by ericmark »
Tue Jun 18, 2024 8:03 am
It looks like a heat pump, however as to if it warms or cools the home or both impossible to tell. This is the problem with heat pumps, the cold bit gathers condensate, so needs a method to remove it, often just let it drip on the road below, which is a danger with legionaries.
However, it could also be the pipes carrying the gas and power, with a cover to protect them. It seems there is a push for heat pumps, but only to heat the home, not to cool, which, if it being fitted with the idea of globule warming, seems a little short-sighted. But to heat and cool one need fan assisted radiators, as heat raises, so unless the radiator can move up/down the wall, it needs a fan, also the temperature of the water to air is less, so again either fan assisted or very large area.
The cost of fitting something like the ivector Myson fan assisted radiator with condensate pumps is rather high, also of course all pipes need lagging or they will drip condensate, all well and good with a new build, but retro fitting there are loads of problems.
To my mind the largest problem is security of supply, I still remember the Winter of Discontent, and as a result have a battery and inverter plus solar panels so central heating will not fail, but the size required to use electric to heat, is silly, so to me electric heating is non starter.
