Farmhouse - Ground source heat pump

Description:Family home, re-imagined using renewable heating and smart technologies

Client: Bateson Family, Cheshire

ThermaSkirt Profile: Deco BM 2 on a Ground source heat pump

If your family home is located in beautiful Cheshire Countryside and yet only a few hundred metres away from the family business, it’s difficult to find a better example of a Work / Life balance.

Understandably then, the Bateson family of Bateson Trailers fame, decided that their Grandmothers’ home would be an ideal family home for Simon and his wife and two children.

‘Tired’ would have been an estate agents’ description of the house, as it had fallen into some disrepair and was reliant on oil heating.

Simon Bateson explains:

The Bateson family Home, originally built in the 1800’s was extensively updated and extended.

The Bateson’s decided to gut the property and extend to create a 5-bedroom property that was spacious, stylish and economical to run.

Simon goes on:

For a while it seemed that oversized or fan assisted radiators to adequately heat the rooms at the lower flow temperature of a heat pump were Simons’ only options. But Simon was not a big fan of radiators, especially if they would have to be up to twice the size to work properly

By chance, Simon visited Cheshire Design Centre in Congleton, to choose a log burning stove for their living room. CDC happens to be a ThermaSkirt distributor & installer, and had a working display of the heated skirting boards on show.

Simon Explains:

ThermaSkirt combines the heating into an aluminium skirting board profile to provide an even distribution of heat, even at lower flow temperatures. Being ‘above ground´ it can easily cope with water at both low and normal boiler temperatures and any kind of floor covering - including heavy carpets.

CDC provided DiscreteHeat with a set of plans and U Values, and the company was able to produce a detailed design and costing for the upstairs

The Bateson’s opted for the simple Deco Profile in BM2 – a square edge 115mm high skirting which they felt complimented the desired look of the finished farmhouse.

Although the taller (170mm) BM3 is more often used with heat pumps due to the greater output per M, in this case the BM2 has proved more than satisfactory.

ThermaSkirt can work with any floor covering, including heavy carpets even when using a Heat Pump

“Its absolutey spot on” said Simon “and working beautifully, well in time for Christmas– the whole house is lovely and warm” The System is controlled via smart thermostats that can be programmed and activated by mobile phone as well as on the screen.

It seems Christmas has come early in the Bateson household with the elimination of radiators upstairs.