Making a suitable choice of home heating appliance

Press, 15 June 1983, Page 25

Making a suitable choice of home heating appliance

Having ensured that his home has adequate insulation, the home-owner seeking winter warmth has then to decide what level of warmth is wanted.

There is no point in having heating appliances that provide more heat than required. Big fluctuations in temperature are not good for a home or its furniture, nor are lengthy periods of damp coldness. Some constant background warmth is desirable in the winter, even if there is no-one home through the day. An electric, convectortype panel heater, centrally located, would serve this purpose well. Many solid-fuel heaters are designed to run continuously and should be stoked regularly, so these are best where the home is occupied during the day) Some are more efficient than others, so it is worth while to check which ones are approved for use in a clean-air zone, even if the choice will be installed in an out-of-city neighbourhood.

In any case, the whole of

the Christchurch urban area will soon be subject to clean air regulations. Safety requirements definitely need to be checked, even when a solid-fuel heater is being installed in an existing fireplace. The heat generated by a solid-fuel appliance is far greater than that produced by an open fire, since its efficiency is up to four times greater. Less fuel is required to ■ produce more heat, and there is less smoke and other pollution, especially if the fuel is added regularly in small quantities. Even more energy-effi-cient are gas and electric heaters, which both give instant, clean heat with little or no waste. A sensitive thermostat separate from the appliance allows the greatest efficiency from an electric heater. For maximum comfort and convenience, there are timers available that can work in conjunction with plug-in thermostats.