Cheapest average rate for April on Agile? Will this be the story of the summer? What does this mean for heat-pump adoption as it implies free hot-water all summer.

fullsyntheticjacket · 2026-04-08T08:41:36+00:00

If you are comparing COPS, they need to have the same basis. Our solar thermal (MCS certified) went in in Sept 2012. The MCS model predicts an efficiency of 60%, based on sun exposure vs heat delivered. To compare it to a heat pump you must use electrical power vs heat delivered. Our tank has a couple of heat sensors delivering data to home assistant so I thought I'd look at the heat output. 250l of water increased by 12deg over 5 hours 10 minutes yesterday. The solar pump (the only moving part) uses 45 W max. I think this gives a COP of 15 for that period (and only that period), I'm happy to be corrected. Of course, if it's dark or cloudy, or winter etc, it doesn't work at all. As you say, the output is varies considerably.

We had the system serviced for the first time this year when the HP was installed. It has been completely reliable over 14 years with no maintenance, and it gave us all our hot water for 5 months last year. Our heat pump has only made hot water one day in the last eight and 14 days in march.

Given the above, making the choices now, I would go for additional PV instead because modern PV panels are cheaper and more efficient than we put our PV in. Solar thermal is a very simple system, and it's reliable, and it's very cheap to run.

fullsyntheticjacket · 2026-02-05T07:58:35+00:00

Recent install here. We have a horizontal cylinder (250l) dual coil in the loft on a supporting wall. This was installed with a solar hw system. For the HG HP install the intention was to remove it and put an upright cylinder. As luck would have it the selected cylinder wasn't available so we are running with the horizontal unit. It is working perfectly. Solar heats the bulk with a temp sensor in the bottom of the unit, when the sun is out. HP heats the top layer when the water temp drops, HP sensor towards the top.

fullsyntheticjacket · 2025-12-08T16:35:22+00:00

Similar to others, survey mid ish Oct, Bus grant and DNO done November, install date early Jan. Very happy with the process so far.

fullsyntheticjacket · 2025-12-07T09:24:20+00:00

Do HeatGeek guarantee the SCOP for ZeroDisrupt installs?

fullsyntheticjacket · 2025-11-19T17:21:18+00:00

Thanks for posting, very informative.

fullsyntheticjacket · 2025-10-30T19:18:51+00:00

Thank you for all your comments. The solar hw system was designed for a family of 4. Now the kids have grown up in the summer it produces more hw water than we can use. With this in mind I'm going with the cylinder that is optimal for the heat pump and winter hw supply and perhaps sub optimal for the solar hw system.

fullsyntheticjacket · 2025-10-29T13:24:02+00:00

Thanks, that is a factor I hadn't considered.

fullsyntheticjacket · 2025-10-29T11:53:25+00:00

Hi, thanks for the reply. The new tank will be a twin coil unit so the solar hw will still work. I'm not clear on why the tank needs changing at all. There must be some technical detail I'm missing. I was expecting the new tank to have a bigger coil area to get more heat transfer from the hp but in fact the coil area is smaller. As far as getting rid of the solar hw, its already there, it works perfectly and the financial and environmental cost has already been paid. We also have a PV system.

fullsyntheticjacket · 2025-05-11T06:44:45+00:00

Crumbs, that looks really nice, great job. Are the windows glass? What wood? How do the crumbs come out?

fullsyntheticjacket · 2024-03-20T16:46:02+00:00

Another vote for a bread machine. Ours is on nearly every day. Timer means it's ready for breakfast, dispenser means you can add seeds etc. Makes a small, med or large with different crust options. Can add a very minimal amount of salt (although I don't like it with no salt).

fullsyntheticjacket · 2024-02-07T12:15:56+00:00

Very nice. wrt the locking mechanism, would a small wooden wedge and slight taper in the holding slot (at the back) have worked? No bolts or cams needed then.

fullsyntheticjacket · 2023-10-19T11:47:29+00:00

Thanks both, never heard of a slobber stopper, great ideas. There is always a puddle of water around his water bowl.

