Specific questions regarding aerothermal heating

Hi all,

I have been researching heating systems and have done alot of searching and reading. From all the information available it is quite hard to sometimes lay out the information and judge what the best way to go is.

I have come to the conclusion that i would like to install an Aerothermal Heating system in my house (2 bedroom bungalow - therefore Geothermal would be nigh impossible as the back garden is quite small)

I have looked on the website www.sweco.ie and find this very interesting especially the Aerothermal information. However i am relunctant to belive everything the website says and their sales people for that matter.

If anybody coud answer the following questions i would be most grateful:

(1) As it stands i receive a gas and esb bill. With the Aerothermal i will eliminate the need for gas (my cooker is electric). How much extra in esb bill will it cost to run the Aerothermal system? (again 2 bedroom small bungalow)

From info i have research some people say it is expensive others say using night time saver it is cheap.

(2) What would the cost of installing such a system in a house like mine?

(3) sorry this might sound like a really stupid question but exactly how would a night time saver rate work with this system. Not very techie when it comes to DIY but from my understanding my heating system which is gas, boiler, water tank and radiators. If i want heating on i turn it on! I can't use night time saver cause it does not contain that function AM I RIGHT IN SAYING THIS??

Therefore if i switch does the aerothermal heat up at night and then when you switch it on during day releases its HEAT (if that is the way to say it)

As you can prob tell very confused. Have really tried goign through boards.ie sei.ie and many other websites.

Some plain english and a sympathetic person to my stupidity would be fantastic.

Thanks for all replies and just to say WONDERFUL SITE!!

I have spent months researching geothermal, aerothermal and pellet heating systems. At first when I heard about the aerothermal system I was taken in by the sales pitch. It sounded great, but in reality it isn't. While it may be cheaper to run than an oil/gas system it is still very inefficent compared to a geothermal system, and if the night saver rate was done away with, it could work out more expensive than oil or gas. Also, on very cold days it is possible that the system becomes no better than using storage heaters.

In response to your questions...

(1) It is very difficult to know just how much the running costs for you house would be. It will depend on many factors such as insulation level in the house, how often you have the heating on, etc. The sei.ie website has a calculator which allows you to compare the different costs for each type of fuel. Use it only as a comparison and not as the actual cost for your house.

(2) The cost of installing ranges somewhere between 7000 and 10000. Less if you're eligible for the grant announced today.

(3) I'm not sure what the sweco aerothermal system looks like, but I have seen a thermia one, and it includes a 180L or 300L cylinder for storing the hot water. This water is kept at a constant temperature which can be boosted at night, but when you use the water during the day (i.e. showers, heating, etc.) the aerothermal unit will kick in so you won't always be able to make use of the night rate. How often this happens would depend again on insulation, how long the heating is on for, etc.

I'm by no means an expert in alternative heating systems so I can't give you a definitive answer as to which system to go with or not go with. But, assuming you're in a new(ish) build house (you have gas heating) I would stick with the gas and consider solar panels for heating your water.

Hope this helps...

Thanks for the reply.

Very informative and helpful. My house is a relatively new build and have also explored the solar panel options. Two good websites i found were [broken link removed] (more info relating to his product on ([broken link removed]) and another good website for solar heating would be www.systemlink.ie

got a quote for about €4 - €5 k for this type of heating and it would provide me with circa 70% of my household heating water needs. The grant is €300 per sq/m therefore i need 3 sq/m approx total grant €900 off the qoute not bad and in time should see a reduction in my gas bill.

http://www.dcmnr.gov.ie/Press+Releases/€27+million+in+grant+aid+to+be+made+available+for+renewable+home+heating.htm This grant applies to solar panels as announced by the government yesterday.

Ireland is the only country in the EU that pays grants for airsourced heatpumps,correct me if I'm wrong. Some political friends/donators needed a helping hand to whom's business the reduction of the VAT on oil and gas was of any use. Now it's the electricity generators.....thanks Berty.