WTD: Plumber for SOLAR heating system nr St Junien, 87

[Noisetieres]

Hi, I am looking to get a quote for the cost of installing a central heating system which uses solar power.

Can you recommend any plumbers that are capable of installing such a system?

Name and numbers required please.

Thanks

[Lachouette]

When you do find a plumber who'll give you a quote, sit down to read it as it may well be enourmous!  We're near Eymoutiers (so won't give you our plumber's details as we're so far away) but a quote for solar panels that provided hot water and a bit of central heating, plus the appropriate boiler to run on oil when it needed to, plus 12 odd radiators and a heated floor came to something like 43000 euros.  Needless to say, we've changed our minds about boosting the central heating with solar power.

We do however have a De Dietrich solar hot water system heating water for our B & B rooms, and although it's early days yet, we're impressed with the system.

Jan

[Noisetieres]

Hi

When you say you have a system for hot water, I assume you mean that it only provides domestic hot water for washing etc and not for heating?

Thanks

Carla

[Blackadder<IMG src="http:forums.livingfrance.comimagesline.gif"><BR>Blackadder<BR>Keighley and Creuse]

43000 EUROS!!!! Wow, thats the system we were looking at, we reckoned on 15000Euro max for the lot incl underfloor heating. A 2.8m x 2.8m solar panel and piping comes in at about £2500, it should simply link into a large boiler that could also have an oil fired side/solid fuel side and also an electric emersion heater, so 3 in 1.

I really can't see where he is coming from with £30,000. Unless yours is a 20 room chateau??

Does he give a breakdown of pricing?? I thought a full plumb would be maybe 10,000euro...all you need to add is a solar kit at perhaps 4000euro.....

[Lachouette]

Sorry about delay in replying - am currently disappearing under a load of washing after French Pentecôte visitors!

We were so taken aback by the huge quote that it was quickly recycled as a shopping list.  However, it rings a bill that te De Dietrich boiler to run it, and take on the solar energy too, was costed at around 11000 euros.  The water tank had no immersion heater, but fired up the oil boiler if extra heat was required for the water.

And no.............we don't have a 20 room chateau!  Just plans for about 200m2 of floor space.

Jan

[Me0wp00]

we've got an 8m2 curved collector tubes and this fuels a 350l water tank with dual immersions, a coil for an external boiler, solar controllers, heat exchangers and our underfloor piping and initial insulation, for two 40m floors. We installed the system ourselves, including siting the panels on the roof and all plumbing. We managed to get VERY good transport prices from the UK and also a grant that was available of something like £500, we sourced the system and went direct to all the manufacturers and ours came out at something like £10,000 including the screeding for the downstairs floor and the thick polystyrene insulation. HOWEVER the system does really need a back up and at the moment we're using the electricity immersions for that, we're contemplating an oil boiler but I can't face more hassle atm on the plus side, hubby has had to buy me a 6.5 * 3.9 swimming pool so we can pump the hot water into it in the spring/summer so we haven't got problems with solars exploding. If I was to do it again, honestly at the moment I wouldn't bother with the solars and I'd go straight for underfloor (water fed) with a oil boiler and probably electric immersion for the water. My reasoning is, when it's cold the solars don't collect enough to run hot water and the heating and they will never work at night when you tend to need the heat and in the spring summer ok you've got free hot water and most of the heating which you probably only need for april/may but your also trying to pump it out so that your not wasting the *free* energy.

Hubby disagrees totally and thinks the solars will pay for themselves in the long run but I still reckon on a proper back up rather than the leccy immersions.

HTH

Pippa

[Hosemaster]

Hi I have been looking into the solar heating system idea myself. We are still in the uk but move out to France next month. I have searched the internet and there are some interesting ideas and info out there especially (as usual ) in the USA. There are a number of self design and build ideas which if you are just heating a pool are probably Ok. I am not sure they are good enough for a whole house though. I have fitted an oil fired boiler to my house for hot water and the radiators, but I am interested in suplimenting this with solar power. I am fairly confident I can install it and I would be interested to know which UK company you used Pippa for your solar panels. I also beleive there are grants available in France of up to 40% of the cost of solar power heating, so if any one knows more about this I am sure we would all be interested. We are moving to near Le Dorat in 87 area so would love to meet up and exchange ideas with any one near.

Any info at all would be gratefully appreciated.

Many thanks

Phil