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5schwaben529 Jan 2016 21:28Hello,
for health reasons, I am not allowed to have underfloor heating in the house. We recently came across the Wohlfühl-Klima heating system at a prefab house exhibition, which operates without underfloor heating and without bulky radiators. We were initially very enthusiastic, but after reading all the posts here, I am starting to have doubts.
The plan is a KfW70 standard house, with 140 m² (1507 sq ft) of living space
Near Ulm
Are there any homeowners who are satisfied with this heating system?
Who has had negative experiences?
Is the system sufficient on its own, or would a wood stove definitely be recommended as an addition?
Many questions, and thank you for your help.
for health reasons, I am not allowed to have underfloor heating in the house. We recently came across the Wohlfühl-Klima heating system at a prefab house exhibition, which operates without underfloor heating and without bulky radiators. We were initially very enthusiastic, but after reading all the posts here, I am starting to have doubts.
The plan is a KfW70 standard house, with 140 m² (1507 sq ft) of living space
Near Ulm
Are there any homeowners who are satisfied with this heating system?
Who has had negative experiences?
Is the system sufficient on its own, or would a wood stove definitely be recommended as an addition?
Many questions, and thank you for your help.
5schwaben5 schrieb:
Hello,
for health reasons, I am not allowed to have underfloor heating in the house, and through a prefabricated house exhibition, we came across the comfort climate heating system, which works without underfloor heating and without visible radiators. We were initially very enthusiastic, but after reading all the posts here, I’m starting to have doubts.
The plan is a KfW70 house, with 140 m² (1507 sq ft) of living space
Near Ulm
Are there any homeowners who are satisfied with this heating system?
Who has had negative experiences?
Is the system sufficient on its own, or would a wood stove definitely be recommended as an additional source?
Many questions, and thank you for your support. The prefab house provider Bien-Z has been using this system for many years. It can’t be that bad then.
S
Sebastian7929 Jan 2016 22:59Well, it does get warm – but at a cost I wouldn’t be willing to pay.
5schwaben5 schrieb:
Hello,
due to health reasons I cannot have underfloor heating in the house, and we recently came across the comfort climate heating system at a prefabricated house exhibition, which works without underfloor heating and without pesky radiators. We were actually quite enthusiastic, but after reading all the posts here, I’m starting to have doubts.
We plan to build a KfW70 house with 140 m² (1507 sq ft) of living space
Near Ulm
Are there any homeowners who are enthusiastic about this heating system?
Who has had negative experiences?
Is the system sufficient, or would you definitely recommend an additional wood stove?
Lots of questions and thanks for your helpHello to my hometown!
You must have visited the exhibition in Friedrichsau, I guess.
First of all: In 2016, you can no longer build a KfW70 house because that standard no longer exists — you would have had to submit the building permit / planning permission by December 31, 2015.
The new energy-saving regulation (EnEV) house has values roughly +/- 5% comparable to the former KfW70 standard.
Many manufacturers of timber frame houses (“prefabricated houses”) now tend to mainly offer either the 100% standard house or KfW55. There are still KfW40 and KfW40-Plus options, but those get progressively more expensive, while the savings on heating costs are relatively small compared to the higher initial investment.
Regarding your choice of heating system: Let me get straight to the point — we also don’t have underfloor heating, my wife can’t tolerate it and I’m not a fan either. We have conventional radiators, which in a KfW70 house like ours are quite small. They can be installed in ways that don’t interfere too much, although some people may find their appearance bothersome.
Depending on the manufacturer you are considering: The energy-saving regulation / KfW certification is now primarily (not solely, this is a simplified explanation of complex factors) determined by the primary energy demand (Q_p) and the transmission heat loss (H_t). Simply put, you can combine a very well-insulated house with a heating system that has a comparatively high Q_p value (gas/oil). Or you can have the opposite: a house with worse insulation (higher H_t value) combined with a heating system that performs better in terms of Q_p. Heat pumps generally have a good Q_p value, especially as the primary energy factor for electricity has now dropped to only 1.8. The lowest Q_p value is usually found with wood pellet heating systems.
The heating system you mentioned is most likely an air-to-air heat pump. Whether this is an optimal system is debatable. I don’t think it is, but that doesn’t matter here. What you really need to pay attention to is the heating energy demand of your chosen house (per room). Then the manufacturer must precisely calculate whether the planned heating system—in this case, the air-to-air heat pump—can cover that demand effectively and economically (annual performance factor, investment costs). Ulm and the surrounding Alb region are at higher elevation and often experience longer cold, foggy, and damp weather. I would have alternatives calculated and thus determine the total cost of ownership.
In other words: The building envelope/shape/insulation of the house determines whether an air-to-air heat pump makes sense—not simply a KfW55, KfW40 label, etc.
A good manufacturer knows this and will advise you accordingly or run the necessary calculations.
Don’t buy anything unless it is 100% clear that the heating system matches the house. As I said, this can be clearly demonstrated mathematically using specialized software.
Best regards
Thorsten
Addendum: The question of the wood-burning stove does not arise. It is more of a comfort item and not suitable for heating the entire house. Usually, even a proper fireplace is not enough for that.
The problem is more that a heat pump without proper adjustment operates in an inefficient range and cannot adequately heat rooms, especially bathrooms, or only at high costs.
And regarding "ddusselig" above – that was my Apple device’s fault; I meant to write "dusselig" (silly).
The problem is more that a heat pump without proper adjustment operates in an inefficient range and cannot adequately heat rooms, especially bathrooms, or only at high costs.
And regarding "ddusselig" above – that was my Apple device’s fault; I meant to write "dusselig" (silly).
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