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Well we are on the way now and no going back. The groundworks guy started last week, he is putting in the road and hardstanding and will do the insulated foundation under my guidance and I will assist. It's a good relationship and he comes when its not raining and is well experienced in groundworks. He is actually building his own home just now too (we are similar ages). The night before he came on site...I was hurriedly arranging site insurance (horrific cost of over £2k - but it is for 24 months) that was sorted, then in the dark I went up and attached the cursory health and safety signs at the entrance. I also put a sign facing out into the surrounding fields (see pic below) as we have people who walk by and I haven't heras fenced the site hence if someone crosses the fence they should be aware there might be big holes in the ground. The digger came the next morning and we have nearly finished the access going in to the house, around 400 Tonne of 3" crusher run has got us up to the house location. Which is pretty damn close to what I calculated, we were put off my rain somewhat this week which suited us both as I was stowed with my normal job, I did have holidays booked but couldnt get off as I had too much on. However come Monday..I will be off for a week.... I 've been busy at night over thinking, over engineering and done far too much detailed planning around drainage and ducts. But I'm nearly ready. The Kore Insulated foundation system came in December....I can tell you how glad I was that i brought it in before Brexit. I'm hearing stories that it is completely problematic now. I was missing some EPS for a thermal break between man slab and integral garage but steven from Kore sorted it and should be here next week just in time. I'm spending my night tonight comparing prices of drainage which I'll bring on site on Tuesday. The groundworkers will be back Monday and we expect a big week full speed ahead, we will scrape the foundation out (the footprint top soil is removed) get it level, then fill with Type 1. Then surveyor here on Wednesday to set out profile boards with, I done all the ACAD drawings for him to place it all and do the ducts and drains and insulated foundation corners etc, He's also been really helpful and proactive. The final UFH design is done, I'll order the pipe on Wednesday too and they can get it next day, so that's fine. Next week is a big week and I'm excited...I've planned some bits to death, but in reality we will just see how it goes. Some pictures attached because that's what a blog is all about Jude was thoroughly enjoying the water and mud!....wish us luck! 20210115_154740.mp4

I have fitted my own ASHP with the help of a plumber (and buildhub) and it has cost me around £6000. I had quotes of £12/13000 and nearly choked on my porridge! My £6000 was for a brand new 9kw Panasonic Aquarea with HW cylinder and associated valve and pipework. I put my own heating pipes in the slab and kept it all one zone and it works great. It has taken me two/three weeks to understand how to run it and how it interacts with my house but now I am getting the hang of it ( thanks to @joe90, @jackand @ProDavefor giving me advice on their setups). My advice is do your homework and KISS like most have on here. Like Dave said treat it like a boiler and your plumber will have no reason not to be able to fit it. My Panasonoc came with a simple schematic to explain the setup and the controller is really easy to use. I am only up the road from you if you want to see my system.

Thanks. So, with a calculated heating requirement of 3603 BTU that's 1056 W. Looking at the fairly common Stelrad Elite radiator tables, the output of a 600mm W x 700H Type 22 is 1207 W. However, that assumes an average ((flow - return / 2)) radiator temperature of 70C. With only 40C you are derating the output by 0.304 thus giving 366W so it will indeed struggle to heat the room. Furthermore, your heat loss calculator may only have factored in heat loss through the materials and not air changes thus the heat requirement will be much more than stated. TL;DR: the radiator is undersized for such a low flow temperature.

@zoothorn can you not understand that after 56 pages no one is really the wiser about what the issue is ? We know your house is cold . Everyone is using educated guesses to attempt to understand WHY ! Draw a (expletive deleted)ing plan of your house . Put dimensions on . Draw the radiators in each room with dimensions. Take photos . ANYTHING to give evidence of what you have ! Personally I think this thread should be locked - because it’s a pointless joke . So much help offered ; yet all refuted.

Buy a wheel barrow and remove the skip. You can then set large heavy items across the bars and the wheel well take all the weight and be much easier to wheel across any terrain. I use this for moving 3*2 concrete flags, best method I have ever seen. When your finished doing this job at least you have a new barrow for all the other jobs.

