Rotor

Bottled gas /eletric heating is very very expensive both in Spain and the UK , diesel/heating oil seems to be the way to go.

Macman

Has anyone considered using solar heating? I've fitted a couple of radiators and will soon be coupling them up to a home made solar panel. The idea is that the sun will warm the house during the day and retain a lot of the heat after sunset. The house faces north so does not receive any sunlight directly through the windows.

jackytoo

Interesting, let us know. Most spanish houses are so badly insulated that they only retain heat for about 10 mins

Macman

Guess I'm lucky as the house seems to hold the heat very well. I fitted a small wood burner and after using it during the day and evening the next morning the living room is still 20c.

jdr

20c is cold for me.lol

Macman

And me! That's why I've fitted radiators. Hate the cold more than paying taxes!

VFR

We have C/Heating (Gasoil fired) and is very reliable since we have been here (6 years)
Our villa is 6 bed (3 up, 3 down) and we burn about 600 litres per winter on average.
Think ? the previous owner paid about 4k for the system fitted.
Rads seem to be expensive here compared to the UK looking in Leroy's/Brico etc.
Oil deposito is 600lit plastic type you see everyware with the steel cage around it & is covered by the regs etc.

fionamw

Is yours a modern property? & How many rooms total/how many rads? I know you can't speak for the previous owner, but to your knowledge was the 4k all-in, tank (bunded?? would have to be in UK) rads, pipework, boiler, making good plasterwork, etc., ??

VFR

Built in the 70's and strangly it has cavity walls (rare here I know)
About ?? 10/12 rads and I am looking to add one more in our what was an open terrace area.
Tank lives in the boiler room and is quite legal here in Spain.
Yes I belive that the cost was all in, mind you that was fitted about 10 years ago !
Upstairs where we live I fitted laminate flooring through out, with the best under liner available to help keep it nicer underfoot (works ok)

fionamw

Sounds cosy.... tells the tale of why owners of old properties such as ourselves find it a frightening prospect to retro-install CH. Yours in a fairly modern build may have cost 4-5k€. 80% of our walls are stone, some very thick, and I'd be reluctant to install surface pipework hence requiring loads of cutting out/in & weeks of mess not to mention €€€€€€€€! For boiler, tank, plus 13 rads (which I think we'd be looking at) I hate to think the final bill. Mind you it might pay for itself somewhere down the line when house purchases pick up And for anyone who sees this as moaning about something we should have thought of, well actually yes maybe we should have thought of it, but it's not moaning, it's thinking out loud

chris52

I know a Dutch company and they work with condensing boilers, heatpumps ect. They also sell Dru gasfires. They worked in Comares and Colmenar and friends of my are very happy with them.
The name is Clima-estepona and you find them in Estepona. Google on clima estepona

fionamw

Thanks.... doesn't solve the problem of retro-installation in an old stone property, but it's worth knowing a local company anyway.

Macman

I guess retro fitting isn't too good an idea, luckily most of my pipework will be hidden when I fit built in wardrobes.