JohnMo

I asked AI got this answer when asking about graphite embedded in EPS insulation Value is added because the "air space" required for graphite to reflect radiant heat is actually located inside the material itself, not as a separate external gap between the insulation and the concrete. 1. Internal Reflection Within Micro-Cells Graphite insulation, specifically Graphite EPS (GPS), is composed of individual closed-cell beads. Even when tightly embedded in or under concrete: The "Air Space" is Internal: Each bead contains millions of microscopic trapped air pockets. Infrared Mirroring: The graphite particles are infused into the walls of these tiny internal cells. As radiant heat attempts to travel through the board, it hits these graphite "mirrors" and is reflected back and forth hundreds of times within the cellular structure. No External Gap Needed: Because this reflection happens at a microscopic level inside the insulation board, the board can be in direct, "intimate" contact with concrete without losing its reflective benefits. 2. Physical and Efficiency Gains Even without an external air gap, graphite adds measurable value over standard white insulation in concrete applications:

Doubt in an UFH system. There is no space for radiation to occur.

Give them a wash over with diluted bleach, to kill the mould spours.

Really wouldn't to hung up on the UFH that has been installed, you will have ample output. Just follow some basic steps to commission it Set all flow meters at full flow. Start with a WC curve something like 20 flow at 15 outside and 30 at -3. Once you have the heating on leave to heat soak for 24 to 48 hrs. Any areas that are too warm, trim the flow rate down for the loops in those areas. If everywhere is too warm, trim back the WC curve at the cold outside end. If everywhere is too cool, add flow temp to cold outside end. Just a bit of a balancing act.

Gentle slopes instead of steps. Would expect you are inviting trouble with water ingress and damp issues not following normal practice. Or you do path at what ever level you want, say at dpc level, but on the house side you have a 150mm drop and an area filled with gravel to act as a soak away, to keep water away from dpc. There are plenty of ways not have ground level at dpc level.

your temperature swings look uncomfortable to me. I doubt the large swings in temperature save you much either. You may find it more comfortable setting the high temperature lower - say 19 to 20 and small set back to say 18, this will allow the fabric of the building to get warmer, heat pump have to work less hard. The work cycle will be a small increase in room temp and then tick away, rather than balls out switch it off, balls out repeat. I would try different things while monitoring outside and room temp, but also electric consumption.

Doesn't sound like it.

You are only allowed zero vat when working under planning permission. At sign off of a completion certificate (you are stating you are complete) thereafter you are no longer working under planning permission, as that has been closed. Fudging and using a no longer valid planning number is down to you, but not for me say it's right/wrong on an open forum.

Your more correct the guy is a kn0b and shouldn't be let through the door.

Once you have a completion certificate, until then you are still building. If you have a completion certificate by default you have said you are finished

If your checking the pressure of the expansion vessel, you need to depressurise it, otherwise you are just reading system pressure. Ideally it will have an isolation valve and bleed point at the expansion vessel to allow this test. Otherwise it's a pain. Overlapped post with @Nickfromwales

You don't really need to zone a fan coil, as you can program the fan coil, it will just modulate or switch off the fan as needed. If you add a zone valve, you start to drive your way towards a buffer. Better to leave the fan coil in circulation system all the time.

But it still takes no credit for MVHR so as pretty rubbish, for anything better than an air test score of 3, which then has MVHR.

Really wouldn't do it myself,dip hands into your pocket and pay for a professional service.

No experience but would make this comment, one part fails no heating, maybe no hot water or ventilation. Keep them separate. I'm moving towards, direct cylinder heat with off peak electricity, on separate controls from ASHP, so stand alone control (simple immersion timer) Simple ASHP install, just doing UFH and or fan coils on weather compensation. Separate MVHR, no heat or cool. All simple cheap to install, one bit fails, easy to replace.

You still have to careful your not just wasting £300, with sh!te in sh!te out. I would get UFH in, which I think is done, make provision for ducts for pipes and cables through wall. Seal them up until after air test. Get house air test done, get MVHR in and commissioned, then if going down MCS route go get the survey done. Without all that in place there is a good chance it will be treated as default values for ventilation heat loss. Or just don't bother MCS at all, spend £2500 on a suitable sized heat pump, buy a 200L direct cylinder - install. Power cable and communication cable to outside unit and two pipes to UFH manifold. Then claim VAT back as it's a new house. Little over £3k in materials claim around £600 vat back, so £2400 plus a little labour.

