Temp

https://www.pv-magazine.com/2023/01/02/residential-thermo-acoustic-heat-pump-produces-water-up-to-80-c/ French startup unveils new residential thermo-acoustic heat pump French startup Equium has developed a heat pump core that works on acoustic waves and produces hot and cold air. Equium manufactures the core and works with another company that integrates it into heat pump systems. The units are scalable from 1 kW to 3 kW and are designed for residential applications. The novel heat pump can purportedly reach higher temperatures than existing heat pumps, without the need for refrigerants. It works with a high-fidelity (Hi-Fi) speaker powered by electricity that creates an acoustic wave in a closed-pressure vessel filled with helium. The acoustic wave causes the gas to compress or expand, displacing heat from a lower temperature to a higher temperature, or vice versa. The heat pump core is filled with water, which absorbs or releases that heat. “The acoustic wave does the work of compression and expansion of the gas that produces heat or cold, respectively,” Philippe Loyer, a product manager at Equium, told pv magazine. Loyer said the heat pump can generate domestic water at up to 80 C. He claims that one of the key benefits of the acoustic heat pump, in comparison with traditional units using refrigerants, is its ability to reach very high or low temperatures. “Traditional heat pumps use refrigerants with a temperature phase. They a have temperature limit, which is the temperature of the changing phase from liquid to gas of the refrigerant,” said Loyer. “In our core, the helium stays in gas form. Because helium remains a gas until -300 C, we can achieve higher temperatures inside our heat pump core.” The heat pump purportedly works with all external heat sources, including air sources from -15 C to 50 C. Given that its core is filled with water, it works best as a water-source and geothermal heat pump. To be used as an air-source heat pump, the unit can be equipped with a fan that transfers the heat from the air to the water, according to Loyer. The heat pump has a coefficient of performance (COP) of three to four, which means that it produces 3 kW to 4 kW of heat for each kilowatt of power it consumes. Equium is targeting 8 kW to 10 kW of thermal power for its heat pump core, Loyer said. It has a 30-year lifetime, with an easy installation process. The acoustic heat pump also offers better modulation than traditional units. “We have the same efficiency as traditional heat pumps, but we have better modulation thanks to acoustic transfer,” said Loyer. Traditional fixed-output units cycle between on and off multiple times a day, switching between zero and maximum capacity to achieve the right temperature balance. But the new heat pump modulates its output to continuously provide the desired temperature. “The output regulation of a classical heat pump is very energy consuming. On our acoustic system, the regulation is very easy,” Loyer explained. “If you want less power, you can just decrease the volume of the Hi-Fi speaker, to 10 decibels (dB), 20 dB, or 30 dB for example.” Equium claims that the heat pump system is completely silent, despite the use of a speaker to generate the acoustic wave. The level of noise is reportedly lower than 30 dB – the equivalent of a whisper. “The sound our system produces stays confined inside the core, so you cannot hear it from outside,” said Loyer. Equium is now conducting field tests for its thermos-acoustic heat pump. It expects to launch it in the second half of 2023.

It wasn't built. The Home Secretary called it in and said the impact on a nearby village would be too great.

No this was another one.

My Aunt died about a year ago and the executors are still dealing with the estate which includes selling the flat. I believe they have been given an exemption until the flat is sold.

Perhaps not if the previous owner died?

I like Fusion 360 and they still have a decent free personal license.

We have Fiesta and SMax. I used Forescan software to add cruise control to the Fiesta but while doing that I noticed there appears to be an option to set the mileometer! Although I've not tested it for obvious reasons. If it works it would appear possible to buy a new Fiesta, never get it serviced and after say 2 years 11 months wind back the clock and send it for its first MOT. So a three year old car with just 17k on the clock could have done 50k or more with no or perhaps just one service and it would all look in order on paper.

Normally the background is averaged over a long period. I would suggest a week minimum. For bigger developments a month or more. I was involved with a wind farm planning application and they had monitors at about a dozen sites around the area for a few months. Indeed. Not all of the home owners that volunteered to have noise meters were made aware that the should notify the company when there were unusual noisy activities such as temporary building work or crop harvesting next door. One owner was told by the consultant collecting the data that it was very quiet when the wind was blowing from the north or west. The company chose to dispense with that companies services when it came to the appeal, meaning residents couldn't challenge the expert on that statement. The expert just said it wasn't something he had looked at. Residents asked repeatedly for the noise data but the company delayed providing it until it was close to the appeal. This despite statements by the government they should do do. Residents couldn't afford their own noise expert to process the data anyway.

If your house wall isn't going to be the retaining wall then you will also need to build a seperate retaining wall on your side of the boundary. I suspect you might need to leave a bit more than 1m for that. I think I would approach the owner next door and ask if you can help him out by excavating part of his land as well so you don't need to build a retaining wall.

You are obviously only liable from date of purchase. When did you take the roof off? I would offer to pay 300% from date of purchase to date roof was removed and it became uninhabitable. LESS the £300 pcm from the date it became uninhabitable. But first check with the rate is for an uninhabitable property and the definition of that.

Does the existing house have Permitted Development Rights? If so you could probably build it first under PD before implementing the PP you have been granted. However you should take advice from a planning consultant. Ask him to confirm that building a summer house now under PD would still allow the granted PP to be implemented. He might say go for it or suggest getting it all confirmed by submitting an application for a Certificate of lawfulness before you commit.

They have to give reasons... https://www.planningportal.co.uk/planning/planning-applications/the-decision-making-process/what-to-do-if-your-application-is-refused-or-delayed It will be on the decision letter.

