Using bottled gas for Central Heating

[Austin]

We have hot water central heating, using a solid fuel Rayburn, but this means we cannot have a week-end away in the winter, for fear of the pipes freezing.  Can I get an LPG central heating boiler installed, using bottled gas, just to keep the temperature above freezing?

Thanks, Austin

[Department71]

Why not put antifreeze in the pipes and save yourself a lot of money.

[powerdesal]

LPG CH has got to be the most expensive option ever, it would probably be cheaper to burn euro notes.

[Jonzjob]

We 'burn € note and don't find it that expensive? Our gas bottle sits out the back, about a ton of it when full and it's so easy and efficient, especially with our new, 2 years back, condensing boiler. We have underfloor heating, so the water temp doesn't have to be taken much above 40ºC. It has to be the most comfortable heating I have ever had![8-|][8-|]

[powerdesal]

JJ, whilst we do not have CH in the French house, everything that I have been told indicates that LPG fired CH is the most expensive option. That comes from reading up on various sites and talking to French colleagues, one of whom was having it removed and going onto wood fired.

[Jonzjob]

The heating system and the tank were installed when we bought the house and there is no way that we are going to change it. That would be more expensive for us because it would take too long to get to the proverbial pay back time.

Plus, there is no way that I am going to keep a wood burner going 24 hours a day 7 daze a week all through the winter[:-))]. Besides which a wood burner would heat the water to a much higher temp than we would need. No point in heating the domestic water either because we already have solar panels that do that and an the occasions the sun don't shine the imersion heater kicks in on heures creuse. We tend to get quite a lot of sunshine..

[BIG MAC]

How about using the woodburner  to heat a brine filled thermal store? Photovoltaic panels during the day and fire in the evening.....when you aren't about the pv should still provide some energy...I think

 

[Pierre ZFP]

I got the impression that the OP wanted to use the re-usable gas bottles (13Kg of gas?) rather than the large citern like wot I have.

I can see a lot of disadvantages in this e.g.

Very expensive (even the bulk version is bad enough but like as was said above it was already installed when I moved in)

Gas bottles don't last long and what do you do if it runs out when you are away?

If you're worried about pipes freezing why not get some low power (150 watts or so) electric slim panel heaters  placed in strategic places.

[blondie]

Its a very cheap way to heat the hot water and of course its always hot never running out as in the old systems.One 13kg bottle lasts us at least 2 months. However it is a very very expensive way to heat central heating you are looking at hours not days. We kept it for the water. Took out the radiators and put in log burners.