Hi Katymac,

Is this in the converted chapel? If so, would you have the area for the collector loop of the GSHP? You could have a look at an air source heat pump, especially in an urban environment. As to what to do with the heat produced, and considering the difficulty with UFH, look at assisted convection radiators. No hot surfaces for children to touch and warm air convection heating.

Still have a look at ASHP and solar for your hot water. Those two do tie together quite well. What sort of budget do you have for the heating system?

Having just looked at your super ventilation thread, I think you may have a large heating bill, whatever method you use......

Posted By: KatymacCan I use the outflow from the catering extractor fan?

That's a prime example of the numerous kinds of 'process energy' that are a gift and should be captured, once you move beyond the familiar domestic area. Another is beer chillers - the ultimate craziness! Printing machines, commercial laundry - the list is endless, before you even get to steelworks! The problem always is synchronising time and place of any captured heat availability, with a demand that could use it, so then storage comes in, maybe transmission losses. Much could be done to capture heat as hot as possible, e.g. by special saucepan lids plumbed into the extract, so you capture a small amount of really hot air, rather than diluting it to useless tepidity in a hurricane of extract air.

Katymac, A good woodburner would be great. If you have a back boiler on, then it could cover all. Simple. I have a clearview with back boiler and it is fantastic.

That's what I thought Rachel

I need lots of hot water - so I guess solar panels for the summer?

Great south facing roof

How big is your clearview I wanted one but it wouldn't fit in my fireplace

Really - I guess last year was an anomaly

I think for the size I will need a fairly big one tbh

Aarows are good but in my experience Morso's are better - more heat for less wood, and more controllable. The Morso Dove can be fitted with a big backboiler - 45,000BTU I think. About £1400 all in - extra for the extremely well-fitted fireguard you'll be wanting!
I think south east might work ok for your hot water - it depends how much east of south it points.

Posted By: KatymacWon't I need more than 45,000 btu's for 200sqm? ( - oh dear I see I put 100 on the opening post - I'm sorry my finger must have slipped sorry........)

Ah. I'm not sure - it would depend on insulation, ceiling height etc. But yes, I would have thought so.

This is a bit like our problem. Everyone, apart from those on this site, recommend the aarrow stratfords. I've been recommended the TF70 as we want one with an integral back boiler. But I like the sound of the dunsley yorkshires, people on this site like the clearviews or the morsos (which I think you can only get an added on boiler for) and I keep trying to investigate the more local fires - like Town and Country - which is a local firm, but have nothing to compare with them.

Here it is again! why is it that the people who install woodburners with integral boilers always recommend the stratfords, but no one on this site - the people who actually use them - do?

When I went into our local shop to ask about fires, they only had leaflets on stratfords and were only confident about fitting them - not any others. .. . . . . When I mentioned the dunsley yorkshires - which have a great write up. . . the guy just started sort of mumbling. . . . .and when I asked about 'town and country' he said they were a competitor (due to locality) so, although they'd fit them, they'd prefer not to.

I want a multifuel stove with an integral boiler (but I'll only burn wood on it). I want it to heat about 8 rads and supply all DHW - (about 2 baths a day)
I want it be solid - cast iron or similar, I want 2 doors at the front, I want a big hole for big logs, I want a flue out the back so I can cook/warm on the top, a boiler that doesn't corrode - not mild steel- , I want minimum controls and complication . . . . . and I. . . . and I. . . . . have I forgotten anything?. . . . want it to fit in the house? I want it best efficiency, I don't really care too much what it look like, because if it does the job I will happily live with it and decorate accordingly.

p.s. masonary stoves have only been mentioned on this site, and I'm not sure they'll be suitable for our place. - but feel free to convince me otherwise!

'' Either my roof is in he wrong place or the sun is

Apparently it is south east facing which is a bummer''


SE is OK. Worry not.

Ignore the recommendations for insulation, I feel, and set yourself a proper u value target, then you can get manufacturers' tech depts to work it out for you. I woiuld not be going for much less than 70mm of polyisocyanurate/phenolic foam, or more of something greener.

Oh & is 70mm on the 18 inch, 12 inch or 9 inch walls?

That looks nice - I'll look again later -I'm struggling with siteing a staircase atm - It's very hard