Gav_P Posted October 27, 2018 Share Posted October 27, 2018 Hi guys, Im getting fed up with waiting for my replacement GMC PCB - I’m dubious if the French company actually had it in stock as it’s been over a month since I ordered it. So I’ve been looking around at alternative HPs. Has as anyone had any experience/knowledge of the Cool Energy ASHPs that are being advertised a lot at the moment? Like this one: https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F112940697500 This seems to be their website: https://coolenergyshop.com/collections/all/air-source-heat-pump Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Harris Posted October 27, 2018 Share Posted October 27, 2018 Doesn't look as if they are inverter controlled, AFAICS, which is a bit of a downside. If I had to guess I'd say they were Chinese manufactured units that are being badged and sold as Cool Energy. Have a look on one or two Chinese sites, like Alibaba or Aliexpress and see if you can find a similar looking unit, as that will often be the giveaway that these are direct Chinese imports. Nothing wrong with that, except that the provision of spare parts may well be nigh on impossible in future. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triassic Posted October 27, 2018 Share Posted October 27, 2018 I looked these at a plumbing exibition a few weeks ago. As Jeremy said some of the range ain’t inverter controlled. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterW Posted October 27, 2018 Share Posted October 27, 2018 Pretty sure they are Chinese built units and will be as reliable as any other I expect. Compressors are Mitsubishi, the rest looks pretty standard and has a Wilo pump but as said by others, find out about spares ..! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gav_P Posted October 27, 2018 Author Share Posted October 27, 2018 (edited) Ah explains the price then. They way they word it leads you to think that they make them themselves. Could you explain in terms for a dummy what the different is between inverter controlled or not? And how you can tell? Edited October 27, 2018 by Gav_P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Harris Posted October 27, 2018 Share Posted October 27, 2018 8 minutes ago, Gav_P said: Ah explains the price then. They way they word it leads you to think that they make them themselves. Could you explain in terms for a dummy what the different is between inverter controlled or not? And how you can tell? Inverter control allows the heat pump compressor and fan to run at a speed that's proportional to the heating/cooling demand, very like the way a modulating boiler works. This means that it has a very much lower starting current, so no starting power surge, and much reduced defrost cycling, as the heat pump will rarely run at a high enough power output to ice up the evaporator. Generally, inverter controlled units are a fair bit more economical and are always a lot quieter, as they will spend much of their running time at a lower than maximum power output. Non-inverter controlled units are "all or nothing", so when on they run at maximum power, and cycle on and off in order to control output. The give away that this model is not inverter controlled (apart from it not being advertised as such) is that it has a direct online starter and associated starting capacitor to the left hand side of the electronics compartment. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gav_P Posted October 27, 2018 Author Share Posted October 27, 2018 @JSHarris ah I see. Thanks for the explanation. I think i’ll keep looking for another potential replacement to the Kingspan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Harris Posted October 27, 2018 Share Posted October 27, 2018 The Kingspan branded Carrier is a pretty good ASHP, so it's very well worth trying the get it going if you can. Carrier are the worlds biggest manufacturer of heat pumps, with over 100 years experience, so even if you need to spend a fair bit in order to get yours running I think it will be worth it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted October 27, 2018 Share Posted October 27, 2018 @Gav_P I am still waiting for my new board (2 to 3 weeks delivery) and the company seemed pucka, I can let you have the details of the supplier if you wish, or wait to see if mine arrives?. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gav_P Posted October 27, 2018 Author Share Posted October 27, 2018 @JSHarris ok thanks for the advice. I didn’t realised I’d stumbled on to a good unit. It is my preference to keep it, but was just planning for the worst... especially as spare parts aren’t widely available. I’m thinking of giving a go at fixing the PCB... I’m thinking that it can’t get any worse. @joe90 I’d appreciate the details of where you have ordered yours from. Do you mind saying how much it is costing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted October 27, 2018 Share Posted October 27, 2018 @Gav_P remind me of how yours failed? and what the symptoms are? I don't think it was as drastic as @joe90 one so might stand a better chance of repair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpmiller Posted October 27, 2018 Share Posted October 27, 2018 I must admit, I'm drawn to the ESP models and would likely go for a Varimax 4-12 if nothing more interesting cropped up between now and then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gav_P Posted October 27, 2018 Author Share Posted October 27, 2018 @ProDave well a bit embarrassing... I was wiring the ‘alarm unit’, which I unfortunately assumed was 0v. So with it live and connect in the HP end was pushing the cable through to the inside of the house and think I shorted the wires. So now I have no life on the GMC board LED. And the worse thing thing is that I now realise the alarm unit is a waste of time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted October 27, 2018 Share Posted October 27, 2018 I remember now. I feel optomistic that this one is likely repairable. If you don't get anywhere I am willing to give it a try, obviously with no guarantee of success. