One of the most important additions to your home in colder climates is indoor heating that works well, warming each room, but which does not hike up your heating bills. You require a system that is energy efficient, financially sustainable and works well to heat your home.
Below we will look at some of the best heating systems for your house, to help you decide which is best for you.
Types of Heating Systems
1) Central Heating System
Furnaces
Many homes depend on central heating through a furnace to heat up the living spaces. A furnace works by blowing hot air through air ducts, which then circulates the warm air throughout the home. Most commonly this is an electric heating system, however it can also be powered by oil or gas.
The heating system is regulated by controls, the most important of which is the thermostat. The thermostat can switch the system on and off, which will keep a comfortable temperature in your house.
Boilers and Radiators
A gas boiler is a type of water heater. Where a furnace distributes hot air, boilers circulate hot water through the home as it flows through radiators and other devices. The cooled down water flows back to the boiler for heating.
Radiators are popular home heating appliances (we love the ones offered by Trade Radiators), and when combined with underfloor heating your house will be toasty throughout winter.
Boilers are normally fueled by natural gas, but can also use heating oil.
Heat Pumps
Heat pumps are basically just standard air conditioning systems. In winter, a heat pump pulls in air from outside and heats it up, and in summer it reverses the system. Most modern pumps are forced air systems that aid with moving hot air throughout the house.
There are two types of pumps: air-source heat pumps and ground source heat pumps. An air-source heat pump works by using the air outside as a heat source and sink in winter and summer.
A ground source heat pump uses underground heat, which is consistent throughout the year. Air-source pumps are much more affordable.
Ground-source pumps are more expensive, but also more efficient and offer a renewable heat incentive. They are a good investment if you plan to live in your house for many years.
2) Solar heating
Installing solar panels is a great way to harness passive solar energy to warm your home. Solar thermal panels work by absorbing the sun’s heat.
If you install solar panels, you can use them to circulate hot water throughout your home, heat your geyser, heat your pool, or use them as solar cookers.
There are many companies that offer renewable energy heating solutions and can provide you with the perfect system. This type of system will increase energy efficiency, while decreasing your monthly energy bills.
3) Direct Heat
Gas-Fired Heaters
If you do not have the budget to have a heating system boiler or radiators installed, then you can invest in a gas heater to supply direct heat.
These heaters are mostly free-standing, however they can also be wall-mounted or installed into your floor.
Gas heaters do not have a duct system and are best to warm up an individual room. You can also leave doors open between rooms to help distribute the heat throughout the space.
Electric Storage Heaters
Portable electric heaters plug directly into the wall and are very affordable.
These heaters can be filled with oil, or or are infrared heaters, and convert electricity into heat. As effective as they are to produce heat (and sometimes also light energy), they use a lot of electricity to heat your home.
4) Wood Burning
Stoves
Biomass heating, like burning wood or wood pellets, is a great way to heat up your home and save money on electricity. The heating costs of stoves are relatively cheap compared to an oil-fired boiler or electric space heating since wood is much more affordable than gas, electricity, or oil.
Pellet stoves are the better choice, as they burn cleaner and pollute less, and also offer improved temperature control.
Fireplaces
Wood and gas fireplaces are focal points in a room and can give a room a cosy feel. They are often not the best at heating a large space, as they tend to lose a lot of heat due to the hot air rising into the chimney.
Modern Heating Solutions
1) Radiant floor heating
This type of system circulates warm water under your floor through tubes. A warm floor will heat up an entire room, but the running costs and installation costs is very high. It will also only work if your home is properly insulated.
It works best on floors without carpets, as carpets (and certain floor finishes) will dampen the heat.
2) Combined heat and power
Combined heat and power systems are still state of the art and not widely
One of the most important additions to your home in colder climates is indoor heating that works well, warming each room, but which does not hike up your heating bills. You require a system that is energy efficient, financially sustainable and works well to heat your home.
Below we will look at some of the best heating systems for your house, to help you decide which is best for you.
