Thermodynamic hot water systems

[Smudger]

I wonder if anyone is able to comment or share their experiences.

I am fitting a new hot water system (not heating) and have been advised by one artisan that a thermodynamic system is the way to go. I have gone online and read various reviews but it is difficult to get an impartial review as so many of them are from the suppliers themselves. Has anyone else done any research on this or have you actually fitted one and can share your experiences. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks…

[Théière]

Not fitted but researched,  the issue I had was the suppliers were from Essex

Oh so are you [:D]

It's over priced is the most I can say but it does function. Haven't got time now to dig through the info off to farcne, well packing for

[lindal1000]

We have one according to OH. He bought it from an ebay seller and it is quite an old design. It seems to work and is efficient. Ours is connected to the VMC system and extracts heat from there.

[Pierre ZFP]

I'm always a bit suspicious of anything containing a Buzzword.

Of course it's 'thermodynamic'  any heating/cooling system is including your log burner and your 'fridge'.

An item in the Grauniad is not very encouraging.  LINK

What's wrong with evacuated glass tubes?  tried and tested technology that just works

[Théière]

Pierre ZFP, it is tried and tested, take a fridge compressor and a much much bigger collector plate and it's the same.  It's just a de-constructed air to water heat pump, again with a much much bigger collector plate.

It's not the tech I mind its the get rich quick brigade from Essex.

[Pierre ZFP]

Yeah so it's an air source heat pump without a fan to waft air over the 'cold' side.

They seem to have a coefficient of only around 2 so a long time to recoup your outlay.

[thomasburnett]

If it's similar to air source heat pumps but has a low coefficient, do you think I am better off with just regular heat pumps instead of such thermodynamic systems?

This page actually says thermodynamic systems are much cheaper in the long run compared to boilers.

[url]https://www.greenmatch.co.uk/solar-energy/solar-thermal/thermodynamic-panels[/url]

Though it does not compare it to ASHP... I've got a two-bedroom house, so I'm not looking for a very large system.

[Kong]

I have one - 300l. It was expensive and the costs will be recovered decades after I'm gone. If the ambient temperature is less than 8 degrees it reverts to using an immersion element. I use it to supply three other ballons thus reducing those three ballons consumption. Not a good buy.

[Noisette]

I've got one as part of a heating system. As it was all installed from scratch, it was only moderately more expensive than the alternatives. Mine's refrigerant/water with 500m2 of capteurs at 60cm depth supplying a heat pump which in turn provides 250m2 of wet underfloor heating and a 200l ballon. As said above, it works well until a prolonged spell of minus temps when EDF take the strain ,-) On balance, given the need for some sort of back-up in case of power-cuts, there are more cost-efficient options for HW only.