Hi guys, I am currently exploring dissertation ideas and have been looking into the heat recovery potential from domestic gas boilers and ovens. More specifically, I am seeing if it is viable to collect heat from these appliances during or after their use, and then pump this heat into the attic of your standard UK home. The purpose of this would be to warm up the attic space, therefore increasing the temperature in the attic, and thus decreasing the temperature difference between the attic and the rooms below it. Hence, decreasing the overall heat transfer between these areas, which would lead to a more insulated home. I made a quick sketch of the concept to illustrate this mechanism (apologies for the quality as it was done rather hastily on the train ride home).
So, essentially what the above sketch depicts is a mechanism which utilizes the heat from the oven and the boiler flue gasses and runs them through a heat exchanger to warm up the ambient cold air coming into the attic.
I was hoping to get some feedback from you guys on; how viable this concept is, the variables I need to account for when trying to construct this system and also any suggestions on areas of research I could pursue to enhance my knowledge of heat recovery systems.
All advice and suggestions are welcomed and greatly appreciated.
( o Y o )
Feb 27, 19 9:54 pm
Pick a different idea.
Non Sequitur
Feb 27, 19 11:25 pm
so... how is this better than just putting in extra ducts or even a small electric heater? No need to invent a new system and surprise fact, that residual heat from the appliances is far better used if it just bleeds into the living space... unless it's summer.
Non Sequitur
Feb 27, 19 11:26 pm
Also, not a good idea (it's actually fucking terrible) to use combustion exhaust to heat a space. We have codes that prevent this type of installation for a reason.
Volunteer
Feb 28, 19 6:41 am
If you had a hot water boiler heating system you could run the return water up to the attic and have a register in the attic to transfer some of the heat from the return water to the attic space before the water is routed to the boiler. The energy cost would be determined by the lessened temperature of the return water to the boiler (since some heat was transferred to the air in the attic) over what it is now. Might be cheaper than routing hot water directly from the boiler.
senjohnblutarsky
Feb 28, 19 8:16 am
This has ice dams written all over it, depending upon the location of the insulation. But, if the OP is considering the attic a buffer space, then I would assume the insulation is on top of the ceiling, not at the top chord of the truss.
In that case, we typically go out of our way to make sure the attic space is ventilated, and not warm. You don't want snow/ice melting in parts of the roof and not in others because it can result in water accumulating and eventually running through your moisture barriers.
As Non Sequitur said, you'd be better served letting oven heat bleed into the space. Combustion exhaust needs to leave the space as quickly as possible.
Non Sequitur
Feb 28, 19 8:24 am
I expected this is a situation where the truss are insulated and the attic is somewhat usable... but if this is a ventilated space, then that opens new problems.
Side thesis then, what about installing a water collection device for those ice dams. Maybe act as some sort of ice crusher to deliver cubed ice into the kitchen for my gin & tonics. Win win... My attic is now warm (ish) and I have on demand fresh local ice cubes.
Volunteer
Feb 28, 19 9:25 am
Cooling the attic in the summer is another problem. If you simply use an exhaust fan it creates a vacuum which draws some air conditioned air from the living spaces below. The outside replacement air to the living spaces has to then be air conditioned. The attic may be somewhat cooler by using the exhaust fan but the savings may be more than offset by the increased cooling costs of the additional outside air coming to the living spaces.
Hi guys, I am currently exploring dissertation ideas and have been looking into the heat recovery potential from domestic gas boilers and ovens. More specifically, I am seeing if it is viable to collect heat from these appliances during or after their use, and then pump this heat into the attic of your standard UK home. The purpose of this would be to warm up the attic space, therefore increasing the temperature in the attic, and thus decreasing the temperature difference between the attic and the rooms below it. Hence, decreasing the overall heat transfer between these areas, which would lead to a more insulated home. I made a quick sketch of the concept to illustrate this mechanism (apologies for the quality as it was done rather hastily on the train ride home).
So, essentially what the above sketch depicts is a mechanism which utilizes the heat from the oven and the boiler flue gasses and runs them through a heat exchanger to warm up the ambient cold air coming into the attic.
I was hoping to get some feedback from you guys on; how viable this concept is, the variables I need to account for when trying to construct this system and also any suggestions on areas of research I could pursue to enhance my knowledge of heat recovery systems.
All advice and suggestions are welcomed and greatly appreciated.
Pick a different idea.
so... how is this better than just putting in extra ducts or even a small electric heater? No need to invent a new system and surprise fact, that residual heat from the appliances is far better used if it just bleeds into the living space... unless it's summer.
Also, not a good idea (it's actually fucking terrible) to use combustion exhaust to heat a space. We have codes that prevent this type of installation for a reason.
If you had a hot water boiler heating system you could run the return water up to the attic and have a register in the attic to transfer some of the heat from the return water to the attic space before the water is routed to the boiler. The energy cost would be determined by the lessened temperature of the return water to the boiler (since some heat was transferred to the air in the attic) over what it is now. Might be cheaper than routing hot water directly from the boiler.
This has ice dams written all over it, depending upon the location of the insulation. But, if the OP is considering the attic a buffer space, then I would assume the insulation is on top of the ceiling, not at the top chord of the truss.
In that case, we typically go out of our way to make sure the attic space is ventilated, and not warm. You don't want snow/ice melting in parts of the roof and not in others because it can result in water accumulating and eventually running through your moisture barriers.
As Non Sequitur said, you'd be better served letting oven heat bleed into the space. Combustion exhaust needs to leave the space as quickly as possible.
I expected this is a situation where the truss are insulated and the attic is somewhat usable... but if this is a ventilated space, then that opens new problems.
Side thesis then, what about installing a water collection device for those ice dams. Maybe act as some sort of ice crusher to deliver cubed ice into the kitchen for my gin & tonics. Win win... My attic is now warm (ish) and I have on demand fresh local ice cubes.
Cooling the attic in the summer is another problem. If you simply use an exhaust fan it creates a vacuum which draws some air conditioned air from the living spaces below. The outside replacement air to the living spaces has to then be air conditioned. The attic may be somewhat cooler by using the exhaust fan but the savings may be more than offset by the increased cooling costs of the additional outside air coming to the living spaces.
Bad Idea Jeans