HEATING
Whether you want to renovate, do a new build or just improve the warmth of your home, here are the best ways to turn up the temperature.
Whether you want to renovate or just improve the warmth of your home, we have the best ways to turn up the heat.
Coming home to a warm, cosy house on a bitter, cold day is one of life’s great joys. Yet freezing your way through winter brings no joy at all.
That is where quality home heating comes into play. The two main types of home heating are radiant and convective. Radiant heaters, such as a fireplace or electric heater, predominantly heat people and things by direct radiation of heat. Convective heaters, such as heat pumps (reverse cycle air conditioners), oil column and fan heaters warm and circulate the air in a room. Other forms of heating, such as heated floors, also heat by conduction through direct contact.
Craig Auty, home performance advisor for Wellington’s Sustainability Trust, says for existing homes and new builds, the same heating principles apply; however, for new builds, they are usually more airtight and therefore better suited than an existing home when using convectional heat. “It’s important to know the two different heating types as they have different advantages and heating comfort for different people and different situations,” says Auty. “Convectional heating warms the air, which will create a conventional current with warm air rising and cold air falling.” This type of heating requires the entire cubic volume of air to be heated in the space it is servicing.
“Radiant/infrared heat is the other way of heating, which transfers energy from the heater to a surface where the energy is absorbed. A fireplace is an example of radiant heat.”
Auty explains that radiant heat is suited for targeted heating where you want to warm only one part of the room, very large open spaces, old draughty homes or homes over multiple levels with open staircases where warm air would be lost.
Convectional heat is suited for most applications as greater efficiencies can be achieved with a heat pump compared to a standard electric heater. In open-plan spaces, or large rooms with high ceilings, a combination of radiant and convective heating is ideal; for example, a heat pump can take the chill out of the air and a gas fireplace can provide radiant warmth. In small rooms, convective space heating is effective, whereas for larger draughty rooms or bathrooms, radiant heating works best.
“The World Health Organization recommends that bedrooms drop no lower than 16 degrees overnight, which is often not achieved in New Zealand,” adds Auty. “Heating is not just about comfort but also helps control indoor air quality, which affects our health.”