Roger440

In theory yes. In reality, almost zero possibility. My understanding is that you cannot take action against, for example a BCO signing something off that was non compliant, even knowingly. They are protected by law. If i can, i can get sueing!

We fitted UFH to a house that was otherwise radiators with an oil boiler. Ive found it to be very succesful. Better than i could have though. I installed it up to and including the manifold which has a stat and pump on it. Then i got someone competent to connect it to my existing system. The stat on the floor is set to 40c. The UFH is buried in the slab, 120mm thick from memory. Its been discussed on here before, but digging up and relaying will likely cost a good chunk. Whilst you will have heatloss if you dont, that few £k will buy an awful lot of energy. Worth running the numbers and looking at payback. Id guess at decades, rathen than single digits in years. Especially with an overlay system, which gives you a (small) thermal break from the concrete flloor.

Yes, it is fraud. But its an easy one to do with minimal risks or consequences. Even if you get caught. Human nature sadly. Which system were you using?

I know an actual test is supposed to be done. But out in the realworld. A friend of mine had direct experience of that. They guy had no intention of doing an air test, just had a look round and asked what number he wanted on the test sheet. He was, literally, forced, to conduct the actual test. Same with electrical stuff. Need a certificate. No problem, just pay up. Just need to ask the right people. Im guessing you could earn a ton of money just sitting at home writing certificates for jobs other people are doing. Well not guessing really, because thats exactly what goes on. The chances of any comeback are near enough zero. Bizzare on the sealing strips. Never seen that. All the ones ive seen, and used, required a butyl strip applying prior to assembly. Accepted thats no doubt a tiny fraction of those you have dealt with. I shall bear that in mind if/when i do something with my barn roof. If it was built to unheated standards, then surely they would never have used (expensive) composite panels?

The panels ive seen (and used), you have to apply the sealing strip. Ive never seen them prefitted. Its common knowledge you can get an air test for a house to say any number you like. No actual testing takes place. I guess the same occurs? As ive said before, once you have a licence to sign stuff off, you can do whatever you like, limited only by your personal ethics. No ones checking, and no one is enforcing. Its a complete free for all. Like the wild west! The buildings in question were brand new. Just finished. Had we taken them, we would have been the first tennants. Would have been nice to have a warmish warehouse. Sadly, it wasnt to be, and an unheated one was selected. Mainly because the cost difference was vast.

There is no space issue. I could add another 100 panels if needed. So, you are right, cheaper to add panels. They seem to go for circa £100 a go on ebay.

Yes, looking at that, id be lucky to gain 2 hours extra generation from tracking on solely the vertical axsis. Its a south facing site with no obstruction over about a 160 degree arc. Might still add up over time tough. The mechanical side is pretty easy. Just the control of it. I did consider a manual winding handle, but thats definitely to much faff!

Sorry, may not have been clear. My intention was as per JohnMo, vertical or close too. Depending what PVGIS tells me. That angle would be fixed, but they would rotate on the vertical axsis to track the sun.

How did i miss this thread? Anyway, whilst my 4.5kw array sits on a pallet, its somewhat acedemic, but my intention was always to optimise winter performance. Which leads to the obvious question, in order to improve further, could the panels rotate to track the sun. I see you can buy such a device commercially, but it seems bonkers money, though it adjusts in both planes. I was thinking more simple like a rod between each panel with a ball joint each end with a motor to drive all the panels in one go. Thats all easy enough. Its how you control the motor to move the panels to the appropiate angle thats the difficult part? hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Or is the improvement in production simply not worth the complication?

Im very aware change isnt going to happen. Apart from when a new minister has another whim, and knocks the subsidy on the head to funnel it to some other wheeze. Then the inevitable happens and all the installers disappear. Because, despite what you hope for, we all know thats what will actually happen.

Will be interesting to see if reality matchres the hype?

But helpfully excluded from any of the schemes.

Well of course they do. Its free money from government. Many of said companies are set up with that sole purpose, and will disappear the minute grants are switched off. Its not like there isnt any previous history with this sort of thing.................................................................. My facebook feed is flooded with such stuff, especially being in wales where the grants are up to £45k for rural properties. I checked a few of the companies at companies house. None were more than 2 years old. Doesnt take a degree in rocket science to work out whats going on.

This ^^^^^ The things people on this forum do to manage and optimize their ASHP are far far beyond what any normal people will do. Indeed, well beyond what a lot of installers will do. If, when people turn on the heating, heat doesnt occur, then as far as they are concerned its not working. Iceverges point about intermittently occupied houses is a very good point as well. If you have a pooly insulated house, and you only turn on your heating for a couple of hours in the morning, and again in the evening, then i could well see why a ASHP, even well specced and installed will either cost way more to get house comfortable during hours of occupation, or, operated like the gas system, then it will be rather cold as the heat wont arrive when its required.

