On Wed, 9 Sep 2009 11:04:40 +0100 someone who may be "David WE
Roberts" wrote this:-

However this is also an opportunity to 'go green' with for example a heat
store, solar water heating on the roof, a wood pellet boiler.
This also gives the option of adding other heat sources such as a solid fuel
stove with back boiler to heat water in the winter.

All feasible.

Make sure the thermal store has enough tappings/coils for the
sources of heat you might use. Solar needs a coil, assuming you want
it to be on a separate circuit filled with antifreeze and
pressurised to better resist flashing to steam under stagnation.
Other sources of heat and radiators can just be on tappings.

If you are considering underfloor heating this is in many ways best
fed by a coil fairly low down the store, to get a better temperature
for it, though it is possible to mix down hotter water.

You may want a separate shower coil for mains pressure showers,
while having the rest of the hot water system as the better gravity
fed system via a separate hot water coil.

If in a hard water area plate heat exchangers are the thing to do
for, though they are more expensive.

In this case the pipe runs are likely to be longer but good lagging and a
pump may help the 'instant hot water' requirement.

Is there a problem locating the store near the kitchen and bathroom?
The pipes from solar and other heat sources can be well insulated to
minimise losses.




--
David Hansen, Edinburgh
I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents me
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00023--e.htm#54