Location:                   Oundle

Property Size:           520 m2

System Type:            Ground source heat pumps with 11 x 250 m horizontal ground collectors

System model/size:  3 number Nibe F1145 17 kW heat pumps

Flow temperature:    50oC

Hot water system:    2 x 300 litre domestic hot water cylinders and a buffer 
                                   tank 

Heat emitters:          Radiators

Extra features:          PV array     

 

Our clients had lived in their house for many years with a large and expensive to run oil fired system which they were keen to upgrade. They were originally drawn to the idea of a biomass boiler, but once they became aware of the inherent unreliability and on-going work involved, they decided to look at heat pumps for their main heating system. They had already installed a PV array on the roof of a nearby barn and with a large adjacent field a ground source heat pump made perfect sense.

The house is a traditional stone built farmhouse which has been extended over many years to incorporate some of the original outbuildings. This spacious and charming home now includes a sun-room and indoor swimming pool with a poolside exercise area. The owners have retained a traditional feel and were keen to keep the existing radiator system. To avoid the necessity of upgrading the radiators the system was designed with a flow temperature of 50oC.

 

To provide all of the space heating for the substantial heat load 3 number 17 kW Nibe heat pumps were specified with the provision of 600 litres of hot water.

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This installation was hydraulically quite complex, as to minimise disruption we needed to accommodate the existing pipework from the two previous boilers located at opposite ends of the house. The new heat pump system and 3 unvented hot water cylinders were effectively grafted on. An added bonus for our clients was that some long standing intractable plumbing issues were resolved at this point!

The associated ground works were extensive. Around the house ground stabilisation matting had to be lifted and replaced. In the field the ground collector trenches spread out quite dramatically from the 11 port manifold chamber.

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Another interesting challenge for Orangehouse was that the plant room was in an oak framed annexe which had yet to be built!  However our chief engineer constructed an amazing weatherproof structure and built an impressive plant room to our usual high standards which was later integrated into the new oak building.