Hi, it was affordable with the Boiler Upgrade Scheme help. Probably not as cheap as a replacement gas boiler would have been, but it allows us to stop using gas, removes the gas standing charge, and make great sense by having solar panels and a battery too. I would contact Octopus and a couple of local installers - especially those who have been recommended personally. I hope you can move forward with a local installer. Best regards, Jeff

There was a heat loss survey done, whether it was accurate is hard to say. The upstairs bedrooms have angled ceilings which are pretty close to the roof, and I'm not convinced they were accounted for in detail. We have the Vaillant indoor display with the temperature gauge on it, and an OEM thermostat for reference in the lounge. The heat pump id set to weather compensation and it seems to do a good job for us, as well as seeming to be efficient. We do have TRV's on the radiators to give some adjustment if needed.

The issue with proximity to windows was the problem using the standard mono block Arotherm Plus which uses R290 refrigerant - propane. This led us to use the AroTherm Split which uses R410A which doesn't have the installation constraints.

Yes - it was the upside of the planning delays!

Thanks for your kind comments. I am sure that you will get an excellent job from Heat Geek. The installer choice is even more important than the heat pump choice!

It did feel like that at times!

Thanks for the comment. Yes, we are running with pure weather compensation set on the heat pump.

We did make a reasonably push against the Planning people - but our life is too short and we actually ended up with a better solution I think. But the process does need sorting out.

the problem came from installation guys at the start(years ago) installing them too close to neighbours windows in old small 1 bedroom quarry mens cottages etc. the units were LOUD. lines were drawn and DB levels need to be followed. its great having an environmentally friendly holiday/permanent home but not at neighbours expense. lovely couple glad they persisted and worked around it. btw personally i agree with you very doubtful in that instance it would have caused a problem, maybe it was too close to that bedroom window? people should be allowed to leave their windows open and have a good nights sleep during warm weather. fans and internals dont sound like they used to, octopus should go back to dakin and make their heatpump designers aware so they can bring their units inline.

Yes, the trouble was we didn't know enough to start with to judge them I fear. As the installation progressed we learnt a lot and knew more in some ways than the company seemed to. And we certainly had better diagnostic skills!

It is proving to be a good journey so far here. Thanks!

The heat pump is bolted onto those rubberised feet and seems pretty stable. The ground underneath seems very stable, so I'm hopeful, but it is a good idea to keep an eye on it for a continued level placement. Thanks!

Thanks for the comments. You are right, the guttering in the video was a temporary arrangement. It now runs to the existing downpipes from the roof by being extended above the heat pump. We had to wait until the gas boiler had been removed to be able to do that part. All good fun!

It is split, with the heat extraction being done by the outdoor unit, the refrigerant carrying the heat to the indoor unit, and the heat being exchanged there to the water - for the radiator circuit or the hot water cylinder. It is a more complex install, but it got round the issue we had with the R290 refrigerant since it uses R410a instead. Not so environmentally friendly, but it is unlikely to have a leak I hope.

@@jeffjsmith Thanks for the reply, ah yes when i looked again i see the difference.

Yes, it might be larger than absolutely required, but it does seem to run efficiently.

Yes, we did wonder sometimes ... But it was worth it certainly.

Yes, it used to be the outside loo - just big enough for the equipment.

Yes, it did seem crazy that we are being encouraged on one side to help in reaching net zero, and on the other hand public health is inflexible. I do believe that this will be sorted out soon, I certainly hope so. The saving grace was that due to the delay we got a bigger boiler upgrade scheme grant!

Decibels are not linear.

Ok , so the point really is if it were that close why apply the rule so rigidly ? You surely get the point in the current environment using what borders on petty bureaucracy to put obstacles in the way of someone trying to do as requested , it’s pencil necks gone mad .

Thanks for the comment!

Hi - no, I have never had that happen. I have had to jam the mowing level button down, but I rarely use the Stop button. Is it possible to prise it up (gently)? Puzzling...

@@jeffjsmith many thanks, Jeff! will figure it out :)

Hi - it takes about 20 to 30 minutes to cycle from Le Littoral to the Super U in Talmont. A nice ride, almost all on cycle paths. Are you going there? Jeff

@@jeffjsmith hi thanks for the reply, yeah we're going there for the first two weeks july. Me my wife and 2 teenagers. Looks like a great place for cycling.