I found the driver for the led lights was the biggest thing. We did a 50mm service void in all ceilings. It's not just the light fittings it's also cables and driver. Also led lights need a good place to dump the little heat they make, so would suspect installing in insulation will result in a short life of the light.

I would be figuring out how to fix that. Get flow rate up, dT down and therefore required flow temp down and CoP up.

I would say have the wood away from the ground, I use hot dip galvanised metal plates concreted into the ground and built the structure from there. Build heavy duty, not lightweight, I have perimeter structure in doubled up 10x2, infill is all 6x2 on 400mm centres. It's super solid under foot I used composite boards.

Not really the tax payer is, they shouldn't be charging you that. They get approval for the grant before they start. Maybe because they are super expensive, before you add other stuff. Plus from the sounds of it, was doing the install via an umbrella scheme. Not a bad thing, but he's taking the piss charging up front, as the MCS umbrella company wouldn't be charging him.

Are you actually having to pay any thing for this ASHP install?

Hiaer R290 monobloc 4kW. Snip from the data book - even does 80 Deg flow if you ever needed it

Typical of someone looking at the numbers instead of how it feels. We have room sensors in each room, but they have no numbers to see. We sit very comfortable at 19 to 20. In fact I get complaints if it gets warmer especially at night in bed.

Couple of motivations. First just bought a hot tub, and want to heat by heat pump, so need a 6kW heat pump. Which I have and it's too big for our house, main due to poor modulation with output being about 4kW, again a heat demand of 3.5kW at -9. Due to cycling my overall SCoP is around 4. Even though when actually running the CoP is closer to 5 to 6. The new 4kW has a min modulation of 1kW at 12 degs, so will run continuously when needed, without any or very little cycling. Expect to see an uplift to a scop of 5. So a 20 to 25% reduction in the heating costs. Coming from less cycling and ability to run cooler flow temps, as a result of not having to compensate for cycling. Plus we need a heat source the hot tub, so a better heat pump for house covers both. Unexpected issues we have covered by log stove, power cuts have battery and if that runs flat, a generator, that can power whole house including heat pump. Have an immersion for DHW heating on really cold days, but heat pump can do 4kW at -10 at 36 degrees flow and we have a heat demand of about 3.5kW for the odd day at that level.

It is already by default as it asks for internal wall area and roof area, so is you have vaulted ceilings the roof area will be greater than a flat ceiling. Minimum flow temp is a product of running dT (difference in flow and return temperature) and compressor restart hysterisis. So mild day let's say floor temp is pretty close to room temp at 20-21 degs. So if you are heat soaked the whole floor is at 21 degs minimum. When running ASHP lets say you had it set to run dT of 4. Flow at say 25 return 21. So mean flow temp of 23 degs. Your pipes in the floor will radiate heat outwards while they are hotter than the screed. The further the energy moves from the pipe edge, the lower the temperature gets. So if the pipe starts 25 degs by the time the gets to floor surface it may be 22 degs, the further water travels along the pipe the more energy it gives up to the floor. So once at the end of the pipe, it will 21 degs, starting at 25 degs (this why UFH is rated a mean flow temp, because it's the average temperature). Then you have restart hysterisis, it normally set dT plus a temperature margin to stop fast restarts so say it's 5 or 6 degs with your dT 4. So now your return temp reads to drop to 20 or 19 degs before the compressor will restart. Which could takes days - so we have an issue. The issue being you get one cycle and then the compressor in the ASHP doesn't get a permission to start The work around is we reduce dT and reduce reset hysterisis. To some thing like 3 and 4.5 degs. So it's unlikely you will get a flow temp lower than 25 and in a low energy house you can make it work. Your WC curve will be pretty flat as well, maybe raising temp 4 to 5 degs by the time you get to -3. The heat pump I referenced, I have just bought one (4kW) to replace my 6kW one which doesn't modulate well at all. Will need a gap in the cold weather to get it installed. The 6kW will be repurposed as heater for a hot tub. I am doing the simple install, UFH only in heat and cool mode. Doing DHW via immersion during peak. So parts list gets super simple. UFH and manifold, couple of ball valves for manifold isolation, 2x anti freeze valves, strainer/ball valve at ASHP (required for warranty) plus an isolation valve on flow out from heat pump. Fill system with inhibited (corrosion and biocide inhibitors - not antifreeze or glycol). Expansion vessel and relief valves are in monobloc. A direct cylinder (half the price of a heat pump cylinder). I paid £2500 including vat for Hiaer monobloc, you can claim the vat back on a new build.