Consideration Of Various Home Heating Systems

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31728, 11 July 1968, Page 15

Consideration Of Various Home Heating Systems

In days gone by domestic heating, was a simple problem of consuming such fuels as were then available—coal and wood. Today, besides highly-sophisticated appliances using these traditional fuels, we have systems employing electricity, oil, hot water and steam to name but a few, with a host of problems to resolve before nominating a system for use in our homes.

The fundamental problems resolve Into three groups Heating standard required. Installation costs. Running costs. Within these three groups a wide range of heating standards is available, falling into the following categories: Complete central heating. Background heating plus individual appliances. Individual appliances to each room. The first two categories will give excellent comfort conditions due to uniform warmth, but the third may lead to discomfort due to widely varying room conditions. These three basis heating techniques can be illustrated by comparisons of average outdoorindoor temperatures over the heating season of MaySeptember. Assuming an outdoor temperature average of 42 degrees, the three techniques could show correspond-

Ing 24 hour averages of 60 degrees for complete central heating: 53 degrees for background heating, etc., with 46 degress and less for individual appliances. Installation or capital costs also provide far-ranging aspects for consideration in arriving at our heating system decision. Some methods (electrical) require only the initial costs as the total cost also, whereas others (solid or oil) involve secondary costs—storage, etc. Practice however has quite definitely shown that our methods of heating—complete central heating, background heating, etc, and of individual appliances, also fall into that sequence for costs.

Fully-controlled electrical central heating, perhaps with “zone-control” for automatically varying conditions whilst i we sleep, can range between $7.00-$9.00. Oil-fired systems will be in a similar range, but with the normal method of a central burner unit the sophisticated control techniques of electricity are not generally employed. The costs of installing fuel-tank areas associated access-ways for tankers

must be kept in mind when comparisons are being made with say, electricity, where the mains cable may require enlarging to carry heavy power loads.

Background heating in the same fuels of oil and electricity ean be installed within a cost range of $250 to $6O0 — the wide diversity basically arising from the heat output variation of different models and the complexity of controls.

Electrical methods could again be more economical due to less demanding requirements for constructional and safety aspects. The individual appliances for “tapping-up” could use light fuel-oils or perhaps kerosene, but electrical appliances would probably be more acceptable for space-saving considerations. Here we could be discussing appliances ranging from $3O- - again basically influenced by heating output and construction. Three or four such heaters in a home would certainly not be over-extrava-gant.

Individual room appliances could readily be in the $lOO bracket for the more lavish of the electrical and oil-fired units, so with several rooms

with such built-in appliances, plus portable ones, we could readily outlay $5OO. Overhead ducting is not generally recommended in rooms of low stud heights (say less than Bft 6in) as the condition of “hot head, cold feet” can easily exist — the complete reverse of recommended heating principles. Development of an electric central heating system can be a gradual one, particularly with the use of panel heaters individually thermostatically controlled or linked to the “zone control method. Provided the scale of provision of power outlets has been generous we can readily change the locations of such panels as our family changes in size and habits.

Running costs are recurring ones and we should therefore be quite aware of our cost outgoings when selecting the heating system, and particularly the heating level desired —increasing the heating demand from 50 degrees to 70 degrees in our well insulated home of say 1250 sq ft .can mean alarming fuel consumptions as follows

50 degrees taken as 100 per cent; 55 degrees taken as 160 per cent; 60 degrees taken as 285 degrees; 70 degrees taken as 550 per cent. As would be expected, fuel consumption, hence running costs, may be related to several assessable factors Iverall floor area. Quality of thermal insulatio. . Standard of heating. Ventilation rate (heat loss occurs with air changes per medium of flues, doors, etc, and air changes

per hour is a common assumption). Length of heating season. Other important factors in arriving at our decision of heating methods would doubtlessly involve convenience of operation and form of heat distribution. If a completely silent, non-obtrusive, dustfree installation is necessary with fuel costs of not paramount importance, then electrical systems would find favour. This could be particularly true today when sophisticated “zone • control” methods may be associated with electrical systems to achieve quite remarkable running cost economies. This control method may be incorporated in an electrical central heating system for only an extra 10 per cent capital outlay. If, however, running costs are of prime importance then brobably a solid fuel would be chosen, but we must fairly face the fact that secondary costs arise through storage and access for supplies plus the drudgery of cleaning both the appliance and the home. A warning should be sounded here heat losses through ill-fitting windows, doors, etc., may greatly offset insulation effects. The moral —ensure that exterior joinery fits snugly and if necessary install weather stripping to reduce heat losses. The choice of insulations falls basically into three groups—foils, batts and loose fills. Installed costs for ceilings only in a 1200 sq. ft home with heat loss reductions also listed. In summarising this problem of heating, be sure to allow adequately for thermal insulation and together with your architect and ’ heating engineer arrive at a heating system which will suit your needs at all stages of the family’s life.

'Specially written for "The Press" Heating Supplement by R. J. C. WARR. Dip. Arch., A RIB A A.N.Z.t.A., Registered Architect.)

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