Heating

There is nothing nicer than coming home to a warm home! When choosing a source of heating for your home there are several factors to assess, such as the amount of heating you need, installation and running costs and the environmental impacts of different heating options. Read on to find out how best to heat your home.

Insulate first

There is little point spending your well earned money on heating that quickly escape from your house. Before looking at new heating options, make sure your home is well insulated first by checking out our insulation guide. With good insulation you will be able to purchase a smaller heating solution, which will have lower installation and running costs, as well as making your home faster to heat.

Zone your home

In large homes, it’s much more efficient to heat just a few rooms rather than the whole house. Depending on your objectives and budget you may need to decide which rooms are most lived in, and which can be shut off with closed doors if they are used only rarely.

Heater options

Matching the size of your heater to the space you want to heat is critical, so that your house is both warm and economical. Ask your heating supplier for advice about sizing to ensure long term benefits. Choosing the most efficient models available and maintaining them well will also reduce your costs.

For larger areas in your home most people look to install heat pumps, wood or wood-pellet burners, or a flued gas heater. Be sure to avoid unflued gas heaters as they release toxic fumes and moisture. In smaller areas where it is not as economic to install heat pumps, and if you are not planning on circulating heat with a ducting system, electric panel heaters may be used. The Energywise website provides a good overview of the heating options available in homes, their running costs and uses in different spaces. Smarter Homes also provides a good guide.

Depending on your access to fire wood, heat pumps are generally the most cost efficient way to heat your home. They are also the most energy efficient of all electrical heating devices and are able to remove moisture, keeping your home dryer.

Throughout Taranaki there are a huge range of specialist heating & cooling suppliers, plumbers and electricians who install heating solutions, too many to list here. Search online for your local representative.

Heat transfer systems

Where your main heat source has the capacity, a heat transfer systems is a good way of sending excess heat from the living spaces of your home to other rooms. Talk to your local supplier about the size of the heater needed in your living space first, to ensure there is capacity to heat the number of rooms you are looking to duct heat to. If not you may consider smaller electric panel heaters or similar in the bedrooms as an alternative.

Many heating installation companies will also install heat transfer systems. Search online for your local representative.

If you know of other stockists/retailers/suppliers/services or all round fantastic sustainable sources please let us know so that we can include them here.