@@paulhendrick7640 I'm sure that you will have a great time. There are a lot of bike routes 'Vendee a Velo" which go up and down the coast and have some superb coastal views. The marshlands are also interesting to visit. The Littoral is itself an excellent campsite. Are you taking your own bikes or hiring?

@@jeffjsmith we'll have our own bikes. is jard sur mer worth a visit? is there much to do there?

@@paulhendrick7640 Jard is quite a small place - but quite interesting. Les Sables is much bigger with a lot of things to do - visits, things to do on boats etc, and it has a good beach - with surfing when the weather is right for that. Talmont itself has a castle to visit. There is a lot of interesting places around in the area.

Hi - yes, you are right! But we did put a pair on him a couple of years ago, and with the rain and cold and sun, they fell off after a fairly short while. I might have another go and use some extra glue!!

Hi, thanks for the comment. I have a GoPro Hero 8 which I use for filming this sort of thing, as well as when we go snowboarding. It is small and produces good quality 4K clips. As for editing, this was made using Lumafusion on a MacBook. It is good piece of software that also works on the iPad. However, the Mac version is essentially running the iPad app, and it has become annoyingly laggy and quite frustrating. I am in the process of switching to Da Vinci Resolve on the Mac, that seems to be very responsive and full-functioned. Jeff

I'm in the process of doing an update - there will be a surprise! Thanks for the comments. Jeff

Merci beaucoup. Nous aimons beaucoup le paysage de la France aussi!

Thanks for the comment - and I hope that you choose a sunny day for the lovely ride! 🌞

Thanks so much for your kind comment. And follow the Nike slogan - ‘Just do it …’ as soon as you can! You won’t regret it! Jeff 👍

Hi, Usually the wind is pretty reliable in Tarifa in January, although it can sometimes be a little rainy. There are a couple of beaches - Los Lances and Valdevaqueros nearby which are very good, depending on the wind direction. Also there is a spot near Algeciras and another round at Cannes de Meca which are good for different wind directions. The shore break can be challenging at times, but if you like waves then it would be no problem! Have fun, Jeff

@@jeffjsmith Sounds perfect, thanks a lot - I'm going to book😃😃

Hi Martin, Thanks for the nice comments. Yes, we made up the route and where we stayed ourselves to visit some friends in Brittany and then go down the Atlantic coast. We try to pick out reasonably quiet and easy routes where possible - canals and rivers are often favourites. From St Nazaire we approximately followed the Velocean bike route which is sign posted much of the distance and there is a website with GPS tracks available. We took the European Bike Express back to the UK from Bayonne. In those days there were regular trips during the summer but I think they are now less frequent. I hope that you have a great time - it is such a wonderful way to travel and to see and feel the passing countryside. There is more detail if you haven't seen it at: www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/WestFrance2014. Best wishes, Jeff and Ally

Thanks for the comment. It is indeed a blessing being able to be able to still enjoy the breeze and sunshine ... and rain sometimes! Keep on pedalling!! Jeff😀

You are right there. There were really poor and we would never recommend them. The technology is good, the implementation was haphazard and error prone.

You are wrong there - we love it and have had it for almost two years now. It is very efficient, easy to control, and is totally reliable.

@@jeffjsmith I've installed a few, no real advantage over a normal heat pump high gain cylinder.

Hi! Thanks for the comment. My advice would be to 'just do it'. It is surprising how the kms roll by and you can take it at a pace that suits you. Late May and June are perfect times in our experience. Not too much traffic, available accommodation and usually pretty good weather. Enjoy! Jeff

Will you be staying there anytime do you think?

Yes, we always love to spend time in the Vendée, you are very fortunate 👍

I haven’t made a video - I now feel rather embarrassed … However, I will try in about a month’s time. The sad news was that Boris needed some mechanical attention from Bosch - he suffered a seized back wheel. He was repaired and is back in action though! Best wishes, Jeff

Merci beaucoup - bonne route et bon temps a vous! 👍

It makes for a pretty neat job!

Enjoy the ride - sounds great! Jeff

Yes, you make a good point. Another black mark ...

We can certainly recommend the French Atlantic coast. It is a real pleasure to cycle down to Spain that way, and often the weather is beautiful. Enjoy your ride! Jeff

Hi Ian - we have a WPL 25-AS. It works well for our house which is reasonably large, but well-insulated. Jeff

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