An individually designed and highly energy efficient private house, nearing completion in South Wales, is making extensive use of the technologies available within the range of South-West based OMNIE: including two types of underfloor heating system, employed to maximise the efficiency and comfort delivered by one of the manufacturer’s ground source heat pumps. The five-bedroom home near Yerberston, Pembrokshire, has been built by Richard Scourfield for himself and his family, targeting very low running costs and minimising environmental impact. In addition to excellent insulation standards from the mainly traditional construction, one of OMNIE’s SWCV 122 H1 ground source heat pumps was chosen to supply both ample domestic hot water for the multiple bathrooms and space heating throughout. Using a flow temperature of just 400 C, the heat delivery is via OMNIE’s TorFloor UFH system across the ground floor rooms which include the lounge, study, kitchen/breakfast, utility and a guest bedroom, while the LowBoard 15 alternative was preferred upstairs for the master and other bedrooms.
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Mr. Scourfield himself supervised the laying of the long ground arrays, which were laid in trenches excavated to a depth of 2-3 metres. The pipe runs are filled with a brine mixture to harvest free, renewable heat from the sub-soil and link back to the heat pump located in the downstairs utility room, along with the 300 litre storage vessel.
Craig Guymer recounted: “We cover the whole of Pembrokeshire doing domestic as well as other types of contract, but hadn’t previously encountered the OMNIE equipment until the client, Richard, researched it. Once he’d identified the range as meeting all the project’s requirements, OMNIE produced the design and specification. “
“The site’s carpenters actually installed the underfloor heating panels, having very little difficulty following the layouts and running all the pipes back to where I installed the manifolds – one upstairs and two on the ground floor – and made the connections. We also installed the ground source heat pump and all the control systems, prior to OMNIE carrying out the commissioning and signing the job off in order for the client to claim the RHI. In fact OMNIE was very responsive to any queries we had and I would definitely be happy to work with the manufacturer again.”
SWCV 122 H1 ground source heat pumps are smartly packaged and compact as well as very quiet in operation. Delivering high Coefficients of Performance and MCS approved, they are easily controllable even in cascade arrangement – and work best in combination with the manufacturer’s well proven UFH systems. Ideal for retrofit where head height may be restricted, as well as new build projects, LowBoard comes in 15mm and 22mm thicknesses, the underfloor heating panels being floated or mechanically fixed over a flat timber or solid sub-floor. The panel has a multi-directional design, offering stability and being simply set out across the ground or upper floor construction, also making the installation of the heating pipe rapid and flexible enough to suit complex room shapes.
Not only does LowBoard offer a completely dry system, the inclusion of the foil diffuser further speeds the warm up time without eating up headroom or requiring expensive alteration to doors and skirting boards.
