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Yeah, hot water tank recharge is scheduled once per 24hrs, from 1am (when the 5p/kWh period begins and outdoor temps haven’t dropped too much).
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if I want to replace an existing kitchen extractor fan (which vents to the outside) with a heat recovery ventilation / extractor fan, is there a recommended unit?
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How airtight is your house? If anything other than ‘quite’, then dMVHR (decentralised) prob not the one. Look at dMEV instead (continuous extractor which auto-boosts based on humidity levels).
In either scenario, if you’re looking to switch from a vented extractor to a recirculating one, make sure you don’t cheap out on it. Budget recirculating extractors are loud and ineffective. Also factor in carbon filter replacement costs, and the effort of cleaning the grease filters regularly.
We have a mid-range Miele extractor (bought new-in-box on eBay for £300) in recirculating mode, with cheap third-party carbon filters. It’s very quiet, and very effective. I fitted a silencer/attenuator to it, and it’s even more unobtrusive and refined now.
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thanks both. I would rate air tightness at 1/10. I’m just trying to get rid of the current extractor which is basically an open hole to the outside, like having a window open. while maintaining ability to extract smoke, food smells etc while cooking. maybe this isn’t the solution. I’ll do some more digging
since I posted before in this thread, we pulled out the fridge and found a massive hole behind which was letting very cold air into the space (again akin to having a window ajar 24/7). we’ve since sealed that up and that’s gone a significant way to eliminating the thermal discomfort issues we were having due to feeling drafts permanently
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It’s a 300mm attenuator that I bought from a hydroponic jazz cabbage shop. Reduces the already-quiet Miele extractor to a totally inoffensive background whoosh.
I’ve also got a load of sound deadening foam to line the inside of the ply cabinet with, when I can find the time…
We have the extractor on whenever the hob/oven/toaster are on, so quiet running is essential. Well worth it. MUCH quieter than any downdraft hob I’ve ever experienced.
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Tomato Energy update: just got our first bill for December, came to an average of 16p/kWh for all electricity used (all electric house, no gas). This is with no real attempt at load shifting, no battery or solar.
So around a third cheaper than a standard tariff, with zero effort required. No evening peak, no mad expensive days when the wind doesn't blow.
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Finally making a dent in project "please make the house warm". Our upstairs rooms are all rooms in roof, I've spent the past few months installing 100mm PIR in studs then topped with 50mm PIR and fully sealed. I've done one side of the house while also internally insulating the sloping ceilings with 62.5mm insulated plasterboard and 50mm hemp in between rafters above the ceilings (which allows for 100mm airflow).
Has been hovering around 0 degrees the last few days and its definitely taking the edge off, but the heating system is fucked so we're not really able to get the temp up to comfortable.
Counting down to Jan 20th when the ASHP gets installed. And counting down the months to when I never go into the eaves again.
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@ectoplasmosis - making the switch to Tomato at start of Feb. On their "Lifestyle Tariff" with costs at:
1:00AM – 6:00AM = 5.004p/KW
9:30AM – 11:30AM = 13.374p/KW
8:30PM – 10:30PM = 13.374p/KW
Remaining hours of the day = 22.15p/KW
Daily Charge = 40.82p/dayWith an ASHP being installed our electricity will obvs increase. But we're paying loads for Gas/Elec at peak hours with Octopus (yesterday combined Gas and Elec was ~£20 and this is with me constantly turning the heating off, much to my wife's frustration) and also have an oil tank we've needed to top up every quarter.
Interested to see costs over the next few months!
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Both me and my wife working from home. Scotland being sub zero for most of this week. Wife feels the cold alot. Kids room is cold (working on that right now!). Just means we have the heating on for easily 8-10 hours of the day plus usual electric usage which isn't loads, but adds up. The crazy thing is the gas only heats half the house as the other half runs of oil!!! So its, more than £20 in reality right now.
I realise its a slightly unique moment due to how cold things are here, but still.
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Fackinell, £20!!
Just to soothe you, our ~145sqm half-insulated solid brick house needed 29kWh of electric to run the heat pump yesterday, average outdoor temp of 1 degC, entire house at 21 degC 24 hours a day (heating is always on). Cost for this, including full 250L tank of hot water, was £4.60 on Tomato Lifestyle.
Who's installing your ASHP, and which one are you getting?
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We're just outside of Glasgow. We have a local firm called 1314 Renewables who get very good rating round here and they seem to really know their stuff. We're getting a 12kw Vaillant Arotherm plus, full re-pipe and all new rads, water tank etc
If we managed to be getting what you are for ~£5 I'd be over the moon. Our place does need to be better insulated, but, we've put in double glazing (with 2 more windows to be done at triple), new doors, rooms in roof insulated as above, underfloor insulation and cavity wall insulation. The heating system is all over the shop and even spending £20 a day at the moment isn't getting most rooms above 16deg which is driving my wife insane.
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It does seem completely unsustainable, but I'm just gonna ride it out and move back to Octopus if/when they evaporate.
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That's tough. Our heating is via a wood boiler, wood is free but I have to cut and collect it - which I moan about the time it takes. But given we have heating on permanently in winter it's ok, nighttime is generally -5c and daytime 10c, but with sun some days .
We have a heat pump planned, a big vaillant too, it will be interesting to see the electric use on it. -
That’s pretty good considering you have solid walls!
our 80sqm 2 bed flat costs £160 PM for gas and electricity in a very cold month with most of the rooms at 21º-22º 8am-12pm and the bath full to the brim with piping hot water that’s too hot for me but not my partner.
We are both home most days, what can make a difference is the sun coming out even if it’s freezing outside that can warm the lounge up to 23º+ and mean the boiler isn’t firing up until late afternoon.
Have found an issue with some cold bridging on a concrete pillar that’s part of the external wall in a wardrobe that’s rammed full and not been opened, there’s been some condensation and a bit of mould on the clothes squeezed up against the uninsulated wall/pillar, i have some insulated plasterboard left over so i’ll do that section in the summer. there’s a concrete pillar in some room corners which i always knew would be a cold bridge after insulating the walls but it’s this one with no airflow in the cupboard that’s caused problems.
the flat is usually around 45-55% humidity and doesn’t get above 60% when washing is hanging up but a small Maeco de-humidifier might be on order. -
Sounds like your place is already much more insulated than ours!
Glad you're getting a Vaillant, they have very effective control logic, meaning even though your 12kW will probably be oversized (the vast majority of heat pump installs are), it doesn't matter so much as it won't egregiously cycle on/off unlike most other brands, and bigger heat pumps achieve higher efficiency when heat demand is high in deep winter.
Make sure you ask whether your installer is planning to fit a buffer vessel or not; they reduce efficiency by a fair whack. Best practice is no buffer, no zoning or thermostats, entire house run as a single zone using weather compensation.
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Keeping your home warm / heating / energy crisis / insulation etc
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@kl
If you just want to warm the space a bit when you start the day then electric fan heaters are great. They heat the air quickly so are perfect in a workshop/shed/etc. where you'll then be doing something active. An oil filled rad will act more like a trad rad.
If however you're getting cold as you sit there doing nothing I'd look elsewhere. I have a blanket and a gilet. Other people recommend warming underneath like having a rug and warmer slippers.