Heating options

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 11, Issue 532, 19 April 1994, Page 9

Heating options

The charm and romance of an open fire is hard to beat during those long, cold Waimarino winter nights, but the cost of buying^wood, or often the sheer effort that goes with collecting winter stores of wood, may make people think twice about this foim of heating. Some types of wood, such as Macrocarpa, need to be stacked during the summer months in order to dry sufficiently for winter use. Firewood such as pine is an inexpensive source of fuel (even cheaper if you have the resources to fell and cut your own) and when used with balanced amounts of coal makes a good basic fuel for open fires. Pine leaves a distinct residue which means regular chimney cleaning - at least once a year, or in the case of a seldom-used fire, once every two years. Those with wood burners should check that the resin content of the wood is low to avoid clogging flues. While there are many varieties of wood burners on the market, there is no type which can easily handle gum-saturated wood. Open fires should be guarded. For the sake of childrens' safety and to prevent occasional sparks from buming expensive carpets, a metal fire-screen is recommended. As well as providing protection, they do not prevent heat from en-

tering the air space. Here are a few pointers to assist good seasoning of winter wood: • Store wood under cover, in a breezy place; • Criss-cross the logs so air can circulate freely through the pile; • Select sound solid logs; • Split larger pieces so that the wood structure is exposed to the air for faster drying; • Avoid storing rotten or insect-infested wood. Wood is basically stored solar energy and is renewable. It releases no more carbon dioxide when it is bumt than if it was left on the forest floor to rot. There are a number of heating options besides open fires and Kent-style heating: □ ln-concrete floor heating A popular form of heating in new homes, this form of heating can be connected to the night-rate tariff and makes a very effective method of providing comfortable background heating. Heating wires can be laid in the concrete at the time it is poured. Effective thermostatic control i s achieved by measuring the temperature of the concrete. Care must be exercised however, when designing slab heating as excessive overnight heating can result in a hot house during

the day when warmth may not be required. When first switched on at the start of winter, the concrete takes about three days to heat evenly. As in under-carpet heating, insulating underneath the concrete slab and along its perimeter is essential. Another method is to pump hot water through pipes laid in the concrete. The temperature of the water in the pipes can be as low as 40 degrees Celcius, ideally heating a room to around 21 degrees Celcius. As with the heating wire system, the floor is used as a heat store. Turn to Page 10