Adding Radiator to a Conservatory

[JBR]

So the rule about no CH in conservatories is just 'nanny state' then?

I'm one of the few remaining people who still has a brain and (I think) capable of making my own decisions. When the conservatory is not in use, as now, I turn the TRV to the * and leave it. In the Summer, it doesn't come on anyway, but in the 'in between' periods a bit of heating when we are using the room is, as far as I'm concerned, acceptable.

 

[Dan Robinson]

Problem with several regs that we have to work with - they're 10 years behind the curve when it comes to controls and common sense.

 

[stem]

So in that example the 1kW of electricity would recover 2 kW and give an output of 3 kW ( of which 1 kW isd the mains input power ). So in reality it would only be 200% efficient if you defined it as it really should be.Tony

Efficiency is expressed as a percentage of the result achieved from the energy put in. So, if no energy were lost due other causes (IE via a flue) then 100% of fuel would be used to produce the desired result.

If your metchod of calculating were followed, then a 1kW electric heater producing 1kW of heat would work out at being 0% efficient, whilst boilers would get into negative % efficiencies because they put less heat in to the radiators than the energy the boiler consumes, the balance being lost up the flue.

And for a kW of Leccy you pay?

Electricity can be 3 or more times the cost of gas, so of course will cost more to run. It is a common mistake to confuse running costs and efficiency, but they are not the same thing.

 

[Agile]

In the case of heat pumps its normal to quote the coefficient of performance ( COP ).

So if it transferred no heat at all but still consumed its operating power and delivered that to the load it would be 1.0.

If it consumed 1 kW and delivered a total of 3 kW then it would be a COP of 3.0

Tony

 

[dilalio]

This is "diynot.com"!
Not the European court of "Don't fart because it depletes the Ozone layer"!
If you want to install a radiator in your conservatory and are capable of doing it yourself (big clue there)... Then guess what?!
I ain't gonna tell no one!
Worse things happen in the London Borough of "Don't go out at night" or the County of "Who gives a f**k"!

 

[Aquaheat]

Well only last week I fitted a radiator in a customers conservatory because that's what they wanted. They'd had an air source heat pump and was too noisy and they had an oil filled panel eater which killed the electric.

They have an Hergom solid fuel range in the kitchen that feeds the heating and hot water and boiler only kicks in to top up when the Hergom cant cope.

Most of the time they have free heating from this so they wanted to utilize it for the conservatory too so I zoned the conservatory and they have been more than happy with the results.

Jon

 

[simond]

Heat pumps use electricity (apart from cleverer gas absorption ones).

Although they are notionally 300% efficient this is only some of the time. The green electricity they use is primarily generated from gas in this country, and over 50% of the energy used to create the electricity is wasted before it gets to the conservatory in transmission losses.

It amazes me that we are all seemingly well educated but no-one wonders where the electricity comes from. So many happily pontificate about how green and clean it is, when nothing could be further from the truth. It is neither cheap nor green, unless you live in Iceland.

Furthermore the efficiency argument is a nonsense. Peddlers of those silly ceramic cored electric heaters constantly tell gullible punters that they are 100% efficient, forgetting to point out that so is their toaster and their kettle. They don't mention that electricity costs 3 times more than gas (because, as described above, in this country it is made from it), because that would kill their product dead.

And if you think solar or wind is going to help, the government have seen to it that we are paying so far over the odds to people who have built solar and wind generation, that it is only making electricity even more expensive than it is now.

For example, I have a 4Kw solar PV array on my roof and am currently being paid nearly 4 times the cost of retail electricity - to generate it in the middle of sunny days when the grid doesn't need it. Perfect.

So get those radiators in your conservatories, and save the planet.

 

[Dan Robinson]

 

[stem]

If you want to install a radiator in your conservatory and are capable of doing it yourself (big clue there)... Then guess what?! I ain't gonna tell no one

And how does that help exactly when the LABC refuse to sign off my extension until the conservatory heating complies with the law. Whether I installed it myself or not.

 

[Agile]

Simple you get it signed off first.

THEN fit the non compliant radiator!

Tony

 

[dilalio]

Simple you get it signed off first.

THEN fit the non compliant radiator!

Tony

You took the words right outta my mouf

 

[PullerGas]

Simple you get it signed off first.

THEN fit the non compliant radiator!

Tony

True Tony, that's what's commonly done, but with the huge heatloss - most radiators would be farting at thunder!!

My choice would always be an split AC/Heatpump invert unit, a blast of heat in the winter & AC in the summer. With a COP of around 3 it's a no brainer!!

 

[flameport]

Electrical heating is generally a total fail - by the time the electricity gets to your home, most of the energy has already been lost.
More than 60% of the heat created at the power station is wasted. Further losses occur in transmission, so at best, you only get about 1/3 of the energy of the original fuel.

Electric heating manufacturers always go on about '100% efficient' but that's only at the point of use - including the supply chain it's around 30%. Utterly useless for heating given that a large proportion of UK electricity is generated by burning gas. Far better to burn the gas where the heat is required.