16.03.2026 Heat pump?

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  Monday 16th 37F/3C. Heavy overcast. A wet morning clearing to sunshine. 61F/16C in the room.43F/6C in the greenhouse. I am using the new wireless digital thermometers for monitoring the greenhouse. Both are reading identically to 0.1F. My old digital thermometer, with a sensor on a lead, is reading high at 47F. The sensor is trapped against the house wall by a shade card. Not to be trusted. 

 The wireless sensors are separated and resting in the open. On a slatted wooden table in the shade of large plant pots. Not under them! I am hoping this will overcome solar heating of the sensors and their immediate surroundings. Which was a constant battle out there last summer. I tried all sorts of shading but was always limited by the length of the sensor leads. The two thermometers were showing wildly different measurements. As much as 30F! As the sun heated the southern brick wall. 

 9.45 Up at 8.22 after a ridiculously busy night attending the fire bucket. I was going to get up several times but went back to sleep each time. I have lit the stove. 60F is not warm enough!

 I lit the stove and the room quickly rose to 70F. That consumed only four logs. The sunshine after lunch maintained both the room and greenhouse at 70F/21C. I had already let the stove go out mid morning.

 No walk with it raining steadily. 

 Another day on YouTube. Researching heat pumps again. I have been considering having one for years. Air to Air of course. I can't afford a wet system. Even though that could utilize the underfloor heating pipes in the kitchen and bathroom. Starting at £10,000 equivalent and needing a plethora of pipes and umpteen tanks. The Danish taxpayer will subsidize a wet unit to the tune of about £3k. The UK offers £7500 handouts for a wet system! 

 The main problem is deciding where to place the indoor "blower" unit. It doesn't want to be blowing directly at the TV seating area. I would much prefer it on the far end of the long leg of the L-shaped lounge. This would minimize any draughts. While avoiding blowing warm air directly up the open stairs. 

 The online advice is to place it on the short wall wall blowing towards the long leg. This would be above my bed and the windows. Which is the worst position for blowing onto the computer desk and TV watching chair. The far end of the long leg has a low ceiling height and a door. Making positioning anything there a real struggle. It also requires lengthy plumbing pipes. Since there is no suitable outside wall for the exterior unit. 

 So, I have placed a red box with a question mark at top right on my rough drawing for the outside unit. With the indoor unit on the short wall between the window and the corner. The dining table is probably far enough away not to cause storm tossed hairstyles. 

 A heat pump would free me from the ever increasing burden of collecting firewood for the stove. Then double handling it from the trailer into the greenhouse. Then stacking it in the greenhouse from the wheelbarrow. Then bringing in heavy baskets full to the living room for a day's burning. It seems more logical to do this in loads. To avoid repeatedly opening the greenhouse door when it is cold out there. The small front hall out to the greenhouse is often feels as chilly as a walk-in fridge. 

 It is fortunate there are two doors to treat the small hall as an air lock. Between the living room, hall and kitchen. I fold back the kitchen door in summer to free up the foot traffic flow. The living room door opens back against the airing cupboard doors.

 18.30 Time to make dinner. Still 68F/20C in the room. 

 I have sent emails to five heat pump installers to hear their responses. There is no old heating system to remove so it should be a quick job. 

 I should have gone shopping. The last two slices of bread to toast. Four day old beans. 😋

   

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