Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris
.... in a small, hermetically sealed and super-insulated chalet of the sort common in Scandinavia but non-existent in the UK..
|
Friends in North Sweden and Southwest Norway both have ground and airsource heatpumps. The former is a 4-storey block of flats, built with insulation in mind 30 years ago, but recently had to have extra internal and external cladding added to reach the MINIMUM insulation levels required to get them warm enough in winter. But that minimum is 18c with the pumps running 24/7. And no hot water! The latter had to move into a new-build bungalow when their old place was condemned, as it was unable to be insulated sufficiently. Both still have to add extra heat using electricity in the dark winters.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris
.... the next national scandal is going to be the noise nuisance caused by entire streets worth of the things all kicking in at the same time on winter evenings.......probably about 5 years after the first complaints about noise and electrical overload start hitting the headlines.
|
Apart from feeling chilly in their homes, often under 18c, noise is their biggest bugbear. The pumps have to be a minimum distance from homes and often sit behind baffle walls to reduce the noise and under roofing to protect them from snowfall. A noisy fan is liable to have something poked through the grill to stop the fan if a repairman is not on site ASAP! My friend in Sweden could not believe how they are installed in the UK. She called them "naked" with no cover and minimal insulation of the pipework.
The "latest innovation" dropped onto them "for Green reasons" was heat pump tumble dryers. Sure they use less electricity, but the heat source is the air from the room they are in! And I was told that they take AGES longer to dry the clothes.