HughF

The more I read up about the iVT-9, the more I'm impressed by that Carel pCO controller that's inside, seems like a very adaptable unit.

I'd suggest a slightly more premium tester if you have a lot of this to sort out (or in the future) - we use a lot of the cheap ones at work, that just count through the LEDs on each unit But they do show all 8 connections.

I take it you clipped the 'buffer temp' sensor onto the return line? Still not sure where to put mine, as I'm trying to run without a buffer or a LLH

So I’m binge ordering stuff when I spot a bargain so I’m ready to roll when we do start on the extension and new heating system. Just got the rads and the underground pipe to buy now.

You’d need some sort of hydraulic separation I would have thought, given that there are two manifolds in this job, each with pumps. Can’t have pumps in series with the ashp pump so you need some sort of separation, either a buffer or an llh. What I mean by internal optimisation was a controller that has some idea of the internal room temp, if one were to use the wall stats as hi-limit stats only and rely on the WC (which is the best way, obvs). Internal optimisation could/should figure the curves out for you. If it was me I’d just have hi-limit stats in the bedrooms and leave the rest of the system on an on/off switch 🤣 Let the WC sort the temps out. Any issue with the pipe spacing or loop lengths?

I’ll stuff a 13a plug on it and have a look… it’s sitting on my porch at the moment, at the house that doesn’t have mains electric, or central heating 🤣 Events of this summer (parents passed away, slightly unexpectedly) have put the brakes on my Somerset renovation until next spring.

Interesting, cheers... I suspect mine has this installed already as it's a 2021 manufactured unit.

I'm casually casting an eye over my builder/friends UFH plans for his barn conversion, he asked me for my input. Just thought I'd ask for some critique from the BH experience, if you could please. The plan is 16mm alpex/alpert stapled down to 150PIR, with 125mm conc covering. Heat generator will be an ASHP (not yet decided which one, but probably one that supports room temperature optimisation/adaption from the manufacturers controls). A buffer will almost certainly be required with this volume of pipe, I doubt the ASHP pump will handle pumping through this length and through two manifolds. My gut feeling is: Too many room stats, the rest looks good... Thoughts? 65108-00-P1-redact.pdf

Meanwhile, in Bournemouth.... *it's not difficult to cut the bricks with a 9" grinder - hardly a complex task. My mate who isn't even a brickie did this, half drunk...

ACOND are seriously expensive but nice looking r290 units... Personally, I spent my hard earned on a Cool Energy - easy to setup and install into a variety of different scenarios, has a modulating pump. About £3k, fit it yourself. What is the coil area in your hot water cylinder?

Had the first tank (what dad always called the anaerobic tank) pumped the other day, 1500 gallons out, 500 gallons left in there (the lorry was full). We added about 500 gallons of rainwater to agitate the crust and the sludge and we're left with a nicely liquid (mostly water) tank that's about half full, and that has started bubbling nicely. As it's filling up, nothing is yet passing through to the second tank. This second tank is a trickling filter, and is a similar size to the first tank, it's again block construction and is filled with coke. That discharges via land drain into our back field. I didn't get a chance to get a camera in the first tank, unfortunately. I have photos from the construction phase, but nothing from recent events. Slightly concerning is the fact that the outlet doesn't have a T piece of baffle to prevent excessive scum passing through the top of the tank from one end to the other. The design for the system came from a book and from plans that the council provided dad with in '74 so I guess it's 'OK'?

I’d just get on and do it yourself… trench to footpath, new pipe in, chop out the steel from the stop tap, for your mdpe, water back on… no need to inform anyone. That may or may not be how it’s done down in the south west…. I couldn’t possibly say. 😉

Ouch! That's a scary moment. My experience with toughened is that a small point impact will set it off (think automatic centre punch vs car side window) but I can't think of what else would set it off. I tend to always specify laminated and toughened for my sealed units now, (I know this isn't one) as it seems worth it for peace of mind. On the plus side, I'm sure a trip to Dorset Glass on the nuffield will have it sorted out.

Ouch….

Standard ashp - badge up a modified ac unit and charge a fortune for it 🤣

On most ashp units the outdoor air sensor is just clipped to the evaporator guard.

My numbers came out very similar….

Stelrad or myson - got it…. I’ll avoid kudox. Rad sizing is nearly finished and It’s looking like I can standardise on two sizes throughout, I’ll be in touch.

Not necessarily true John… upgrading the rads for dt20 could easily push the cop up towards 3.5 on most ASHPs. At that cop, you’d be looking a sizeable saving over an 80% efficient gas boiler. Couple in the removal of the standing charge of you don’t cook on gas and there are some good savings to be had. And yes, some people do have large heating bills. We use around 16500kWh of natural gas per 12 months, April-April. I’m sure you’re able to work out how much that will cost at the new rate. ‘Some’ pounds 🤦‍♂️

Compared to what alternative? If you’re talking gas boiler upgrades, It has long been known that you will never payback the installation cost in gas savings from a boiler upgrade, despite what anyone will tell you. You could call it ‘The great condensing boiler myth’…

Of course the installer will tell you it needs maintenance, they want you to call them back once a year and pay them handsomely for the privilege. 🤣

Power+ alarm:Power+ offline The Power+ is the inverter/vfd that drives the compressor. It’s connected to the main Carel pCO control PCB via rs485/modbus. This error would imply that the Power+ hasn’t powered on properly, so isn’t responding to commands from the pCO.

I know, but the slimline 150ltr offerings from world heat and McDonald weren’t a whole lot bigger.

The Freedom heatpumps toolkit gives a recovery time of 120 mins….. It’ll be fine. If it wasn’t big enough, vaillant wouldn’t sell it with a 1m2 coil. I don’t have a whole lot of options given my space constraints.

We’re upgrading from a 120ltr vented that we run at 55. I’ve already purchased the new cylinder, a vaillant slimline HP cylinder (the same as Glyn Hudson uses in his latest video). They were doing the rounds on eBay for £500 back in the summer. 1m2 coil. Pre-plumbed. we can only accommodate a slimline cylinder in the cupboard.