ᐅ Water-bearing fireplace connected to oil heating system (single-family home, older building) – costs?
Created on: 26 Aug 2014 12:40
U
Username_wahlU
Username_wahl26 Aug 2014 12:40Hello, in the meantime we have looked at a beautifully maintained old building that we might consider as a new home.
The major drawback: high energy costs are to be expected.
Key data:
Year built 1930
200 sqm (2,153 sq ft) living area, 2 floors plus converted attic
Oil central heating 20 years old, 21 kW, operated at low temperature
(for 2 people, but we would be 5!).
Gas connection available!
Final energy demand is 289 kWh/(m²*a) (kWh/(m²*yr))! Energy efficiency class H!!!
That means, pessimistically calculating for 5 people, oil price increases, cold winter, etc., heating costs could be up to €3,000 per year!
My idea (and of course, before buying or renovating, we will get professional advice—this is just for brainstorming and rough cost evaluation) would be to install a water-bearing stove (masonry heater?) in the living room and connect it to the central heating system (with heat storage, control, domestic hot water heating (except in summer?), and later the option to connect solar panels etc.).
There are 2 existing fireplaces.
Since my parents own forest and equipment for harvesting wood, we would get the wood “almost” free of charge (of course, labor, transport costs, equipment operation costs, etc. would apply).
What would a renovation like this roughly cost if carried out by a specialist company?
How high would the (additional) operating costs be, including maintenance, etc.?
What energy/cost savings could be expected, and when would the investment pay off?
Would it be possible to get a government-subsidized loan such as a KfW credit?
How would the calculation change if a solar system for domestic hot water (in summer) were installed at the same time?
Does the new energy saving law then require a full renovation of the house (insulation, etc.)?
What would be the alternatives?
The major drawback: high energy costs are to be expected.
Key data:
Year built 1930
200 sqm (2,153 sq ft) living area, 2 floors plus converted attic
Oil central heating 20 years old, 21 kW, operated at low temperature
(for 2 people, but we would be 5!).
Gas connection available!
Final energy demand is 289 kWh/(m²*a) (kWh/(m²*yr))! Energy efficiency class H!!!
That means, pessimistically calculating for 5 people, oil price increases, cold winter, etc., heating costs could be up to €3,000 per year!
My idea (and of course, before buying or renovating, we will get professional advice—this is just for brainstorming and rough cost evaluation) would be to install a water-bearing stove (masonry heater?) in the living room and connect it to the central heating system (with heat storage, control, domestic hot water heating (except in summer?), and later the option to connect solar panels etc.).
There are 2 existing fireplaces.
Since my parents own forest and equipment for harvesting wood, we would get the wood “almost” free of charge (of course, labor, transport costs, equipment operation costs, etc. would apply).
What would a renovation like this roughly cost if carried out by a specialist company?
How high would the (additional) operating costs be, including maintenance, etc.?
What energy/cost savings could be expected, and when would the investment pay off?
Would it be possible to get a government-subsidized loan such as a KfW credit?
How would the calculation change if a solar system for domestic hot water (in summer) were installed at the same time?
Does the new energy saving law then require a full renovation of the house (insulation, etc.)?
What would be the alternatives?
Hello Passive House,
I had the same idea since I also have access to wood under similar conditions, but for us, the distance to the heating system would have made it very complicated—in other words, the cost and savings depend on how far the fireplace is from the heating system and how much renovation work is needed.
The contact person should be a heating engineer, although I suspect that your situation will be similar to mine—that is, it’s a nice-to-have feature but doesn’t realistically pay off.
So basically, we upgraded the old system with new pumps and radiators but left everything else as it was, and if needed, the stove can quickly generate local heat for the living and dining areas. The house (built in 1918/1978) was additionally insulated during renovation/refurbishment in 2011, and consumption has dropped drastically since then. We are four people using about the same amount of energy as the previous owners did with one or two, but the building was partly uninsulated when we took over. It was possible to throw a screwdriver through the roller shutter boxes from the attic all the way to the basement (sic!).
Therefore, I would only install a fireplace with water heating in a new build or if you are actually replacing all the water pipes including underfloor heating and the heating system itself in your house.
Best regards
Dirk Grafe
I had the same idea since I also have access to wood under similar conditions, but for us, the distance to the heating system would have made it very complicated—in other words, the cost and savings depend on how far the fireplace is from the heating system and how much renovation work is needed.
The contact person should be a heating engineer, although I suspect that your situation will be similar to mine—that is, it’s a nice-to-have feature but doesn’t realistically pay off.
So basically, we upgraded the old system with new pumps and radiators but left everything else as it was, and if needed, the stove can quickly generate local heat for the living and dining areas. The house (built in 1918/1978) was additionally insulated during renovation/refurbishment in 2011, and consumption has dropped drastically since then. We are four people using about the same amount of energy as the previous owners did with one or two, but the building was partly uninsulated when we took over. It was possible to throw a screwdriver through the roller shutter boxes from the attic all the way to the basement (sic!).
Therefore, I would only install a fireplace with water heating in a new build or if you are actually replacing all the water pipes including underfloor heating and the heating system itself in your house.
Best regards
Dirk Grafe
U
Username_wahl26 Aug 2014 14:56Hello,
how would it look if I placed a stove in the living/dining room and created a connection to the three children's bedrooms above (1st floor and attic) using a core drilling hole? My parents had something like this in their house a long time ago, before they had central heating. That way, I could heat the main living areas with wood.
how would it look if I placed a stove in the living/dining room and created a connection to the three children's bedrooms above (1st floor and attic) using a core drilling hole? My parents had something like this in their house a long time ago, before they had central heating. That way, I could heat the main living areas with wood.
From a sound insulation perspective, it’s a disaster. Your children won’t be able to sleep when you have guests. I wouldn’t recommend it – it would be better to install a wood-fired central heating system in the basement instead of the oil heating, and insulate the house from the outside.
Umbau-Susi26 Aug 2014 21:06Why not use a heating boiler that can switch between gas and wood? When someone is home, it runs on wood, and when no one is around to add more fuel, it switches to gas?
asks Sylvia
asks Sylvia
U
Username_wahl27 Aug 2014 00:31Hello,
what would be the benefits of replacing the 20-year-old oil heating system?
And if yes, what would be a suitable replacement?
what would be the benefits of replacing the 20-year-old oil heating system?
And if yes, what would be a suitable replacement?
Similar topics