Hmm... so despite us telling you it’s not installed correctly, and you defending the system and installers, you now admit it’s not installed correctly. The fact they didn’t insulate the pipes (a requirement of the Building Regulations it was installed under) says that it’s not correctly installed. @MJNewton you deserve a knighthood for your patience here ..!! @zoothorn , now assuming you no longer think I’m an idiot for my advice (although I think by rejoining I may be one) there are 4 copper pipes at the bottom of the internal unit. When the heating is running, the right pair will get warm, when hot water is running, the left pair will get warm. Connect a pair of thermostats to the right pair, click the heating on and wait 10 minutes and then read the values off. If the one you have doesn’t look like the bottom of this, then take a photo of it, and post it here. Just a picture of the pipes coming out, no essay, just a picture....

I don't understand what you mean, but it doesn't matter. Just accept the figures. Again we answer; no - the heat loss from the pipe is negligible (resulting in a degree or two over a fairly long length if that) and even that which does occur is still heat into the house.

No. I thought my suggestion was clear. I think part of the problem is we are making what we think are clear suggestions and you are simply not understanding them. I am trying to estblish if the reason the radiators are cool is because the heat pump is not set up properly, or because it is under powered and simply cannot cope. Knowing that might offer a way forward. So what I am suggesting is you go round and turn off the lockshield valves on all of the radiators except one. I suggest you leave the one in your cold bedroom as the only one left on. then leave the heating system on exactly as it was and let us know the flow and return temperatures on that one radiator that is still left on. Two outcomes. That radiator gets piping hot and your cold bedroom becomes warm. That would suggest the ASHP is set up correctly but is simply under sized and cannot cope with all the radiators. Other outcome is that one radiator that is left on is still only luke warm, which suggests the problem is settings within the ASHP as it damned well should be able to get one radiator piping hot.

Disguise it with a whiff of new carpet? Perhaps try brushing in cement dust. Isn't that what they use for oil spills on racing circuits? Desk fan pointed at the patch might speed up evaporation.

You make the room, put 2 smaller rads in, or accept it is going to be cold.

Are they, do we have that confirmed? Strap a sensor on the flow pipe and top of rad then post a pic for all to see would be good. Maybe not a bleed issue but for the SECONDS it takes to do, in light of the grief he's had/having, why wouldn't you try bleeding. It's central heating 101 tbh!

My guess is firrings and fixing works out cheaper than tapered insulation or tapered i-joists or similar.

FYI you can buy them, and i am sure a local sawmill could knock them up https://www.roofingsuperstore.co.uk/product/tapered-firring-for-flat-roofs.html

Stop going on about it, you were told in November about bleeding radiators and you replied to that person, so 2 months ago!!!!!

You can get single double or even triple rads or if you can't go out sideways floor to ceiling size. There is a multitude of different options available. The installer or who ever done the survey should have worked it all out. They measure your room length and width and height and work out rough heat loss calculations and get a figure. They then pick a rad that can produce more heat than your room can lose. Otherwise you end up with a cold room no matter how long the heading is on.

There you go again, making assumptions that are not correct, I think you are a “twit” and left it to others to decide what they want to call you. I have made no wild conclusions, it’s you that is asking fir advise on a subject that you know very little about and when generous people here that know far more than you try to help, you challenge them on every level.

Ze Tschermans dont knof vot a vobble is....

fill in as you feel appropriate!

I like to be helpful . So buy 5 of any of these and stick 1 in each room - problem solved !! https://www.argos.co.uk/sd/electric-heater/ < bows gracefully as the crowd clap >

We have a Bosch thats pretty stable but still moves a bit on our tiled floor. I'd use something to stop it falling off. Rather than build a platform just under the machine might be better to make a false floor over that whole area?

@zoothorn, @PeterW even went out of his way to contact Vaillant for the information he posted up regarding those diagrams, they did not want to give him access to their technical library and he told them that he was in a position to recommend to his architects their equipment but was unlikely too if they refused access to their technical site. You really are an ungrateful @@@@ .

