Susie

You mentioned regular visitors in you original post. Is that paid for guests if so are you claiming cost of electricity as a business expense. The pay back on a battery for us was calculated at 13 years so really not worth it, but we can use a lot of what we generate as we can send some to another business building, on the third phase. You might want to consider a 3 phase inverter that would allow the battery addition at a later date (add battery on solar side before inverter so as to limit losses) when they hopefully get cheaper. it also depends on your build time as the longer you take to finish the more you might be able to judge your usage and claim back the VAT of the battery just before sign off.

We have got our full planning permission but a condition is that we only demolish between October and February due to birds nesting (one robin, one sparrow) so you might get a condition on your pp but more likely I’m afraid is that you won’t get pp until after May when presumably you are having another visit and report.

You most likely do not have a faulty heater. I live in Cornwall our economy 7 hours are 12 to 1 and 2 to 8. All areas are different so check with your electric supplier. The storage heaters are timed to start charging up at 2 by 8 and I suspect a lot earlier they are fully charged up. By that I mean the storage bricks have soaked up as much heat as possible to be dispersed slowly throughout the day. The old beige ones had a flap at the top in the grill bit when you adjust the output it opens the flap a bit more for each number so 1 is a bit open and 10 fully open this allows the heat out quicker. Note it’s all mechanical at the end of the day if you don’t move dial back to 1 the flap is still open so at 5 o’clock as well as still charging if you didn’t close the flap it is also releasing all that stored heat back out. It took my mum a while to get this. for your parents get them to sit down and look through the grill near the top as you adjust the output and they will see the flap move. The new one will be similar in that by the last hour of your economy 7 hours it will be very hot and the heat will be released in timed periods depending on a schedule. It’s most likely still a flap but for example it will open at 8 for few hours then close, open again at 1 till 3 when it closes and opens again at 5 till 10. They can be programmed to release the heat very slowly all day or nothing till the evening. The old ones are most likely on their own circuit linked in to a time clock at the meter. We are on 3 phase and economy 7 getting the time on an old radio wave clock if your on the same you may hear a clunk as the circuits are switched on and off eg for me 12, 1, 2 and 8. If you have a smart meter you are definitely not on the old radio wave time signal. Im sorry you replaced one it was unlikely to be broken if they do break it’s the opposite not heating up at all. if I can help mor ask away and post a picture and we can try to help.

When you have sorted this out come back and do your introduction as it’s always nice to read others. especially if it sounds similar to me, Cornwall, old cow shed (knock down),ICF. 😀

I’ve hopefully got quotes coming in from ESP, joule and valiant. I will update on this.

I use goodnature brand A24 Automatic Rat- And Micetrap With Trap Counter, it also kills squirrels when placed higher but need to cover the gadget with the metal cover or they by pass it and eat the plastic to get at the bait. it’s instant death for them without poison, a small gas canister triggers a humane death. Not cheap but very effective and the gas canisters are relatively cheap to replace.

Thanks @HughFand @Nickfromwales I’m looking for DHW and space heating UFH with small wood burner for those really cold nights and they look nice. I do keep coming back to Willis just trying to explore all options. May be more PV to cover the cloudier days is the way to go. we would self install the PV (other half is electrician but been off the tools now for nearly 8 years) and we can probably use as much as we generate either in the home or divert to our home business in the barn, without exporting and MCS. I will keep researching.

@Jymmm Are you still happy another year on? Is it for DHW and space heating. I have been in talks with ESP and they are getting back to me but initial conversation is that it won't meet my 1.1kw requirements for space heating over 144 sq metres the long runs of UFH are what Harold at ESP was concerned about. Also that if I use all the water on long baths and showers it would take 5 hours to heat up again just on MVHR with no solar, in the evening, and would not be providing space heating during that time as DHW is its first call. Seems a bit strange, and even if he was right my UFH will cool down slowly, and for two people to use 300l of hot water is a bit excessive for a shower it was as if he didn't want to make the sale because he thought it didn't meet our requirements. Im not passive but close to, do you remember your heating requirements or U values?

I have tp link three m5 deco and two ax3000 covering an old stone barn conversion of three levels and two barns all Wi-Fi no cables brilliant mesh system. I can be out in the veg plot with full Wi-Fi which is 30m at least to main deco, using one in a barn to boost signal, also have cheap security camera on it. I was going to get outdoor type but these do the job for me sending signal from in house to in barn to in another barn. There are new Decos coming out soon.

@Gone West was EASHP a typo, a quick search finds EAHP

I will look into an EASHP thanks @Gone West . I’ve not got as far as choosing the MVHR, no quotes back yet so also left the spreadsheet at air changes per hour at .43 and MVHR efficiency at 85% so hopefully this can be improved. I’ve read about the extra coatings they can put on the ASHP @billt but still not convinced my outdoor investment is the best way I can spend my £ it’s the insides of all those ASHP further down the coast I’m thinking about the average life span of an ASHP in salty conditions can be as low as 7 years in which case my investment is better else where. Perhaps all those air BNB and second homes can afford the maintenance costs or they don’t know until it’s gone wrong and the installers don’t care as that’s more income when they go back to fix them for the part that is out of warranty. 🤔 im considering putting the UFH in but not connecting it up to anything until I know I need it, leaving room in the plant room for either a Willis heater or looking at the Sunamp system.