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gav_P Posted October 27, 2018 Author Share Posted October 27, 2018 @ProDave I agree with you that it’s probably only something simple... and if you feel you want to have a pop at it then I’m happy to let you try ? I have zero experience of electronics so I’m almost certain i’d make it worst and wouldn’t know how or what I’d done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gav_P Posted October 27, 2018 Author Share Posted October 27, 2018 47 minutes ago, dpmiller said: I must admit, I'm drawn to the ESP models and would likely go for a Varimax 4-12 if nothing more interesting cropped up between now and then. I’m not sure if the ESP is anything better than the Cool Energy... just by what was being discussed here: but I know nothing when it comes to ASHPs... except how to fry a board! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Harris Posted October 27, 2018 Share Posted October 27, 2018 ESP are another importer of Chinese made heat pumps, which isn't an issue if the price is right and anyone buying one accepts that there is a high probability of long term support being unreliable at best, and in all probability unavailable. Having said that, the people at ESP are honest and reasonably open, with the sole exception that they have been shown t be a bit deceptive about the products they have sold in the past. My specific gripe is that they advertised an active MVHR for a time and the manual they provided for it was actually a copied version of the Genvex Premium MVHR manual, even down to exact copies of the product illustrations, despite the fact that the product they were selling was a Chinese copy of the Genvex. My view remains that what they were doing was "passing off", in consumer law terms, albeit, perhaps, unintentionally. To give them credit, they no longer sell this product, I believe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted October 28, 2018 Share Posted October 28, 2018 @Gav_P company is Smith-Holland, Email = sales@smith-Europe.eu. Www.smith-Europe.eu. I paid €135.62 (mind, I have not received it yet, but am confident). As Jeremy says Carrier are a worldwide major manufacturer of these things and I would prefer theirs to a Chinese copy. Will update you when it arrive. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gav_P Posted October 28, 2018 Author Share Posted October 28, 2018 Thanks @joe90 , prodave has offered to take a look to see if it’s repairable. So I’ll wait and see how he gets on and how you get on when your new board arrives.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted October 28, 2018 Share Posted October 28, 2018 I am fortunate that @Nickfromwales suggested I put an immersion heater in my buffer tank so I am running my UFH from that, and it works very well but more costly than running an ASHP at the moment. Hope that @ProDave can mend your board, I might get him to look at mine as a spare or sell it on (to someone that cocked it up like I did?). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gav_P Posted October 28, 2018 Author Share Posted October 28, 2018 That’s 2 advantages you have with your system; the immersion, and the buffer tank. However, we’ve not had proper heating for 4 years so another couple of months is nothing!! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted October 28, 2018 Share Posted October 28, 2018 If I have success with the first board, I will gladly take a look at yours @joe90 but I fear yours may be more terminally damaged. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpmiller Posted October 28, 2018 Share Posted October 28, 2018 ^ great wee shop Stevensons. A veritable Tardis... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gav_P Posted October 28, 2018 Author Share Posted October 28, 2018 @Nickfromwales what a simple solution. Thanks!! Where in a system would you suggest to install it/them? Also, they appear to be 15mm, but my main loop (which has zones for UFH, rads and DHW) is 28mm. How do you isolate them when not in use etc. Should I zone it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted October 28, 2018 Share Posted October 28, 2018 (edited) @Nickfromwales said, @joe90 how warm is the place on just the one 3kW immersion? I take it you have to run it for a good while to get up to temp, eg no on / off-ability to speak of? i have set the immersion to a fairly low temp, 45’?. Yes a whole day to get the house to temp, TRV on the manifold not very accurate (yet to fit the accurate one Jeremy recommended and I bought), water in the manifold at 25’ and house up to 21’ ?, er indoors happy but i know the running cost will fall greatly once the ASHP is up and running (DHW also on immersions currently). Edited October 28, 2018 by joe90 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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