Hi all
I have recently fitted for one of my customers an air source heat pump integrated to an unvented hot water cylinder.
The cylinder capacity is 250 Ltr. it uses 800 watts of electricity and heats the water up to 55 degrees its now in my customers utility room taking waste heat from the tumble dryer and the oil boiler. the oil boiler will probably be going soon as my customer is fed up with the price of oil
I know nothing about this sort of technology as I usually fit Gas boilers, and wondered if anyone else has had any experiance of them, like how much they cost to run. here is a pic of it

The white part is the Unvented cylinder the Black cover on top houses the Air source heat pump, its a single integral unit.
This unit also complies to EN 14511 and is certified to prove it.

This one takes waste heat from indoors or outside and then there is a vent expelling the used air to outside

Looks like the same unit, the one I fitted had a different name on it it must have a dffernt pump in it as that one says it is 2.6kw where as the one I installed is n 800 watt one

Posted By: pcworldMechanical Ventilation Heat Recovery Units are Heat Pumps...

Oh? I thought they were usually just heat exchangers. The air's pumped through them but the heat flows passively from the outgoing stream to the incoming stream. Am I wrong?

Hi peter
I'm not selling these units. I'm a Corgi registerd Gas installer. I Install heating systems and Unvented Cylinders that I self certify, Up until a month ago I had never seen an ASHP . My customer contacted me to install this unit that he got off ebay. This particular air source Hot water cylinder is for heating up domestic hot water only and has nothing to do with the central heating system. My customer has expressed his wish to find an alternative source of heating, his heating system other than oil in the future.
Lets be clear about somthing the reason why a lot of people are on this site Is because they are looking for alternative technology and other peoples thoughts and experiances, therefore I am spending a little of my time to tell people what i have fitted. The other thing is budget most people cant afford the cost of buying and installing luxuries such as solar and ground source heat pumps or have the space to fit them.
All technologies have their plus points and their negative points and it is with sites like these that give us a chance to explore them.
The reason for the cylinder going into the cupboard is that is where the megaflow was that I removed. as for this unit doing little more than harnessing the surplus heat in a boiler room, Isnt that a good thing, reusing waste heat, If and when the boiler is removed air can be ducted from the loft above or directly outside. Because the way air source heat pumps work they dont need warm air, true they work more efficiently if they have it. but they still work when its cold.
As for me steering my customer in a renewable direction, No chance, He's steering me thats why I am on this and other forums I'm convinced that this unit can help a lot of people and I'm not being payed to say it

Please feel free to contact me if you feel the need to explore some options
Regards
Mike

Posted By: unguided1I am spending a little of my time to tell people what i have fitted.

And it's much appreciated - particularly any later feedback about how well the system is performing. Thanks for sharing, as they say.

I'm with JackyR here. Sharing's good.

I'm in the process of negotiating with our plumber what's going to go in. We both want the same outcome - but it's getting to that stage that's the problem. He has to guarantee the kit and his work for 10 years (we're building in France). Presumably you've only guaranteed it won't leak now you've fitted it - the Client is taking the risk it doesn't do what he wants it to or it packs up.

Unguided1 - Thanks for posting this. Potentially interesting alternative to an immersion heater for people without mains gas.

As it's a reasonably closed system it would be interesting to record how fast it warms up the water and use that to calculate the performance.

hi, i saw these at a home building show and thought i would get two for my b&b business, how much do you charge for taking out my old megaflo and fitting them? where are you based?

Hi Ant 121
I'm Based in Southern Oxfordshire I charge £200 a day + Travelling (if leaving the Village) + materials. But any local heating engineer /plumber, local to you should easily be able to install it for you. Just make sure that they are registerd to self Certify the cylinder or you will have to call out building control. what make did you see at the show?? regards
Mike

ok thanks unguided1, roughly how long would it take to fit two water heaters in the loft? the make is Earth Save Products quality heat pumps.

Hi all
I installed this Unvented hot water cylinder with integral ASHP in septepmeber 2008 and my customer has been monitering his domestic hot water and electrical usage, what follows are my customrs figures and calculations.

My customer reckons he is using around 165L of hot water per day.
To raise 165L of water from 5 degrees to 50 degrees the energy needed is 8.633Kwh.
so at an averidge cost of 11pence per Kwh the cost for 8.633Kwh would be 95 pence per day.
My customer is actually paying around 31 pence per day and this is through this winter so for the first years use it is going to save him £233.60.

After reading the instruction booklet that came with the unit he has also found that by changing the settings on the unit he can make further savings, he hasnt done this preferring to see what the manufacturers settings will do.

I have now been asked by customer to get myself ready as in the next 6 weeks he wants me to install a Bluetec+ ETA 2 metre squared solar flat panel to try and get his electrical usage even lower. I will let you know when this is installed and give further results.
If you have any questions please ask.
all figures came from my customer so please dont shoot the messenger
Regards
Mike

Hi mrs whitecat
because this was my first installation of this type of unit, I asked my customer if he could let me know wether this unit really could save him money and also if it was as good as he thought, I have now installed another three of these units, all for customers who have no access to natural gas and wanted a cheaper alternative to oil or LPG,
last year I also installed a solar kit made by ferolli the kit comprised of a 2 metre squared flat solar panel, a ferrolli cylinder, and gas boiler, I am still awaitng some results on that one.
regards
Mike

We could do with an update here. I was still picking tomatoes and raspberries off the allotment in Essex last weekend but I think we're going to have to have the heating on this weekend.