That’s an interesting system, I’d never heard of it. But it looks big and ugly. Where would people envisage putting it?
If you’re referring to the portable heaters, they are only big enough to contain 30cm gas bottles in the housing with some space around the bottle and being on wheels can be moved to where ever it is required.
I think they also give off water vapor… which can be a problem (or at least need to be sorted efficiently)
new designs might not have that problem.
I’m sorry, I was referring to the log/exchange heating boilers.
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Burning anything gives off water vapour, the portable gas heaters are notoriously bad as they have no flue. Lots of ventilation needed
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as are the petrol ones…
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Well, i knew you lot were good, but this is an amazing response just for little old me, I’ve learnt so much, many thanks.
Sorry I cant reply individually( my fault for leaving it so long) but it looks like the way forward for me, is, a better/bigger size woodburner fitted by a Frenchman, upgrade the electric heaters in the short term, until I can make some local enquiries about ASHP. GSHP is too costly for just a second home. I have to say, I’ve not seen many units on the houses around Barneville. We’ll see.
Many thanks again, this is some site you have with lots of very knowledgeable people. 
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It’s what I was used to as a young person. Horrible things. Very hot in the surrounding 50cm of space, and never managed to feel as if the whole space was warm. The vapour was a problem as well, as need for ventilation reduced their efficiency to useless. Not sure I’d be wanting to carry the bottles around the house these days either.
We have a heat pump for underfloor heating/radiators in our gîte, and our only issue is the temperature we have to keep it at when we’re not heating the gîte to stop the pump itself from freezing. We were also advised never to turn it off, a bit of a nuisance is spring and autumn when we would otherwise not use any heating at all. For that reason I wouldn’t install one in our house. (We have thermodynamique ballon and wood stoves).
But we are in a cold area, maybe ok in warmer places.
Have you a link to a website Peter?
When we had a heat pump installed a couple of years ago, we attached a copy of the invoice to our tax return and placed the figure in the appropriate box on the (then) paper return and a short time later, the fisc refunded a significant sum directly to our bank account.
I’m sure this is the way it continues to work. BTW, that year our tax bill was nil so there is no dependancy on how much tax you pay.
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Hi again John, hope you are well.
It’s called La Prime d’énergie EDF.
When I applied last year several grants were available meaning I could have had a new system of heat pump installed for nothing in fact if I had applied this year or the previous year I would have qualified as some of the grants are means tested.
Google EDF prime énergie and that will take you to an EDF site.
Basically when I applied the following aides were available
EDF Prime. €3500 which I received
Department grant €1500 means tested
Govt grant up to €5000 means tested.
The plumber/chauffagiste must be registered with EDF and he or she will give you all the info. The existing radiators are used if they are suitable.
The only problem I had was with the electricity supply. I had to upgrade my supply to take the extra load.
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Hi Jane.
Mine can be turned off when heating isn’t required but it supplies the hot water too so that’s on all the time. I was advised to switch off during lightening etc.
Interesting. We were told that it was bad for its innards to be turned off completely… Ours is a Steibel, what’ yours?
It’s French made Atlantic.
What you mustn’t do is keep the boiler running with the radiators closed. But I can’t see why the heating side can’t be switched off ? It’s just like any other heating boiler in my opinion and very clean and I smelly unlike other systems.
Usually there is a “bypass loop” so that water can always circulate, typically a towel rail or bathroom radiator (at least in the UK) and normally specified to be abe to dissipate something in the order of 5-10% of the boiler heat output (say 1kW for a 15kW boiler).
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Sadly misinformation, also the compressor inside is usually 1 of 3 companies the outside is decoration with some different bells and whistles. Depending on the environment it will be used in and the temperature demand.
Yes, that’s correct Paul. One of the bathroom rads is kept open .
Thanks Peter.
Either a bathroom rad or the highest radiator in the house. That’s where the XS hot water will make for when all else is shut off.
In my early days in London +/- '68 - '74, the sort of places I lived in had no heating. The good old Aladdin paraffin heater was a fave. Loved the smell, not very effective, masses of water vapour. There were times it was so cold that the Aladdin was useless and I would drive around in my car - I could afford a £100 banger - to keep warm.