Why would they? I know way more than most people about my house. The majority of the population dont know anything about wall construction. Its just a wall. And why should they know. They emply a professional in the belief that they will know. But how can they know the make up and efficency of a house in a 1 hour vist. Not realistic. Ive been here over a year and i keep finding things, mostly leak paths, that i didnt know about. Even now, if got cold outside air circulating under the back bedroom floor. How would an assesor know that? It has a BIG impact on the heating in that room.

I think you are completely over thinking this. Its a house. Unless the surveyor believes theres a structural defect, what you are proposing is just a paperwork excercise, with some exposing of work thrown in. All completely pointless. The house will remain the same regardless of the outcome. Nor is any buyer likely to agree. I certainly wouldnt. Normally, id suggest an indemnity policy. Buy it yourself if need be. Likely to be £2-300. Sadly, by contacting the coubcil about it, so you have now voided that option as the policy will specifically exclude you doing that. Sadly, you have also now removed the option to offer a future buyer said indemnity policy. As i said, if the survey says its OK, frankly, everything else is just noise. I doubt there are many houses around that have the ful suite of paperwork in place. Unless you acceot that, ill doubt you will ever buy a house. Sadly, solicitors have a job to do, but as Alan said, what it should be, is to advise you of the things you should ask for, but it is YOU that should decide. Sadly, they usually just frighten everyone with nonsensical requests. It was more than 20 years ago. Who cares!

Id agree with Dave. You need to wait and see what happens. On the basis of what you have shown, id expect to dry up pretty quick. But always a possibility its something else.

Doesnt matter how good you or i or anyone else thinks the idea is. We all know its not going to happen. So perhaps we should not go down thast rabbit hole and leave it to your other thread?

How wuill this make the installation better?

We are talking about retrofit, not new build. So how do you do that, on lets say, my house. Half is an 1850's stone built cottage (with, currently wet walls due to cement pointing) And a 1970's cavity wall extension. With some but not all insulated plasterboard tent with hurricane behind. And a flat roofed bit on the side which i dont even know the construction of. That had a EPC bordering on D with an actual performance of about L. I guarantee, even a really good assesor, isnt going to get this right in a short visit. Thats not realistic. But everything about the installation hinges on this assesment being correct.

So my point stands. No guarantee, all on the owner. Lets be realistic, on an old house of dubious or unknown construction, without very extensive work and some airflow testing, how can it ever be accurate. Id go as far as to suggest that majority of those heat loss calculations simply cannot be correct.

Ahh yes, i remember now. So not something that exsists nor is even likely to exsist, any more than the guarantee im looking for as a consumer.

We all know it csan be done. But frquently just isnt. The most recent one was just outside kidderminster. Wall had to be 10 meters high. Circa 100 meters long. They were slowly working their way along on an adhoc basis. Sometimes nothing would be done for a couple of weeks. But huge areras of wall with the wool fitted and no outer cladding, all exposed to the emements. And its been a touch wet. I cant see how wall of that size is going to dry out anytime soon once the outer skin is nailed on. The idea that you can built a 10,000 sqft warehousde with this method, and it not get wet is laughable. Its the UK. It rains. A lot. This year all the time. 2 years ago we needed to move warehouses. In the end we got something built in the 60's with just about zero insulation. But looked at few inc new build. Leakpaths? everywhere. Could see daylight past window frames, feel the breeze past the trims at the corners. Could see sunlight peeping through the wall to eaves trim. My gripe, same as always, is all these standards are utterly useless if what is built bears little relationship to the design. All those expensive composite panels, defeated by simply not joining the walls together. I wouldnt mind betteing there were no seals on the panel joints either. So buildings are being built where the stated performance and actual performance, and hence energy consumption are miles apart. Nobody cares or accepts responsibility. So long as the boxes are ticked, its all good to go. Think of all the composite panels that have been manufactured, with all the chemicals and emmisions that entails that are simply doing nothing due to poor workmanship. Bonkers.

Dont know, you tell me? Like the never ending discussions on HP installation that cost £15-20k. But people on here doing them themselves for £3k. The roof for the barn would be just shy of £50k inc VAT. 120mm composite steel panels. Fully installed as i cannot undertake that myself. It would be wonderful. Not going to happen. Ive done all the easy stuff on the house (and barn in fact) as i posted elsewhere. Theres no easy low cost stuff left to do. Its big invasive work now to make any gains. Even doing it myself its 10's of thousands for the house. If i was paying it would be eye watering. The workshop thing is probably for another thread, indeed i started one a good while back. As its a hobby, i dont want to be cold. Ive bgot a heated jacket, and as good as it is, its not the same thing. My fingers will still be freezing.

A radiator schedule is not a guarantee of being warm though is it? When you are not warm, someone pointing to a schedule is no help. How is the customer to know if the schedule and calcs are correct. They cant. Thats what professionals are supposed to be for.