mike.m Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 Hi, The oil based boiler has finally given up the ghost and we have to decide how to best replace/renew the system .Last summer (our first) we got by- just ! - with an additional electric chauff-eau which produced a combined 400 litres of overnight hot water . With two new bedrooms now added we need to create a supply for two bathrooms and two shower-rooms and a fixed supply is no longer adequate . Having consulted three professionals we received three different answers( based I think on the kind of installations they were familiar/comfortable installing ) none of which was as useful as the information on the plumbing section of this forum . So , I just wanted to get any feedback on the solution I've arrived at to make sure there isn't a better idea out there and I'm not missing something obvious . It seems to me that to install a stand alone ballon of 200 litres alongside a replacement fuel boiler should source two baths and replace the water within 30 minutes . If it is powered on a bi-fuel basis ( oil/electric with twin coils ) it should be able to operate optimally on cheap edf night rates when demand is low then be switched over to boiler power when more guests arrive.One background consideration is that we would like to move to solar power at some stage and if the ballon could be compatible to operating in tandem with this type of system that would be good to factor in at this stage .Anyone with personal experience of a solution they are pleased with or an opinion on the above would be very welcome to comment . After this I will return to my three wise chauffagistes for additional suggestions ! Many thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lachouette Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 If it's any help at all...............four of our five letting rooms are in a stand alone building, facing directly south. We have three solar panels on the roof feeding a 500 litre ballon and we rarely have to plug in the immersion heater that's incorporated in the ballon. We've two couples booked in for tomorrow night and I've just checked the tank temperature to see if it needs topping up overnight (we always use heures creuses) and despite several overcast days, the tank temperature is just over 60 degrees C. The sun's shining this afternoon, the roof temp's in the seventies and I can hear the heat being pumped down to the tank below! We only have showers in the four bathrooms, but we find the system works well and even if we have to pay to heat water, we're never doing it from cold.Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike.m Posted February 21, 2008 Author Share Posted February 21, 2008 Hi Jan Many thanks for the information . For a variety of physical reasons we can't use solar at this stage but may be able to do so in a couple of years time if we can buy some adjoining land . Can you advise re the cost of your installation ? Best Regards Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lachouette Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 It was about 6000 euros, (panels and new 500 litre tank with immersion heater and heat exchange thingy)..............but there are tax credits available as its renewable energy. Not sure how long it'll take us to get our money back, but having immersion heaters on from Spring to late Autumn is expensive, and this certainly isn't to run!Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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