POPULARITY OF OIL HEATING GROWING

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31349, 20 April 1967, Page 19

POPULARITY OF OIL HEATING GROWING

(By

J.W.H. KELLY,

manager of the domwtic heating division. Shell Oil New Zealand, Ltd >

The popularity of oil-fired central heating in New Zealand homes is continuing to grow rapidly, and during the next 10 years central heating will become as much of an accepted necessity as the refrigerator, washing machine, and the radio.

Many and varied reasons have been put forward for the increasing popularity of this form of heating, and undoubtedly the acceptance of television throughout the country has been a major factor.

Today we place more emphasis on the place of the home in our way of life. We must, therefore, have our homes up to the required standard of comfort to enable us to enjoy our home life. New Zealanders are great travellers, and this also has been an influencing factor. They have seen and experienced the open-house living and comfort of the typical American or Canadian home. Now they too have adopted these features and are, in fact, showing their friends and neighbours what we all have missed for so long. Many will still remember the early wide-eyed amazement with which we greeted the many “gadgets” that the American housewife took for granted—today we too have most of these items. This is also now true of whole house comfort.

Of the existing homes in New Zealand only some 2 per cent to 3 per cent had

oil heating at the time of the 1961 census. The growth during the last five years has been most noticeable, and it will not be surprising to see this percentage rise Very markedly. The various manufacturers of oil-fired heating equipment have been quick in recent years to adopt overseas design trends. Today, therefore, we have not only highly-efficient heaters, but modern designs capable of

being installed to the satisfaction of any home owner. Generally our climate calls for heaters of between 20,000 B.T.U, and 100,000 B.T.U. an hour, and this range can be adequately met by the units available on the market. A 8.T.U., or British Thermal Unit, is simply a measurement of the heat requirement of an area somewhat akin to the more common electricity terms of kilowatt and watt. In fact

3412 B.T.U, an hour is equivalent to 1 kilowatt. The measurement of this requirement is a relatively simple calculation you can do yourself, or which would be done gladly by any heating equipment installer. It is important, though, that heating systems be designed, installed and serviced by the people who specialise in this business. There are numerous methods of heating a home and the application of each is dependent on house design, slope of section, heat requirements, home-owners’ requirements and the amount of money to be invested. The outlay, incidentally, should be regarded as an investment, as there is no doubt that today houses sell better when equipped with central heating. Also 40 per cent of a typical ' home becomes more usable space with an even temperature throughout The economies of these two important features will be readily realised. The most desirable systems today in New Zealand are those featuring the distribution of warm air

throughout the home. Smallbore hot water radiator systems, popular in the United Kingdom, are available but generally are, as yet, more expensive than warm air

During the last 10 years most warm-air systems were of the single point underfloor furnace type, usually located in the hall or entrance way. Many console or free-standing flued models were also installed. Today, with the increasing volume of sales of heaters, we are seeing economies introduced and larger ducted systems are proving popular. There is no doubt that a properly designed and installed ducted system is the answer when one hopes to achieve the full benefits.

In this system, a positive flow of warm air is provided by a motor-driven fan which blows the air through floor, wall or ceiling ducts located at any desired part of the house. This system will provide a rapid response to the changes in heating demand influenced by the vagaries of our weather.

As it is necessary to install ductwork throughout the house, existing homes, with basements, offer no problems. In new

homes, provided advice is sought early enough to allow inclusion while building, this system again can be included quite economically. It is important that duct size 1 j correctly calculated to ensure that costs are kept to a minimum. Normally a return air duct is installed to allow for 100 per cent re-circulation, and this is a most efficient method, returning a saving of 25 per cent to 30 per cent on fuel eosts.

Insulation is another factor which will return good economies. Again, installers and other specialists are available to advise. Small bore hot water systems have become popular in recent years, especially in the heating of larger homes. In this system an oil-fired boiler heats water and the hot water is circulated through the house by small bore jin piping to radiators in each room. A fairly wide range of radiators is available,

and now unobtrusive skirt-ing-board heaters are als-> on the market. The free-standing console type of heater has been quite popular for many years. This, of course, originally stemmed from English and American models imported into the country in the early post-war period. Today, with local manufacturers able to work closely with their overseas counterparts, new and improved models are

available. Generally these feature the modern image of the long, low, narrow look. The ready availability of fuel delivered direct to the home has also been a major factor in the acceptance of oil as a home heating medium. No longer is it necessary to replenish the fire and then face up to cleaning ashes from the grate. There is no mess, no smell, no dust. With an oilfired heater you light it, set it and forget it.