According to this they only went into liquidation on or around the 20th October. That was when the board resolved to appoint liquidators. https://www.checkfree.co.uk/Company/02771581/FLIGHT-TIMBER-PRODUCTS-LIMITED/Company-Details/ Scroll down to the pdf documents filed.

I would work out which way the wires go in the ceiling and/or how much slack cable there is, and which way the joists run. If you get lucky making a hole 20cm to the left and moving the wires might be easy There are vids on YouTube about repairing plaster board.

In that case perhaps you can appeal that the condition doesn't meet the 6 tests in the NPPF. Necessary, reasonable etc It might be worth telling the planners you could install one under deemed consent and see if they will amend the condition to the 42db test in MCS020 to avoid the cost of an appeal.

https://www.drplumbingandheating.co.uk/how-noisy-is-an-oil-boiler/ To get below 25dB with a Q of 4 (Ground and a wall like most oil boilers are installed) the assessment point would have to be around 15 meters away.

In which case I think you will have to appeal the condition. I think I would argue that its unreasonable because existing properties are only subject to the 42dB Permitted Development limit in MCS020 where as you are required to meet an unachievable 25dB. Perhaps also point out it means its unlikely that heat pumps could be installed on any new property in large areas of the district contrary to... and cite any low carbon neutral policies they have. Do the sums for a gas or oil boiler. Could they meet the 25dB condition? Can you find any recent developments that have installed heat pumps without this condition? Expect them to argue 10dB under is a common planning condition. Google found this from one Authority. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://images.reading.gov.uk/2019/12/EC024_Note_on_EN17_Noise_Requirements.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwj1_Prv0Z_8AhXagVwKHS06C14QFnoECBEQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2BS5fHNtPmmQBiZ5g54u1k Probably worth considering a planning consultant that has noise experience?

The MCS says you must assume background is 40dB at the assessment point and that your ASHP mustn't increase that to more than 42dB. However because of the way you add dB that means the heat pump can't be more 40dB minus 2 or 3db. Eg it must be below background. Say 37.5dB at the assessment point. Following the MCS calculation process it would go something like.. Step 8: 40-37.5=2.5dB Step 9: Look up 2.5dB in the table 7 on page 22 and it says you need to add 2dB to the background. 40+2=42dB Step 10: Compare the result (42dB) with the limit of 42dB. Its just OK. Therefore 37.5dB is just OK. I might be a dB or so out as I haven't checked how you are meant to round up/down in Step 9.

My son is studying acoustics and is on his industrial placement year. He tells me this 10dB below background is more common in London and other cities where background noise levels are higher than the 40dB assumed for the MCS calculation. This could be easier to meet if background noise levels are indeed higher. Edit: I think you will need to measure background noise levels. Perhaps try a mobile phone app first. Depending on how marginal it is then perhaps rent or buy a sound level meter to do a more accurate check. Cheap and nasty ones on Amazon are £20 but only accurate to +/- 3.5dB. TLC have one at <£50 which is +/- 1.5db. HSS website says they have them to rent. This would give you an idea if its remotely possible to meet the condition. If its really marginal you will need to employ a consultant because its critical to your planning permission. That condition could be enforced if a neighbour complains a some point after construction.

Glad to hear it's sorted.

I tack glued it into an L shape of MDF strips to stop it rotating as I ran it through the table saw. You can buy 1m lengths of the 76mm "dowel" for £41 but I went for a 500mm length at about £24 and used all four quarters. Wasn't as hard as I expected. Cist breakdown.. Basin was around £240 Cabinet cost me.. 1.5 sheets of 18mm water resist mdf. £70 ish 1 sheet of 9mm ditto £30 ish A 76mm/3" diameter cylinder of Tulipwood from here.. £25 https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tulipwood-Dowels-350mm-500mm-1m-lengths-various-diameters/324138601208?var=513190789483&pageci=40a9fb04-ce16-4b9c-8b6d-97f49b4bff70&redirect=mobile Pair of Blum hinges £15 Tin of Zinsser £17 Tin of Rustoleum £25 Knobs - pack of 8 different £15 https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B078XH7NFF?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details Total for cabinet around £210. Overall about £450. Quite a few hours. Not exactly sure as I didn't count them and they were spread over about two months of odd days here and there. If I had to make one in a hurry probably a weeks work but I'm slow and listen to the Archers! I'm just a DIYer working in a shed way too small to cut 8*4 sheets. Had them cut in quarters by Huntingdon Timber so they fit in the S-Max.

That's exactly why I made it 🙂

Normally the cold side of the insulation has to be ventilated to the outside. Is there any membrane under the tiles and if so is it an old bitumen like material or a modern vapour permeable membrane? Any writing on it? If its not a vapour permeable type there should be a 50mm ventilated cavity between the membrane and the insulation. Each rafter bay ventilated at eaves and ridge If it is vapour permeable you can get away with a 25mm non-ventilated void. Some void is normally needed to stop the membrane being trapped between insulation and tile batten. If the insulation presses the membrane to the underside of the battens it can prevent water running down the membrane. Instead it can pool above the batten causing the battens to rot. On the inside of the insulation it would be wise to fit a plastic vapour barrier then plasterboard. You don't need a void unless you want one for pipes or wires.

Used the recharge time calculator here.. https://myboiler.com/calculators/hot-water-recovery-time-calculator/ 30kW boiler, 250L tank. Time to raise temperature from 35 to 60C worked out at 15 mins which isnt too bad.

Think most are just a strip of plastic another block that slides on it. Crude but effective. Ours has been working for so long I'd almost forgotten it was there until you mentioned it.