One of the first things we realized when we bought this property was that something needed to be done about the heating system. The entire building containing eight apartments was heated with electric heaters. 47 of them, to be exact. When a house is sold in Sweden, the seller is required to provide an estimate of the annual energy consumption. However, this system is particularly ‘flexible’ because it does not require specifying how high the heaters were set or how many months per year the house remained unoccupied.
Double
Last May, we invited an installer who could inform us about the possibilities for a heat pump. I vividly remember his raised eyebrow when I mentioned that the estimated energy consumption for the property was 30,000 kWh. His name couldn’t have been more Swedish, Lars, and his response was equally succinct. “Maybe double,” he said, without indicating that he was joking.
Because energy prices in Sweden skyrocketed two years ago, we realized that replacing the heating system was not optional. A crazy decision by one crazy Russian would be enough to bankrupt us in one year. So, we received a quote equivalent to the price of a nice Swedish house in the countryside and signed with a smile. Or did we?
Hello?
I receive a message from my mother-in-law. While we still live in the Netherlands, waiting for little Felix to reach travel size, she’s spending a few weeks in our house in Sweden to keep things in order. “There’s a big machine drilling holes in your backyard,” I read on my phone. Huh? Um, okay? How so? Because nothing has been signed yet. In fact, there are still some unanswered questions that could be relevant to our choice of installation. Of course, we had already decided to have a new installation installed. And of course, out of the two installers, only one had bothered to respond with a quote, but it was still quite proactive.
Nice and deep
With two holes up to 190 meters deep in the ground, the main preparations for the installation were made. Two weeks after the agreed-upon date, two men are again in my backyard. They’re dragging an immense box across the uneven terrain. I see a sticker on the box. 120 KG – Do not tilt. I understand they’re having trouble navigating their handcart through the grass churned up by the drilling machines. “Heat pump?” I ask. “Yes,” is the clear answer. When I inquire if the technicians will now start installing the system quickly, one of the two replies, “Probably.”
A few weeks later, the installation begins. The machines are placed in position in the technical room, and the first meters of pipe are brought in. The fact that there was no ‘central heating system’ at all means not only a new installation but also all new radiators and the accompanying meters and meters of pipes that transport the hot water through the 50-meter-long building on both sides. And then there are the pipes for the hot water supply.
Turning up the heat
The installation of the new system is an immense task, and due to illness with the contractor, only one person works on the job for a long time. When a booking for 2 apartments is accepted in December (in consultation with the installer), pressure mounts. Literally and figuratively. 1 day before the guests arrive, the first half of the building is connected to the pump, and the system can be started up. Finally, we feel warmth in more places than just our living room. As preparation for the installation, all electric heaters had been removed from the walls by the electrician. And you really feel that at -20°C. 😊
Now, two months later, the pump hums like a happy baby, and all rooms are nice and warm. If all goes well, the power consumption has decreased by 50 to 70%, but the final figures are yet to come in. The only downside to this story is that we now have to navigate past a lot of piping for wallpapering and painting, but we’ll take that in stride.
Next time, we’ll take you through the renovation of the first 2 apartments. You may have already seen the results on social media, or maybe even on Booking.com, but we’ll also show a bit more of the condition we bought it in. See you soon!
Peter & Nienke
Ellis & Felix