One of these 3 then: https://catalog.international.geberit.com/en-ZA/products/CH3_100902/Systems/Installation-and-Flushing-Systems/Geberit-Duofix/Installation-elements/Elements-for-WCs?tab=products&name=&type=Sigma+12+cm&ppp=15

Ok - I bow to your expert opinion and deprecate my own, I apologise but stand by my point that this is surveyor and installer error. That’s bollocks. The surveyor and installer have installed a system not fit for purpose if the rads are incorrectly sized. So now you admit you knew they were wrong and there is a compromise - pointless me and @MJNewton continuing here as the kitchen and bathroom will never be hot if the rads are wrong. (Ergo, this is a system not fit for purpose to quote @joe90) We disagree on cause because you do not understand heating systems, and I and others do. And you’re not prepared to accept this, which I refer to my first point. Vaillant kit may make a noise they are trying to fix, but to give you a little analogy, with their kit and the undersized rads you are trying to break the land speed record in a fart powered go-cart. It doesn’t matter how much heat the system kicks out, if the rads are undersized then they will never heat the rooms. The reason it’s coming on overnight is because to heat the house with the rads that are too small, it needs to run for longer. That is basic laws of physics and thermodynamics which I am very sure you will also disagree with. The big issue - as usual - is we have been trying to fix a problem with half the information. And now it comes to light that kitchen and bathroom are not correctly sized, and you knew this from the installation ..??!! Would have been helpful to know, as I’m sure we could have just focused on getting your one bedroom rad to the correct heat because the rest is utterly pointless. I wish you luck fixing the unfixable. @MJNewton if you carry on with this I’ll speak to the palace and see if I can get that knighthood conferred to a Peerage...

I would cut the 4x2 down to the required height if you couldn’t live with just planting the 4x2 down straight into the existing floor. I would build the frame and then angle screws at a 45deg angle in the side of the new frame into the existing sub floor. belt and braces you could also pilot drill the 4x2 and use some decking screws through the top, down through the the 4” thick timber and into the floor. plenty of screws then into the new floor too.

190L at 55 degrees won't do a 5 person house. Who claimed that? Vailant themselves or some third party? You won't get much more than 55 degrees from an ASHP you either need over sized radiators to work with that or under floor heating. If it is an old house, make sure you really know how much heat you need, most disappointment seems to be when you need a lot more than you think and the chosen ASHP can't deliver it.

Insulation choice gets squeezed with thin joints, but as you say full fill i'm guessing you are going for fibreglass/wool? If so this will be OK. If you are thinking full fill PIR, this is a no go, as the boards are designed for traditional mortar joints, not thin joint.

There’s not much between both Face brick and Labour more than block and block Though the added render will take you to a similar cost As you say Block and Block is quicker to watertight And a week of decent weather will see off most 200-300 m2 jobs Monocouche render is easy to apply and problem and maintenance free As a render contractor I would advise you to get an experienced company to do the render not just the guy who’s going to skim the internal walls and go and have a look at there previous work

When there are going to be issues with red bleeding I tend to recommend these HV30 Aladdin Self Bleeding Automatic Radiator Valve 1/2" BSP Single Valve https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B019395RHY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fabc_jFQcGbVSGWHJH?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

I have one of these https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/cst6-heavy-duty-3-in-1-sack-truck/ Bought it 20 years ago when building the extension to a previous house. Had much uses since and still going strong. Not the best construction, but adequate and it has not broken yet.

No. But it depends how they are stored. Mostly they will not be in use. In the rain, unloved lying around on site they'll deterorate quickly. On a stillage out of the weather, squirt of WD 40 or silicone grease as you go past every now and then, and mine are fine. It's the inflatable tyres that fail quickest, so swop them for solid ones, or buy some of that squirty stuff that will re-flate them ('RunFlatFoam' ? sorry forgotten the trade name). I have an expensive French wheelbarrow that's outside all the time (covering our cement bags), its in perfect condition - apart from the axle , which is jammed solid. You can come and take it away for free any day you want. I loathe it. If only I took my own advice every now and then. ?

Thank you everyone for all the info While I fitted out the plumbing on ours With the exception of the boiler and commissioning which was done by a friend BM After reading all the above I feel confident that I will be able to install an ASHP system With Dave’s advise ringing in my ears Read the Bloody instructions ? Probably m ok re a man thing than a plumbing thing Great starting point Thanks again

Truth be told I have actually 'left' a couple of times now but keep coming back. I can't help but feel we've all spent so much time and effort on this - and it really has been very hard work at times - that it'd be good to see it through to completion. Closure perhaps.

