# Heating/hot water recommendations?



## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

Our builders finally started our barn renovation this week and are currently knocking seven bells out of the building so it looks more like a bomb site than a barn just now. 

As part of the project, we want to install central heating and a pellet boiler large enough to service about 16 radiators in two separate zones and also hot water that'll come from solar or gas with maybe winter hot water from the boiler as well. 

PT quotes for the heating/hot water have been in the region of around E10K but my neighbour tells me it'll be significantly less & more efficient/larger etc if sourced from Germany.

Has anyone else heard this and/or can they make any recommendations please?


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

I sourced Evacuated tubes from UK, if the 10K includes pellet boiler, solar, radiators controls, storage tank I really don't think it's expensive, I personally wouldn't consider gas, totally unnecessary if you're linking Boiler & Solar only issue when you source from outside Portugal will guarantees be honoured should be but worth checking, Spain can also be cheaper


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

The E10K doesn't include solar HW or an electrically heated HW tank. So it's boiler, rads & controls. 

That doesn't strike me as hugely unreasonable but solar alone seems to run at about E2K here for a 200 litre system but my neighbour tells me I can get a 500 litre system from Germany for around E900 so quite a difference IF (note the big IF) it still comes with a guarantee.


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

Then might be a tad expensive like gas you don't need an electric element to heat tank, the sensible thing is to have a tank of sufficient capacity 300 ltr would be better than 200 that will take at some stage solar + pellet boiler ours has Solar, diesel boiler and back boiler all connected cost just under 4000€ without tubes and the diesel, back boiler already installed


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

I think I'm going to look into the German and possibly Spanish options to see what's available...... alternatively maybe go for a PT boiler & CH system and a non PT solar system.... I'm hoping my neighbour can let me have a website for the company he mentioned.. Time will tell though.


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

Solar's free after initial cost as you already have a diesel boiler you could like us link into system and just replace diesel burner unit with a pellet burner unit brings running costs down.

Think 900€ sounds slightly cheap depends what's in package


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

We have the main house that already has CH and are now renovating the barn that will also have CH so two zones to heat.... with a total of about 18 radiators.

The plan is to take out the old wood burner and replace it with a pellet burner and keep the diesel boiler as well for back up and either will heat both zones and possibly also give hot water.

My neighbour says a complete solar system with a 500 litre tank is E900 from Germany and I've asked him for the website........ that's all I know about it though.

I'll post more if I hear anything else on that and in the meantime have contacted a few German and Spanish companies and will see what they come back with.


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## anapedrosa (Mar 21, 2011)

From what I can tell, the prices you are listing appear to be comparable to what I am dealing with for a house ~210 sq mt - €16k for underfloor, solar with an 3 phase electric heat pump, 300 litre tank.

Ongoing service is important for us, so we decided to go local. Something to consider is, the warranty and repair situation if you decide to bring in from Germany or Spain.


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## RichardHenshall (Jul 26, 2009)

I'm surprised that electric heating for backup is being dismissed. The installation cost is very small compared to most heat sources and it is 100% efficient. If you have a bi-horária tariff and a big enough tank to last through the day, the electricity cost is reduced by nearly half.


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

Yes but with 3 heating options already why add electric into equation, bi hourly rates although cheaper are designed for people who are working and being excluded from any of the offers like EDP's current 5%

If you find this German site please post never ever seen a Solar system with a 500lr for this type of money.

Pellet stove to heat 18 rads your not going to find anything pretty that will sit in a lounge it's why we fitted a back boiler


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

I'll put the boiler in where the wood burning stove is now and it's a dog room so not part of either the barn or the living accommodation in the main house.


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

No problem in that case you can go for the for whatever size gives the heat output you reguire but if that's the case don't really see the need to retain diesel as well or you could just convert diesel boiler if it has some life left in to a pellet fired version, new burner and wood pellet hopper about 2500€ installed


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

I didn't know the diesel burner could be converted to pellets and will look into that but the reason I wanted to keep the diesel was a back up in case of problems with the pellet burner etc........ I'd also expect the diesel would be faster to get going. - I might be wrong on that though because I've never even seen a pellet burner.


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

instant just like diesel, pellet more efficient than diesel cheaper running cost per calorie


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

OK thanks. In that case I might lose the diesel & use the space for a larger workshop.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Have just costed things up for our house in Spain. It would have three/four floors being heated = 210 sq m with 9 ft ceilings. The plumbing and radiator are the same whether the heat source is pellet, diesel or gas and would cost about €3,800./ A pellet burner would cost about €5300 and the diesel or gas option is ruled out for reasons of fuel storage and access for delivery. For hot water, we would retain our present instantaneous multipoint hot-water system so that water is only heated on demand (no wasteful tanks of hot water being kept hot) - runs off bombonas.

At present, in addition to having the water heater which costs about €100 per year to run, we have a log burner in the lounge which costs about €200 per year to run. The log burner supplies heat to the ground and first floors plus warms the attic.

We're sticking with what we have.


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

What make is your pellet burning boiler & have you had any problems please?


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