# best home heating options



## joeyd (16 Nov 2009)

hi all, hopefully starting a new build soon and had originally planned to go with solid fuel stove with oil back up and solar hot water, now himself is reconsidering the oil and doesnt think this would be our best option. what is the best method of heating homes? has anyone any opinions on wood pellet burners?


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## krissovo (16 Nov 2009)

I have a woodburning stove with backboiler as my primary system and its backed up by oil and solar for DHW.

I went with oil as the backup due to price of the renewables at the moment plus my oil system can be changed relativley easily once the cost of pellet boilers comes down.

I did invest in a thermal store for my stove as I can heat the water in the evening and the tank would store it until the morning reducing my need for oil.


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## newirishman (16 Nov 2009)

I'd strongly recommend thinking about wood pellets heating. Was a problem a few years ago to actually get the pellets, but these days not a problem. Burners price wise absolutely competitive.
Definitely go for solar panels and better go for more panels if budget allows.


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## villa 1 (17 Nov 2009)

Multi-fuel stove with boiler, Condensing oil fired boiler and 2/3 solar panels, equivalent tubes, and insulate, insulate. Fit the necessary heating controls as well. Be carefull on the zoning side, getting a competent heating and plumbing contractor who understands interlinking heating appliances and open gravity circulation. I not a fan of pellet boilers as I think that they are only efficient when used in district heating schemes. Pellet boilers cost too much when fitted in single home development. 
30 yrs in the bizz!!


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## joeyd (17 Nov 2009)

thanks for all replies! can i just ask villa1 what you mean by heating controls and open gravity circulations (probably dumb questions, i apologise) we are building timber frame, insulated to the last! and its not a massive house, approx 2000sq ft bungalow


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## villa 1 (17 Nov 2009)

3 Zones is the norm. Downstairs space heating, upstairs space heating, and hot water. These zones will be controlled by a combination of thermostats and motorised valves/pumps.
The pipework between a multi fuel stove and hot water cylinder will have to be 25mm in diameter, copper, and there cannot be any restriction in this circuit( valves,pumps). This circuit will allow water circulate between the stove and cylinder in the event of a power failure leading to safe water expansion. Do not under any circumstance use plastic/polythene type pipework on this particular circuit. It will disintegrate under very high temperatures. Hope this helps.


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## galwaytt (20 Nov 2009)

joeyd - as mentioned, minimum of 3 zones.  Up, Down, DHW.   TRV's on the rads if rads, stats in rooms if UFH.

My 0.02 is that wood pellet is not worth the capital cost, especially in a well-insulated house, and that a more modest system is a better bet, and cheaper to boot.    Your good house won't need much heat, so you don't need a Titanic solution.

As for the back boiler, mmmm, I think that more often than not they cause problems in a mixed-technology system.  It's not that straightforward to get it right, and there is a fundamental mis-match between having a high-temp and low-temp heat generators on a common system.   Me ? I'd go with the oil, and buy a nice stove.

We built a house for a lady locally, and she has a Wood Pellet - there's no doubt that it works, technically, but as the house we built for her is so high in insulation and airtightness performance, it's idle most of the time, so I can't see it ever paying for itself.

Another one down the road, and the wood pellet has yet to kick in.  House is now built..........18 months ?


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## joeyd (20 Nov 2009)

thanks galwaytt .... just to clarify, you would go with oil and the stove, with the stove only heating the room its in? and the oil to heat rads and water?


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## bamboozle (20 Nov 2009)

we've solar, stove & gas and i'm happy with the mix, solar provides all hot water 95% of the time during summer months (april to august) and if it gets cold or wet we'd have the heating on anyway.
Stove heats up the open plan area brilliantly, even keeps the area warm the following day.
Gas then heats the rest of the house


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## galwaytt (20 Nov 2009)

My set up at home is closer to bamboozle's, solar, gas fireplace (balanced flue, room-sealed), and gas boiler with UFH.

Oil over gas is a personal choice, and for rads, oil is a good choice, for UFH, gas is better.   Detail differences, really.


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