Heating Solutions

Let’s face it, nobody wants to go home to an icy-cold house at the end of a frosty winter day, or even worse wake up seeing your breath in the air! We have compiled a list of heating options and their benefits to create a warm, dry home environment for you and your family for winters to come.

Wall Mounted Heat Pumps

Wall Mounted Heat Pumps are a cost effective and popular choice to heat your home. With the addition of Wi-Fi solutions that allow you to turn them on directly from your smartphone (even before you get home), they are a no-brainer.

Wall Mounted Heat Pumps Benefits:

• Fast acting – a heat pump can heat up a space at full power very quickly
• Amazing temperature regulation with heating and cooling systems; you can get the temperature of your room exactly how you want it all year round
• Acts as a dehumidifier, meaning it can extract moisture from the air which helps to prevent mould growth and damage
• Very safe, with no exposed hot elements, open flames or flammable liquids to fuel them
• Brilliant for Asthma/Allergy sufferers as there are options to remove dust and other particles through air filtering
• On/off timers allow you to set and forget – ensuring you wake up to a warm and comfortable home
• There is a wide range of heat pumps on the market

Ducted Heat Pump Systems

Another popular, though slightly more costly heating/cooling solution is a Ducted Heat Pump System. These systems are worth the extra cost and will out-perform traditional wall mounted heat pumps in a number of areas. They work much like a heat pump, but with a larger reach running from a central unit throughout your house; they have the ability to create the perfect temperature in every room in your home.

Ducted Heat Pump System Benefits:

• Heating and cooling at the touch of a button or flick of a switch to your entire home
• The system is discreet with only small ceiling mounted ducts in each room without a big wall unit
• These systems are super energy efficient, as the whole house can keep a more regulated temperature
• Some models allow options to draw in fresh air, so they can act as a ventilation system also

Underfloor Heating

As we all know “heat rises” so if you want to create a totally comfortable, pleasant environment for you and your family, then Underfloor Heating is a system to be considered. This system works by heating the hard surface (concrete slab) under your floor finishes. However, the heating rate and cost tend to be more effective with hard floors like polished concrete, tiles, and laminated floor systems rather than carpet. You might want to use underfloor heating in conjunction with other heating systems.

Underfloor Heating Benefits:

• Operates unseen as the system sits below your floor finishes
• Low maintenance costs as once installed properly; maintenance is rarely required
• Nice warm heat coming from under your feet which passively heats the rest of the home
• Once up to a desired heat, it is very cost efficient to keep the heat in the slab, and it will hold the heat in the floor for a while after turned off

Fireplaces

Fireplaces are cosy and give off a specific dry and intense heat that can heat up a space quickly once going. Fires have been warming up houses for centuries so there’s no denying they work. In a modern home you can opt for many styles of wood or gas fires, and they both have different positives and negatives.

Wood Burning Fireplaces

Wood Burning Fireplaces have an unbeatable ambience with their earthy aromas and crackling sounds.

Wood Burning Fireplaces Benefits:

• Even if your electricity goes out (however unlikely) you have a heat source, a source of light and means to a hot cuppa if necessary
• You can choose what firewood you burn to create your perfect environment.Nothing beats sitting around the fireplace with family
• Sustainable energy source credentials
• Immediate heat once going
• Closed in wood burning styled fires can operate far more efficiently than open fires by controlling the oxygen in-take

Wood fires also have downsides that should be considered. It is not safe to leave unattended due to the naked flame and sparks. You must have a supply of firewood and whether cutting it yourself or purchasing it, you’ll need a dry place to store it. They are not a super-efficient way to heat your entire home and they do require annual maintenance for safety.

Gas Fireplaces

Gas Fireplaces are a more instantly rewarding fire option, turning on with the flick of a switch or touch of a button.

Gas Fireplaces Benefits:

• No need to manually light the fire, just turn it on and away it goes
• Efficient and convenient by comparison with wood burning fires
• Minimal maintenance as no ash and soot clean up necessary, though fireplace should always have an annual checkup for safe operation

Some of the downsides of a gas fire, is they do not give off a dry heat like a wood burning fire does. They are generally not as powerful and intense as a wood burner and tend to be more decorative and passive. Much like a wood burner you will generally need other sources of heating for the rest of the home.

There are plenty of other semi-permanent and portable solutions to heating your home like electric heaters and oil heaters etc. However, our list highlights some of the best permanent options. If you want to effectively heat your home and potentially save some pennies in these cooler months, then not only does a good heat source count, but it needs to be in conjunction with a well-insulated and energy efficient home. We hope this article has helped in considering heating solutions that will assist you in research towards your desired heating options!