Types of Heating Systems
1) Central Heating System
Furnaces
Many homes depend on central heating through a furnace to heat up the living spaces. A furnace works by blowing hot air through air ducts, which then circulates the warm air throughout the home. Most commonly this is an electric heating system, however it can also be powered by oil or gas.
The heating system is regulated by controls, the most important of which is the thermostat. The thermostat can switch the system on and off, which will keep a comfortable temperature in your house.
Boilers and Radiators
A gas boiler is a type of water heater. Where a furnace distributes hot air, boilers circulate hot water through the home as it flows through radiators and other devices. The cooled down water flows back to the boiler for heating.
Radiators are popular home heating appliances (we love the ones offered by Trade Radiators), and when combined with underfloor heating your house will be toasty throughout winter.
Boilers are normally fueled by natural gas, but can also use heating oil.
Heat Pumps
Heat pumps are basically just standard air conditioning systems. In winter, a heat pump pulls in air from outside and heats it up, and in summer it reverses the system. Most modern pumps are forced air systems that aid with moving hot air throughout the house.
There are two types of pumps: air-source heat pumps and ground source heat pumps. An air-source heat pump works by using the air outside as a heat source and sink in winter and summer.
A ground source heat pump uses underground heat, which is consistent throughout the year. Air-source pumps are much more affordable.
Ground-source pumps are more expensive, but also more efficient and offer a renewable heat incentive. They are a good investment if you plan to live in your house for many years.
2) Solar heating
Installing solar panels is a great way to harness passive solar energy to warm your home. Solar thermal panels work by absorbing the sun’s heat.
If you install solar panels, you can use them to circulate hot water throughout your home, heat your geyser, heat your pool, or use them as solar cookers.
There are many companies that offer renewable energy heating solutions and can provide you with the perfect system. This type of system will increase energy efficiency, while decreasing your monthly energy bills.
3) Direct Heat
Gas-Fired Heaters
If you do not have the budget to have a heating system boiler or radiators installed, then you can invest in a gas heater to supply direct heat.
These heaters are mostly free-standing, however they can also be wall-mounted or installed into your floor.
Gas heaters do not have a duct system and are best to warm up an individual room. You can also leave doors open between rooms to help distribute the heat throughout the space.
Electric Storage Heaters
Portable electric heaters plug directly into the wall and are very affordable.
These heaters can be filled with oil, or or are infrared heaters, and convert electricity into heat. As effective as they are to produce heat (and sometimes also light energy), they use a lot of electricity to heat your home.
4) Wood Burning
Stoves
Biomass heating, like burning wood or wood pellets, is a great way to heat up your home and save money on electricity. The heating costs of stoves are relatively cheap compared to an oil-fired boiler or electric space heating since wood is much more affordable than gas, electricity, or oil.
Pellet stoves are the better choice, as they burn cleaner and pollute less, and also offer improved temperature control.
Fireplaces
Wood and gas fireplaces are focal points in a room and can give a room a cosy feel. They are often not the best at heating a large space, as they tend to lose a lot of heat due to the hot air rising into the chimney.
Modern Heating Solutions
1) Radiant floor heating
This type of system circulates warm water under your floor through tubes. A warm floor will heat up an entire room, but the running costs and installation costs is very high. It will also only work if your home is properly insulated.
It works best on floors without carpets, as carpets (and certain floor finishes) will dampen the heat.
2) Combined heat and power
Combined heat and power systems are still state of the art and not widely used.
It uses a generator to assist with the electricity use and uses the heat generated to heat the house and produce domestic warm water.
Final Thoughts
There are many ingenious heating solutions that you can install in your home, depending on your budget, whether you want to use solar power, and how energy efficient you want to be.
These systems above will keep you warm throughout winter – and if all else fails, you can always snuggle up with a hot water bottle
used.
It uses a generator to assist with the electricity use and uses the heat generated to heat the house and produce domestic warm water.
Final Thoughts
There are many ingenious heating solutions that you can install in your home, depending on your budget, whether you want to use solar power, and how energy efficient you want to be.
These systems above will keep you warm throughout winter – and if all else fails, you can always snuggle up with a hot water bottle
