ᐅ Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) to Natural Gas Conversion or Direct Heat Pump Installation? Experiences

Hello everyone,

I have a challenge for which I would really appreciate your opinions or feedback.

Current situation:

• There is an existing house, 2.5 stories, approximately 150m² (1,615 sq ft) of living space.
• Currently running on liquid propane gas, with a tank located in the garden. The new heating system (Viessmann) is about 2 years old.

Planned work (financing is secured):

• Temporary relocation of the gas tank on the property (because an extension will be built exactly there)
• Construction of the extension (heat pump), starting in the coming weeks
• In about 6 months, natural gas will be available locally, then switch to natural gas and removal of the propane tank
• A photovoltaic system covering around 40m² (430 sq ft) of flat roof is planned.

However, given the current situation, it is now very questionable whether switching to natural gas (as planned a year ago) makes sense.

An alternative could be:

• Relocate the propane tank on the property
• New construction as planned
• Convert the existing house to a heat pump as soon as possible
• Remove the propane tank
• Cancel the natural gas connection

This option would incur additional costs of around 20,000 euros.

From your perspective, is this now reasonable (considering the heating system is only about 2 years old), or would you continue using natural gas for a while longer? (We don’t really want to; my main concern here is the financial aspect — I am aware that natural gas is not ideal politically or ecologically.)

Thank you very much for your input!

Best regards,
Rüdiger

Once you seem to have a clear understanding of both ecology and economics, there is probably little more to add.

Maybe one more point: I would consider the price and supply situation of gas to be too uncertain. Just this week there were reports of an LNG terminal in the USA exploding, production volumes via Nord Stream 1 being drastically reduced, and Gazprom receiving a non-repayable loan from KfW.

Therefore, I would personally prefer to accept financial uncertainties in order to establish a more stable future setup. A heat pump and photovoltaic system are certainly not a bad idea. Even if it ultimately breaks even financially (which I doubt due to chimney sweeping, maintenance, and basic gas fees), you will have done something for the next generation.

I also see the planned extension as an opportunity to improve the whole house. If insulation and rendering are going to be done anyway, you might as well extend the façade a little beyond the extension. If underfloor heating is being installed, perhaps it would also be possible to connect some existing walls or ceilings to the system. At least, that is the approach I would take.

ruediger42 schrieb:

This solution involves additional costs of around 20,000 euros.

If you can get that approved at this price, go for it. The switch to a heat pump is being encouraged anyway, so it's better to plan it than to do it unexpectedly.

However, keep in mind that heat pumps require a significantly lower supply temperature to operate efficiently. That should also be taken into account.

I would stick with the liquefied gas tank and the heating system that is only 2 years old. You are moving the tank anyway, and the heating system is almost new. In 2 to 3 years, you can see how everything develops and then reconsider. But disposing of a functioning 2-year-old heating system does not make sense to me.

This is basically a good idea – but it depends on the cost of reinstalling and rewiring.

I had a similar case: I knew I would reconnect an old but functioning solar thermal system to the new heating system. However, rerouting the pipes, refilling, and installing a larger storage tank ended up costing 2,500 euros. I generate hot water for 15 cents per day. Now you can do the math...

Deliverer schrieb:

That is basically a good idea, but it depends on the cost of reinstalling and rewiring.

I had a similar situation: I knew I wanted to reconnect an old but still functional solar thermal system to the new heating system. However, rerouting the pipes, refilling, and installing a larger tank ended up costing €2500. I only spend about 15 cents a day on hot water. You can do the math...

But the tank definitely needs to be moved first. It apparently will also be needed during the extension phase.