Choosing a new heating system advice.... please

[PC Electrics]

Installing an ASHP is probably not viable for a flat any higher than first floor due to issues of access to the ASHP position. There'd be large costs in erecting scaffolding. You'd probably need to get communal agreement (or agreement of the freeholder) to be able to do so anyway.

Plus, you have to consider who'd benefit - the tenant would benefit from the lower bills, but you'd have paid out

 

[froria]

As regards no servicing of storage heaters, i am often getting called out to reset thermal switches on these things. They overheat when occupants put clothing or towels over them to dry out. The occupant simply phones to say my heating doesn't work, so you are obliged to check, and then denies placing anything over them.

Aaaa yes that old chestnut.

 

[PC Electrics]

As regards no servicing of storage heaters, i am often getting called out to reset thermal switches on these things. They overheat when occupants put clothing or towels over them to dry out. The occupant simply phones to say my heating doesn't work, so you are obliged to check, and then denies placing anything over them.

If I'm called to a rented property and see that the store heaters have been obstructed I report this back. It's happened a few times now and in all cases my invoice is paid out of the deposit.

They can trip out if the machine becomes clogged with dust. I'd suggest a clean out once every 5 years or so. You should be having a PIR at this interval anyway so it can be done at the same time, keeping costs down.

 

[fatbob88]

Installing an ASHP is probably not viable for a flat any higher than first floor due to issues of access to the ASHP position. There'd be large costs in erecting scaffolding. You'd probably need to get communal agreement (or agreement of the freeholder) to be able to do so anyway.Plus, you have to consider who'd benefit - the tenant would benefit from the lower bills, but you'd have paid out

 

[Technician]

Andy...left Shields years ago.

Now living West Yorkshire but working

in the London area.

PS Happy Crimble.

 

[Zeespark]

London? where? I feel for you.

AndyGuinness

 

[Sidewinder]

Andy...left Shields years ago.Now living West Yorkshire but working

in the London area.

PS Happy Crimble.

That's a heck of a commute!

 

[fatbob88]

There's been one more twist to my research into a new heating and hot water system which I thought you good people on here might like to know.

I thought I'd give Johnson & Starley a ring - the manufacturer of my warm air unit - before asking for quotes for electric heating. I thought maybe if they were about to lose a lot of customers owing to the new "flue in voids" inspection regulation then they might have come up with some sort of a solution. A long shot I know.... but I'm very pleased I did.

The technical guy there said that he had had many calls of a similar nature but explained that the new regulations only apply to room sealed fan assisted boilers and not open flue systems which my warm air unit is. He also said that they still stock spare parts for my unit which was contrary to what the first gas safe engineer told me. I then spoke to the technical department at Gas Safe who confirmed what the guy at Johnson & Starley told me and looking at their website it says that the regulation only applies to room sealed fan assisted boilers.

I do n't know if I mentioned it but the first engineer had the unit down as "at risk" because of the flue inspection issue and also because of a lack of enough ventilation. The ventilation issue was owing to the landlord - a housing association - having replaced the permanently vented windows in the communal hallways with conventional double glazed windows! I got them to rectify the situation, they done this by installing a ventilation system and got one of their gas engineers to do the safety check. However their engineer told me that he would have to mark down the flue as "not to current standards" and that I would have to sort it out by 1st January 2013!

The guy at J&S said an upgrade unit would fit seemlessly in the same place as the old one. Thanks again for all the help here, the least I can take away from it, is it's been an education.

Happy new year to all (when it arrives)

 

[Technician]

Sidewinder...Zee...the morning was great if

you could ignore the weather. ?:|