+1 for inflatable tyres, also look to see if you can get one where the axle supports are reinforced and not just a bit of bent flat bar.

I have two sack trucks and the one with inflatable tyres is far better to use on uneven ground.

Didn't spot this line Zoot. Please show a little respect here. People are just offering suggestions - anything that might help you out - so don't complain about the order of advice given. There's no harm checking the basics have been done as with over 50(!) pages it's easy to lose track of what's been said. If you're not happy with our service ask for your money back.

This seems odd, a chimney pot isnt a big hole/funnel to collect so much rain water.

Personally, if the tops of the radiators are as hot as the flow pipe I wouldn't expect there to be an air/bleeding issue.

This all depends on the load weight and ground you are going over. the fold-up/doubles as a platform truck ones are great in a workshop od on a flat solid floor. In a garden you need something with large wheelbarrow type wheels - and go for a fully welded one. We have a few around work, one is a new cheap chinese thing and its brilliant, inflated tyres and fully welded, think it cost around £30

Sorry, no direct experience, but you can get something 'trade rated' from screwfix for not much more money, then at least you can take it back easily if the proverbial wheels fall off! I also knew a removal guy (man with a van) who bought his 2 sets from Aldi (not currently available I think) and they were great, so I don't think you have spend big to get a decent set.

@joe90 Basically, as ~45% of your usage is fixed load i.e. MVHR and Sewage Treatment, which cannot be time shifted, and your ASHP loads are small, peaking at 70% extra (in winter), and as you know, you don't have the heating on for long, there is nothing to be gained by swapping to E7 as you generally need to shift 80% of your load to the 7 hour window. E10, if you can get it (I can't) may offer a slight financial advantage, but it is pennies, not pounds. Really down to finding the overall cheapest price.

Awhile back i found this doc that has a lot of pricing data in but its horrible to extract. Perhaps start around page 125 and see. https://www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/internet/en/about-us/regulatory-information/documents/UKPN%20CCCMS%20-%20July%202018%20v1.0%20PXM%202018-06-27.pdf Looks like £2000 to £3400 for each new pole and length of cable between poles £1700 to go from pole to underground and first 10m of cable Trenching and cable. From £130/m in grass to £330/m in road

During my planning fight I did establish that the verge is part of the highway, historically it was the pavement, or old equivalent.

I might have to buy one and play with it.

doesn't sound like a great situation to be in. hopefully it all gets sorted soon for you. ?

Just before you do ... Insert a 2mm packer under the bottom edge of the pan - wrap it in cling film if possible and CT1 all round. Then pull the packer out when it’s all dry on Monday. This means you don’t squash all the CT1 out and also means if the pan connectors do leak you will get a tell tale line down the wall rather than it disappearing behind tiles etc.

For me the disappointing thing in the wish list is the air test number. I see SO MANY houses, even recent ones where you unscrew a socket from the wall and a howling icy cold gale comes out of the hole. It is my gut feeling that the best "bang for your buck" improvement would be force the builders to sort out the air tightness and install mvhr. The air tightness is not so much of a cost issue but an attention to detail issue.

I wish we just had a poll tax again. I fail to see what the price of an individuals property has. I think we forget what councils are really for, rubbish collecting and put in park benches.

The loss from flushing cold to hot through the supply pipes should be tiny. If you had, say, two 10m runs of 22mm pipe from the ASHP, then the volume would be around 0.6l, so changing that volume of water from 10°C when cooling to 50°C when heating hot water would use about 0.028 kWh, so with a heat pump COP of 3, the energy used would be around 0.00933 kWh and the cost at 15p/kWh for electricity would be about 0.14p. This ignores the fact that if the cooling was not running then the ASHP would still have to heat the water in these pipes from ambient temperature up to hot water temperature.

To bloody right @Dudda I'm going to have to put a good deal more mental energy into working out how this flat roof is going to be made to work. It's a nightmare (but not as much so as @Onoff's bathroom) Well at least nobody has accused me of overthinking this one.