Jump to content

Tibblington

Members
  • Posts

    4
  • Joined

  • Last visited

    Never

Tibblington's Achievements

Newbie

Newbie (1/14)

0

Reputation

  1. I may be a bit late with this advice but I will pass it on all the same as there will be someone else asking a similar question. Before you consider underfloor heating you need to consider the weather conditions where you are living because there is a deal of inertia in the system especially if the pipes are buried in the screed.  Generally speaking you can't expect a response time of less than 36 hours which is not a lot of use if you suddenly get a very cold snap followed by warmer weather.  Moreover if the system kicks in during this brief cold spell you have heat that you have created and don't need 24 hours later.  For those with properties in the north of France perhaps underfloor is worth considering but further south Charente, Dordogne and south of that I would NOT suggest under floor heating.  You need a system with less inertia and a shorter response time.  Ideally warm air as this has a response time as short as 15 minutes but otherwise we are talking about a radiating surface.  Both of these systems could be made to work well from a solar collector but you would need a substantially sized insulated water storage tank to act as an accumulator. I have a very effective warm air system which does have a response time of 15 minutes - the plumber who helped with the installation was astonished how effective it was as he had never seen a system like it before.  I am running on oil but am going to install a solar collector to heat the domestic water 12 months of the year.
  2. With soldering cleanliness is godliness.  Yes do wire wool the end thoroughly but you will need a sleeve to bring the two ends together.  Usually the next size up of tube works well in France because the wall thickness is 1mm and the sizes are in 2mm steps..  Clean the inside of the sleeve thoroughly, apply flux to both the ends of the tube to be joined and the sleeve.  Slip the sleeve over the the joint and heat but be sure that the sleeve is as well heated as the tube then apply a little solder at both ends of the sleeve and you should see it run.  Maintain the heat for a few seconds then wipe off excess solder with a thick clotch.  Voila!!
  3. We searched far and wide for economic towel rails and eventually bought DIMPLEX rails from the U.K.  Oil filled, very low consumption, 100w - 150w, and VERY effective.  They use no more than a light bulb but all the energy is converted into heat.  DIMPLEX are a difficult firm to deal with if you should need parts, however, the struggle is worth while.  It's a pity that one of the French manufactuers doesn't get on to this type of rail a we would always prefer to buy a French product.
  4. I am seriously considering installing a vacuum glass tube type of solar collector.  Has anyone got one of these in use and can you comment on its performance please.  Any chance of seeing the installation?
×
×
  • Create New...