ᐅ ETICS (External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems), blown-in insulation, copper water pipes, switch from oil to pellets
Created on: 16 Mar 2013 17:17
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Neubau2013N
Neubau201316 Mar 2013 17:17Hello everyone!
Last week we viewed a house that was offered to us for purchase. The asking price is very attractive for this property, especially since the location is absolutely perfect.
However, there are a few small questions that I would like to preface with some information. We spent about 2 hours viewing the house to get an initial impression. Here are the details:
250 m² (2690 sq ft) of living space,
Partial basement,
Approx. 13 m (43 ft) eaves length, 11 m (36 ft) gable width,
Year of construction (approx.) 1970,
36 cm (14 inch) masonry (estimated),
Double-layer masonry (partly plastered) — probably just an air gap,
Heating (oil) by Buderus (boiler from 1987, burner about 10 - 15 years old, according to the chimney sweep a thermal efficiency or similar rating of 6),
Oil tank 16000 liters (4200 gallons),
Windows about 10 years old (U-value 1.1),
Facade and roof in good / very good condition,
Previous owner always used professional companies (well-known and reliable firms), no DIY work,
We have friends in the neighborhood who have confirmed this,
The house is located in West Lower Saxony (in case this is relevant).
Now to my questions:
Was it already common in the 1970s, or could it be, that the water pipes were made of copper? Or did that come later? Copper lasts longer... or am I mistaken?
Can anyone make sense of this rating of 6 mentioned by the chimney sweep? What does this value indicate? The chimney sweep approved the heating system without any issues a few weeks ago.
I assume there is a 7 cm (3 inch) air gap in the double-layer masonry. Is it worthwhile to insulate this air gap with blown-in insulation? Or do I need a wider air gap to achieve an insulation effect that justifies the cost? Is there an approximate price per m² (just a rough estimate) for this type of blown-in insulation? (I would prefer to keep the facade, so I’d rather avoid adding an external thermal insulation composite system / ETICS.)
Is it generally worthwhile to switch from oil to alternatives (pellets)? There is storage space available. Many websites comparing costs do not show concrete numbers. Is heating cheaper with oil or pellets (based on consumption)? Could the existing boiler (if still usable) be converted into a combustion chamber for the pellet heating, or are the combustion chambers completely different? What rough costs should I expect for a pellet heating system (living space 250 m² (2690 sq ft), I cannot provide cubic meter figures at the moment)?
The brick chimney has 2 flues. Unfortunately, I did not pay attention during the viewing which flue the heating system is connected to. Is it allowed to connect a stove / fireplace on the heating flue in the ground floor (heat output 7 kW with a tall chimney connection)? Or is that generally prohibited?
So many questions... I was able to answer most myself, but I am reaching my limits here! I would be very grateful for any factual answers.
Best regards,
Neubau2013
Last week we viewed a house that was offered to us for purchase. The asking price is very attractive for this property, especially since the location is absolutely perfect.
However, there are a few small questions that I would like to preface with some information. We spent about 2 hours viewing the house to get an initial impression. Here are the details:
250 m² (2690 sq ft) of living space,
Partial basement,
Approx. 13 m (43 ft) eaves length, 11 m (36 ft) gable width,
Year of construction (approx.) 1970,
36 cm (14 inch) masonry (estimated),
Double-layer masonry (partly plastered) — probably just an air gap,
Heating (oil) by Buderus (boiler from 1987, burner about 10 - 15 years old, according to the chimney sweep a thermal efficiency or similar rating of 6),
Oil tank 16000 liters (4200 gallons),
Windows about 10 years old (U-value 1.1),
Facade and roof in good / very good condition,
Previous owner always used professional companies (well-known and reliable firms), no DIY work,
We have friends in the neighborhood who have confirmed this,
The house is located in West Lower Saxony (in case this is relevant).
Now to my questions:
Was it already common in the 1970s, or could it be, that the water pipes were made of copper? Or did that come later? Copper lasts longer... or am I mistaken?
Can anyone make sense of this rating of 6 mentioned by the chimney sweep? What does this value indicate? The chimney sweep approved the heating system without any issues a few weeks ago.
I assume there is a 7 cm (3 inch) air gap in the double-layer masonry. Is it worthwhile to insulate this air gap with blown-in insulation? Or do I need a wider air gap to achieve an insulation effect that justifies the cost? Is there an approximate price per m² (just a rough estimate) for this type of blown-in insulation? (I would prefer to keep the facade, so I’d rather avoid adding an external thermal insulation composite system / ETICS.)
Is it generally worthwhile to switch from oil to alternatives (pellets)? There is storage space available. Many websites comparing costs do not show concrete numbers. Is heating cheaper with oil or pellets (based on consumption)? Could the existing boiler (if still usable) be converted into a combustion chamber for the pellet heating, or are the combustion chambers completely different? What rough costs should I expect for a pellet heating system (living space 250 m² (2690 sq ft), I cannot provide cubic meter figures at the moment)?
The brick chimney has 2 flues. Unfortunately, I did not pay attention during the viewing which flue the heating system is connected to. Is it allowed to connect a stove / fireplace on the heating flue in the ground floor (heat output 7 kW with a tall chimney connection)? Or is that generally prohibited?
So many questions... I was able to answer most myself, but I am reaching my limits here! I would be very grateful for any factual answers.
Best regards,
Neubau2013
Neubau2013 schrieb:
Hello everyone!
Last week, we visited a house that was offered to us for purchase. The price is very attractive for this property, especially since the location is absolutely perfect.
However, there are a few small questions, which I would like to introduce with some preliminary information. We spent about 2 hours viewing the house to get an initial impression.
[...]
So many questions....I was able to answer most of them myself, but here I have reached my limits! I would be very grateful for any factual answers.You can ask all these questions to a building surveyor, who should definitely be present at the second viewing. They can answer them and know exactly where to look to verify the details.
You can find such surveyors online, some specializing in these types of inspections. A more affordable option is to check the local business directory and hire a surveyor nearby. Usually, engineering firms are a good place to start, as civil engineers often also act as building surveyors (and energy consultants). They are not expensive either; in my case, it was 2 hours at an hourly rate of about 100 euros. An absolute bargain compared to the purchase price and potential pitfalls!
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