Lifestyle

5 things to know about replacing your heater

5 things to know about replacing your heater

Has your old heater broken down? Or are you looking for a better way to escape the cold? If you choose the right heating system for your house or apartment, it’s easy to keep warm without breaking the bank. Here are five of the most important things to think about.

The style of your house

The best type of heating system for your home depends on the style that the house was built in. Gas ducted heating systems need to have enough space to install the unit in a ceiling void, beneath the floor or outside. For gas space heaters, you need to be able to install an external flue to remove exhaust gases.

These are both good choices, but they might not work for the style of your home – particularly if you live in an apartment or unit complex. Split system heating and cooling units are another option that can be used in a variety of different homes.
There are also a few factors you need to think about when you’re deciding what size of heating system you need.

Floor area

The floor area of the space you’re heating is important when you’re deciding what size of heating system to install: the larger the floor area, the larger the heating system needs to be.

Ceiling height

If you have high ceilings, you will need to heat a larger volume of space relative to the floor area. This means that homes with higher ceilings need larger heating units than houses with lower ceilings.

It’s important to remember this if you live in a period home  with very high ceilings. Because heat rises, the top of a room gets warmer than the rest of the space – so if you have high ceilings, you could easily be left shivering below.

Windows

A huge amount of heat escapes through windows. In fact, up to 40 per cent of a home’s heat loss can happen through the windows. This means that the number, size and type of windows in your home will affect the size of the heating system you’re going to need.

Retrofitting double-glazed windows may mean you can choose a smaller, cheaper heating system, as well as reduce your ongoing heating costs.

Insulation

Your house can also lose heat when there isn’t enough insulation, so you should take this into account when you’re choosing a heating system. You might also want to think about improving your insulation, as this makes your home generally more comfortable, and may help reduce your heating costs in winter by around 20 per cent. You can also save by making sure  you're getting the best deal on your  electricity and gas plan.