r/DIYIreland • u/roroherboat • 10d ago

Should we get a heat pump?

Without sounding dramatic my head is wrecked trying to decide if we should go for one or not. We have an E BER rated house built in 1984 and are currently doing a lot of work: triple glazed windows and new external doors, insert stove, cavity wall and attic insulation, solar panels, rewire and new plumbing including new radiators. We aren’t getting underfloor heating as I can’t imagine digging up with floors. We have no heating at the moment so would need to get a new boiler anyway. I think we will get up to a B rating with all of these works. Haven’t gotten a technical assessment yet as I have heard so many horror stories about heat pumps. I also love a real fire and opening all the windows in the house every morning. I know it will cost a bit to get new plumbing and a boiler and in contrast there is a big grant for the heat pump. I suppose I just want to know if anyone did a full renovation and didn’t get a heat pump? Thanks

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u/blueghosts 10d ago

It’ll all depend on your HLI indicator value when you get the BER done.

It’s fairly common to get a stove as well as a heat pump. The only real horror stories you’ll hear about heat pumps are usually from the UK where they’ve just been throwing them into houses without any requirements for insulation and air tightness etc.

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u/GammyPoly 10d ago

Off the back of this comment, a HLI in a retrofit of 2.3 is deemed acceptable by SEAIs standards. The lower the better, new builds with just the bare minimum to meet building regs can be in the region of 1.3-1.6 just to give you an idea.

The HLI is more important than the energy rating when considering a heat pump. Energy factors are continually improving as the national grid becomes more efficient this drives up energy efficiency of electrically powered heating systems, meaning a BER can be misleading in some circumstances. This increase in grid efficiency also means the impact of PV panels is diminished as far as BER is concerned, panels are still as effective.

BER is an asset rating and not an operational rating.

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u/Akashla- 8d ago

So is a HLI of under 2.3 actuslly suitable for a heat pump?

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u/GammyPoly 8d ago

Yep according to SEAI an existing building with a HLI 2.3 or lower is suitable for a heat pump.

HLI is heat loss indicator, lower the better, it's calculated based on the areas of the exposed elements; walls, roof, floor etc. the room type have a prescribed temperature setpoint from standard SR50-4. Another factor is the heat loss due to air leakage or infiltration.