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<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nIt is only a small room and, like so many of our other \u2018storage\u2019 spaces(!) had become a little disorganised and overfull. It was also the source of so many drafts coming into the house and chilling it down over the winter as the external slate walls have lots of holes and the ceiling has massive gaps between the boards!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nIn this small and chaotic space was an oil-fired boiler of indeterminate age but our estimation is in excess of 20 years. The timer function had long since stopped working so it could not be programmed leaving 2 power options, on or off. You could switch off the pump so I wouldn\u2019t feed the radiators and just provide hot water. We did this when we first arrived at Kergudon and had the luxury of hot water whenever we wanted but we did get through 500 litres of oil in less than 6 months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nAs it was so old it was extremely inefficient. More so when there were 2 radiators running off the system in Priory which were completely ineffective at heating that large space. Consequently, for the last 5 years we have only been turning the boiler on for periods of 15 minutes or so once or twice a day when we need to shower and wash up. This meant we didn\u2019t use so much fuel oil but it did mean the house was always between chilly and arctic-cold in the winter and we used a lot of firewood instead in the po\u00eale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During our refurbishment of Priory in the spring we removed those radiators and installed an air source heat pump as, we understand, they are extremely efficient. So far we have been very impressed with it. While Priory\u2019s heat pump only heats air which is used to heat the g\u00eete, hot water being provided by an electric immersion heater, some friends showed us their system which heats water and plugged straight into their exiting radiators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Having convinced us that this was the way to go for our own home, our friends then sealed the fact by telling us that the French state, as part of its efforts to combat climate change, are providing assistance to householders wanting to replace inefficient oil boilers with super-efficient heat pumps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This week saw the work done but did mean that it took me a while at the start of the week to completely empty the utility room so the team could do their work. The room is so different when empty, and much lighter, but now our lounge is (temporarily) full of laundry and cleaning things!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 2 guys who came to do the work were really efficient. Two days of work was all they required to rip out the old boiler, and the extremely unattractive fuel tank on our side terrace, and replace with a new system. Unfortunately it was less than 2 days before I broke it(!) at 5 pm on Friday. I was really impressed when at 9 am Saturday their maintenance team were with us and within a couple of hours all was back up and running. In my defence I hadn\u2019t broken it but, while they were quick, the installers hadn\u2019t done something quite right and a few tweaks were required to get it operating correctly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nNow we have some of those things others take for granted and we provide in the g\u00eetes, hot water on demand and a warm house all day long!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We are so impressed with heat pumps that we are having a Priory style air-air system installed in Granary in the next couple of months to make sure it remains toasty in the winter season but in a more efficient way. One of the other tasks I did during the week in preparation for this was to create a concrete pad behind Granary on which the external unit will eventually sit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now we have the new system, next week will be the start of me rebuilding the utility room and first will be to dry line the ceiling with plasterboard to reduce the drafts coming into the house. Having ripped out the old sink but it being essential, we spent much of Friday in Brest looking for a replacement as well as new wall cabinets Dave having authorised their purchase. The old Granary and Hayloft units will get re-re-used in the garage and our new cabinets are white which should mean the new utility room will seem lighter, and larger, and we have been able to maximise the space so will be able to store more stuff!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nWe continued our weekly walks yesterday with the longest yet. We did a 17.2 km circuit on the north side of the presqu’\u00eele de crozon (Crozon peninsular) starting and finishing at the pretty town of Land\u00e9vennec<\/a>. Another beautifully clear, crisp autumn day and another fabulous walk through forest, woodland and along the south side of the Rade de Brest<\/a> almost exactly opposite where we walked a few weeks ago<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unlike last week when we were too early for the autumnal colours, this week we saw some fabulous signs of nature and the amazing year we\u2019ve had. I haven\u2019t seen as many holly berries as this year for a long time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n