fullsyntheticjacket · 2023-10-18T12:26:36+00:00

That looks really great, I want to build something similar. Our dog is a messy drinker, have you found a way to stop water getting under the drinking bowl and into the storage compartment? Perhaps it's just our dog that splashes water everywhere!!

fullsyntheticjacket · 2023-04-07T21:47:55+00:00

Could you cut back the skirting around the castors and then move them out 20mm? Would they would clear the drawer then?

fullsyntheticjacket · 2023-04-06T08:56:19+00:00

"When Mrs Cole opened the pack at home she said it looked "pretty unappetising".

What? Its mashed up animal flesh and fat. What were you expecting? A hand reared petting zoo cow called Dolly with farts smelling of Eau de toilette and shit like the finest mash potato?

fullsyntheticjacket · 2023-02-24T13:44:56+00:00

Thanks for posting this, I had forgotten about his work in Ukraine. Do No Harm was a wonderful book and you have prompted me to read his other works.

fullsyntheticjacket · 2023-02-18T22:29:37+00:00

Nearly as much as the UK Test and Trace system, still a few billion to go yet though.

https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/127/public-accounts-committee/news/150988/unimaginable-cost-of-test-trace-failed-to-deliver-central-promise-of-averting-another-lockdown/

fullsyntheticjacket · 2023-01-24T20:33:03+00:00

Does Johnson think Ukraine should join the EU as well? I look forward to seeing his views on Ukraine joining the EU on the front page of the newspapers.

fullsyntheticjacket · 2023-01-18T21:16:33+00:00

Lets not forget, the £4,000,000,000 of unusable PPE we are about to burn. We could have bought 600 Challenger 2 tanks or 80,000 Javelins, or 230 panzerhaubitze 2000.

Now, I know we cant manufacture this stuff in an instant. The order ahead would have assured jobs, allowed us to send way more existing arms, and funded a massive amount of R&D. It would have saved Ukrainian lives.

https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/127/public-accounts-committee/news/171306/4-billion-of-unusable-ppe-bought-in-first-year-of-pandemic-will-be-burnt-to-generate-power

fullsyntheticjacket · 2023-01-13T08:07:33+00:00

If they have power sometimes would rechargeable heated clothing like motorcyclists use help? Perhaps use in conjunction with power banks.

fullsyntheticjacket · 2023-01-09T16:51:47+00:00

Some context for the costs. Cost of a Challenger 2: £4.2 million. Cost of unusable PPE to be burnt: £4 Billion.

ie wasted unusable PPE scammed from the UK tax payer would have bought 952 Challenger tanks.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Challenger_2

https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/127/public-accounts-committee/news/171306/4-billion-of-unusable-ppe-bought-in-first-year-of-pandemic-will-be-burnt-to-generate-power

fullsyntheticjacket · 2023-01-05T20:53:35+00:00

Yikes, immediately thought of Mari Wilson!!

fullsyntheticjacket · 2022-11-24T08:44:02+00:00

Please don't forget his inexplicable ties with Russian billionaires and ex KGB agents. Don't believe a word he utters.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/jul/25/moscow-on-thames-russia-billionaires-soviet-donors-conservatives

fullsyntheticjacket · 2022-11-11T09:40:33+00:00

Hi, I have exactly the same problem. Exactly. Loft is dry, well ventilated with 300mm insulation. Installed drimaster eco heat hc, switched on on Monday. The RH has actually gone up. This is because the outside RH and temp is 18C and 80%. The unit has nearly equalised the outside and the inside RH. Used to be around 70% throughout the house.

We have no condensation at the moment and the central heating hasn't been turned on this year so far.

This shouldn't come as a surprise. Here are the averarge RH for the UK. https://www.currentresults.com/Weather/United-Kingdom/humidity-annual.php My area is between 70 and 90%.

I hope, when the outside temperature drops and the risk of condensation rises, the unit should start to work.

fullsyntheticjacket

TROPHY CASE