I haven’t totally crossed of a Heat pump but I’m only a few miles from the coast on top of a hill and in winter we can have sea mist come and go a lot. we get strong winds from 3 directions because we’re so exposed. I’m concerned how quickly a heat pump could deteriorate in the salty air.

That’s my problem @Radian@SteamyTeawhen they say something so stupid and he was talking minutes on and off because I questioned that. I was getting told no cylinder is set up for PV input and UFH output not that I shouldn’t do it for cost or any other reason just that it can’t be done except Gledhill.

I didn’t think this would be so hard but after speaking to Telford they said it doesn’t work they have no cylinder that can be run like this. Telford also said constant on/off is not good for immersion heaters, they wouldn’t last as long, and they said thermal stores are outdated, now better insulation is available for cylinders. He seemed to think I need a boiler or heat pump but I disagree. Im working on getting my U value for the new build low to avoid heating most of the year. Spoke to another supplier of UFH and cylinders who looked into it then rang back and also said it can’t be done Next I contacted Gledhill they suggested the Torrent stainless OV https://www.gledhill.net/products/alternative-energy/torrent-stainless-ov/ I also contacted cylinders2go who thought a cylinder with a heat exchanger would work and suggested I ask on the forum. Im sure a lot of users on the forum are doing something similar so why am I running into problems? Other alternatives are willis heater and Sunamp. I don't know much about Sunamp so more research needed. I have been using the fabric and ventilation heat loss calculator and the floor heat loss & UFH calculator. Here is my summary.

@Blooda 3 phase smart or just 3 phase?

Did you ever sort this out @joe90 did you change phone as well as network. I’m happy to pop round with my iPhone on O2 it works well for us 3G/4g and on Wi-Fi but EE was rubbish here, nearest mast to me is crimp cross.

outbuildings do count as does amenity land which is a vague description of in my case a field I can use for exercise or growing produce etc as opposed to general gardens. you are assed on internal useable sq feet so yes thickness of walls should be taken into account. Comparing with similar properties is useful but beware it is difficult for example a house with a large extension should only be reassessed when sold, not when the extension is completed hence why estate agents don’t all say the council tax band or put a caveat in the wording. some use full links below. https://www.gov.uk/challenge-council-tax-band https://www.n-kesteven.gov.uk/_resources/assets/attachment/full/0/4717.pdf

Thanks for all the help, I also found this thread useful, (Floor heat loss and UFH calculator) and I will be looking into loop cad at a later date. So far I have required underfloor heating power 10.5 W/m2 and required floor temperature 21.2 deg Thanks to everyone.

@Nickfromwales you said back in 2019 you installed Ivar mixing pumps, is it this one and do you still rate them, https://underfloorparts.co.uk/product/ivar-uni-mix-underfloor-heating-ufh-pump-mixing-kit-underfloor-heating-manifold-control-unimix/ Thanks

Thanks @JohnMo that's a low temp so I need to know this when looking at the thermal stores it might make the Willis system better its just a basic immersion on the UFH.

It could come down to cost on something we might not use @Conorand @Andehh were in the country so distance and narrow roads go against the cost of £5000 for screed or £3000 for DIY low profile UFH the extra can go towards better insulation/windows etc and so even less likely to need the UFH. I presume its also less digging out and less time. We probably won't fit the manifold till we know we need the UFH, Im from up north so Cornwall is already warmer.

I have used Jeremy's heat loss calc inputing all my U-values, area dimensions and OAT (Cornwall). Background The Build will be ICF, 144m2 internal, ground bearing slab with Celotex on top but no wet screed I'm looking at the fast to heat up dry board UFH systems. Solar PV will heat the DHW ,immersion thermal store, which will heat UFH. And economy 7 or willis heater are options. No air source heat pump, combination of the build being near my listed building and own choice that I don't want one. Wood burner stove for very cold winter months when PV struggles, own grown trees already cut and drying in storage more still growing. I'm home all day most days and quite happy to wear a jumper when a little cold. The quick to warm up systems advertise they can be at desired floor temp in 3 hours and room temp in another 2 hours can any body confirm this for a similar build? Example from one manufacturer is flow temp of 40deg, 50.8 W/m2 and floor temp of 24.9deg. Back to Jeremy's calc I how do I match my W and kWh to the best UFH

I worry that not all drivers would know where the front of the car finishes to avoid falling over the edge, driving straight over a bump or hitting a wall. Will all the drivers be aware how far forward they have to be to ensure rear of car is not still on pavement. A big plant to the side you line up with helps. Not a blob of paint or big arrow as not every one likes that past experience has taught me. I have driven many cars from Volvo V70 to BMW mini and now a Toyota landcruser but my my daughter is more suited to the Mini, her comments on the other cars have ranged from how much do I turn the steering wheel for corners to how do I know where the back end is (V70). I suggest looking at neighbours drives and if possible having a practice I’d hate to make so many changes to just have a new set of problems. I know it was mentioned earlier about changing the car, could you borrow a small automatic my daughter commented on how good it was not having that extra peddle, and why we didn’t tell her before how they had less peddles and so much easier. That would just leave the slippy cobbles.

Just got the same planning conditions, what did you do?

We have a saniflo that’s been good for over 20 years. Can be little noisy but only when you flush obviously. Ours is in a basement and all water needs to be pumped up to ground, can’t have it any other way because we’re listed. It does like being used, the rubbers dry out so motor can run on a bit when not used often, but sorts itself out eventually, also never use bleach. We also have to put soap in bath to remove bubbles as it hates them they really makes it mad and it goes on and on…