Keeping your home warm / heating / energy crisis / insulation etc

I'd be keen to hear more about this, especially once you've had it a bit longer.

Edit: Just saw your last post and sounds like the install/design process wasn't that smooth!

What brand of heat pump is it and what's your property like (in terms of age/size/amount of insulation etc.)?

If anyone's looking to go with Octopus/British Gas, they mostly offer Daikin ASHP units. Something to be aware of is the propensity to oversize the Daikin units based on overstated heat loss calcs.

Oversizing is not so much an issue with Vaillant ASHPs due to their 'energy integral' control mechanism and good modulation range, but with the Daikin Altherma 3 range there are only two actual sizes, with artificial software maximum power limitation to make up the in-between models.

The 9kW - 16kW are the same unit, same for the 4kW - 8kW range.

The minimum modulation of each of the two flavours of unit is the same, meaning that for most of the year when your house's heat demand is low, the 9kW model that Octopus/BG love to install "to be on the safe side" can't modulate down below ~4kW of heat output, which is way too much for most properties. This is because it is, in fact, a 16kW beast with a software limiter.

What this practically means is that the unit will cycle drastically, causing high compressor wear, yoyoing internal temps, low efficiency and high electricity consumption. The 8kW and below have a much lower minimum modulation level, and are much more suitable for the average house.

If you get offered a 9kW unit (or above), make sure to question it, and ideally get an independent heat loss survey done, or do your own on the Heatpunk website or similar.

Our gaff is pretty poor on insulation - we have double glazing but i'ts very old fashioned (possibly 70s?) aluminum frames. Standard 30cm of fibreglass insulation in the attic, very little else. 1930s construction.

@ectoplasmosis is bang on as well, they've given us this enormous Daikin unit, about the size of a chest freezer. It works but it's not pretty.

We’ve been offered the 8kw version. So from what you’re saying hopefully that’s ok.

Back again to double check my understanding...

My usage rate is 25.21p/kWh

My meross plug thing says my tumble dryer has just used 0.329kWh.

Does that mean I multiply the two together i.e.
0.329 × 25.21 = 8.29409

Therefore, my short tumble dry to get the excess water out has cost me £0.08?

Cheers

1 Attachment

Yes.

Planners in anything don’t seem to talk to installers, happens in kitchen all the time and most building stuff I seem to work on

A lot of the time they set unrealistic goals for the client and the bad guys can be the installer when they can’t do what they have been offered!

👍

Thanks for suggesting the plug too. Didn't realise it was a smart plug so will come in handy for the Xmas lights.

Did someone here recommend some good value air tightness tape? Possibly @gillies or @ectoplasmosis? Thanks

The latter, I think? https://www.lfgss.com/comments/17467792/

Yep, PHS Argo Plus.

Thanks! Looks to be out is stock on the PHS site. I did find a bunch of DuPont Tyvek Acrylic tape of eBay. Generally Tyvek tape seems to be a little cheaper than other brands. Should I steer clear?

It’s to seal the joins on PIR being added to loft side walls of rooms in roof.

Hive mind question.
If I am getting cavity wall insulation with resin bonded ploy bead, what kind of certificates and paperwork should I be getting from the contractor?

No idea, but are you in London’s Famous? If so, mind sharing the cavity bead contractor you’ve found?

We are down in Lewes, East Sussex.
I think we will go with cavitech-uk.com.

For docs and certs, ChatGPT suggests

1. CIGA Guarantee: The Cavity Insulation Guarantee Agency (CIGA) provides a 25-year guarantee for cavity wall insulation. Ensure that the contractor is registered with CIGA and that you receive this guarantee.
   
2. BBA Certification: The British Board of Agrément (BBA) certifies construction products and systems. Ensure that the insulation material and the installation process are BBA certified.
   
3. Installer Certification: Verify that the contractor is certified by a recognized body such as the National Insulation Association (NIA) or the British Board of Agrément (BBA).
   
4. Building regs compliance evidence
   

Thats pretty much what we got. Although the building regs compliance come with the materials I think. i.e they used a material and process that conforms.

In reality we just got the certificate which contained an additional letter with the guarantee, with the installers name and their credentials. I think on either the cert or letter they confirm the materials and methods.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq52382zd1no

Yikes. I'd thought it was mostly an age distinction between the Radio vs. SIM reporting, hadn't realised that it was still the standard in the North

what’s the best way of confirming whether there’s a draft or locating a draft behind my kitchen cabinets? I am convinced there is an issue behind our kitchen cabinets. when you open or close a drawer, you feel the cold air. plus the thermal imaging cam shows spots of c.15 degrees at the kickstand (against an average of 18-20 when pointed at the walls or cabinet doors). I have taken the kickstand off and looked but there’s nothing apparent. I have foamed some clear penetrations. there was previously another large hole which I’ve sealed. I’m convinced there must be others I just can’t see because the space is awkward to inspect or they’re covered up by the cabs. do I need to just take the kitchen out and do the job properly? I could rent a keyhole camera maybe

As it’s now dark in the evening, could you do it the other way and get a suitably bright torch/similar under or around the cabinets then take a look from the outside? Obviously not helpful if you’re worried it’s a draft coming between the outside wall and plasterboard/frameing, but depending on your house construction might be an option?

Looks like you've already confirmed the presence of air leakage, with the thermal imaging and the fact you can feel cold air coming from the cabinets.

Shining lights is unlikely to reveal anything meaningful; air can take circuitous routes.

The least destructive fix is likely to be cutting out the backboards of the cabinets to gain access, fixing the leaks, then making good by replacing the backboards via attaching with brackets/similar.

thanks. that might be the play. driving me crazy

I think my in-built fridge freezer is also contributing to the drafts - I can feel really cold air if I put my hand below the feezer door, which suggests it’s not sealing fully when closed. fml

Looking through old emails to find energy bills from our old house in the UK so I can get an idea of how our energy consumption compares and I found an email from the 6th of this month from octopus telling me it was my last chance to pay 14 quid before the debt collectors are sent.

G mail had put it in and all the others in 'promotions' so I'd completely missed them, would have been good to have my credit rating trashed if I have to move back to the uk. Fair play to octopus for giving it over a year and not defaulting me.

Does anyone have any links to good information with data, but easy to read on decreasing humidity to increase warmth?

I'm still loosing the domestic battle on drying clothes outside in the tumble dry and getting a dehumidifier.

I have like a small laundry room and have a dehumdier running all the time in it, no issues drying clothes ever and its cheap to run too.