How other countries keep winter at bay
What can we learn from the Russians, Danish and even the English about keeping warm in winter?
We love to complain about how hard it is to heat our homes in winter, especially homes with single glazing and minimal insulation. But there are tried-and-true ways New Zealanders like to keep warm – think woodburners, heat pumps, oil-filled radiators and gas fires.
Some people opt for central heating, but that’s not standard in most houses.
NPower has provided this look at what other countries do to keep warm in weather that can be much more extreme than most of us experience in New Zealand.
The Great British boiler
A common feature of homes across the UK and many western households is the boiler, which traditionally consists of a conventional, system or a combination boiler. It works as follows:
Heat exchanger: Gas flows from the supply pipe to the burners inside the boiler, which then power the heat exchanger. Radiator: A heating loop that travels through the household carries hot water, which passes through the radiators, which warm the rooms.
Korean comfort
The Korean ondol heating method is a traditional method that creates underfloor warmth using direct heat from wood smoke. Dating back to 1000BC, the technique inspires modern systems found in homes in the present day.
Agungi: The firebox that begins the heating process is often placed outside the home and then navigates heat into the home.
Butu-Mak: As well as providing heat, above the firebox is a cooking area that was used to provide meals for families.
Ondol floor: The smoke circulates underneath the home, heating slabs (goodlejang) and stones (guemdol) that help to retain the warmth.
Russian rooms
Much like an AGA cooker, the Russian pechka is a large masonry stove that has been used for centuries for cooking and domestic heating. Some key features include:
Pechka: The stove is often compiled of brick, stone and clay that absorb heat quickly but cool slowly, often only needing to be lit twice a day to warm the entire home.
The heat is distributed through smoke and hot air being channelled through passages to warm the bricks of the pechka.
Hearth: The ovens often have two hearths which are used for different types of cooking and smoking. People sometimes sleep close to the hearths in harsh winters.
Scandi style
One of the biggest phenomena of the past few years, ‘‘hygge’’ has been adopted by many beyond Denmark and Norway as a way of life. Translating
from Danish as a word meaning ‘‘to give comfort and joy’’, this lifestyle concept has extended into how people design and style their own homes. Key features of a hygge home:
Keep it comfy: Pillows and blankets are often used in hygge interiors to make bold statements to create and keep that warm feeling. Light up your living room: Hygge is about simplicity and a comfortable existence.
The natural and raw elements of candles and fireplaces illuminate the home and keep you toasty. Stylish stoves: The AGA cooker is famed for its longevity and heat-storing properties but its rustic Scandinavian design sees it effortlessly fit into the hygge way.
Big in Japan
The Japanese kotatsu is another multi-purpose method that combines heat and the central point of a living room. The method dates back to the 14th century and involves: Kotatsu: The kotatsu is a low, wooden frame, which is covered by a futon blanket and a table top. Below this sits a heat source that circulates heat around the room.
Heat source: Homes would formerly use a charcoal brazier which could also assist cooking but more recently an electric heater is positioned under the kotatsu.
Futon: The thick blanket that covers the heat source helps to trap warm air which you can sit or lie underneath.