, double-glazed windows (they were advised against upgrading beyond that), the basement was at some point waterproofed and insulated, etc.) The suggested measures still mainly concern the basement and the roof, but we’ll see.
I’m a bit skeptical about their current consultant, but time will tell. So far, as far as I can tell (from second hand and at a distance), there has been very little discussion about the heating system itself or potential challenges with it — mostly it has been general energy efficiency advice and measures. Information about what subsidies are necessary and generally useful is there, but when it comes to the heating system and the feasibility of those options, I still feel there is a lot missing. Overall, it is still a work in progress.
At the moment, their favorite option is an air-to-water heat pump, and they might also consider implementing one or two additional measures suggested by the energy expert. (Some improvements have already been made over the decades, e.g. insulated and clad facade, double-glazed windows (they were advised against upgrading beyond that), the basement was at some point waterproofed and insulated, etc.) The suggested measures still mainly concern the basement and the roof, but we’ll see.
I’m a bit skeptical about their current consultant, but time will tell. So far, as far as I can tell (from second hand and at a distance), there has been very little discussion about the heating system itself or potential challenges with it — mostly it has been general energy efficiency advice and measures. Information about what subsidies are necessary and generally useful is there, but when it comes to the heating system and the feasibility of those options, I still feel there is a lot missing. Overall, it is still a work in progress.
A supply temperature of 55 degrees can actually be handled by all systems; it’s just less efficient.
Pellets are a bit of a special case. As mentioned, the current consumption cost is only about 10% cheaper than oil. Ecologically, they are of course better than oil, but not as good as a heat pump. Additionally, the initial investment is very high, and the heating system involves a lot of mechanical components, making it more prone to malfunctions.
Insulate as much as possible, then install a heat pump.
Pellets are a bit of a special case. As mentioned, the current consumption cost is only about 10% cheaper than oil. Ecologically, they are of course better than oil, but not as good as a heat pump. Additionally, the initial investment is very high, and the heating system involves a lot of mechanical components, making it more prone to malfunctions.
Insulate as much as possible, then install a heat pump.
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