heating, home architects, custom home architect

Heating

HEATING

Use passive design principles to increase comfort and reduce the need for heating. Insulate the roof, walls and floor, seal off draughts, let in winter sun and draw curtains at night.

There are two main types of heating - radiant and convective. Radiant heaters predominantly heat people and objects by direct radiation of heat. Convective heaters warm and circulate the air in a room. Other forms of heating, such as heated floors, also heat by conduction through direct contact. Different forms of heating are best in different circumstances.

In larger rooms with high ceilings, a combination of radiant and convective heating is best.

In small rooms, space convective heating is effective.

In larger draughty rooms or bathrooms, radiant heating works best.

All heaters produce air movement as the hot air rises from the heater to the ceiling. Air is cooled when in contact
with windows and poorly insulated walls. The cooled air falls and is drawn back along the floor to the heater.

Sitting in draughts created by air movement can make you feel much colder. Your body radiates heat through exposed
windows making you feel cold. Use heavy curtains with snug pelmets to stop convection and radiant heat loss.

Position your furniture to deflect or avoid draughts. Draw drapes and protect the most temperature sensitive parts of your body (wrists, ankles, head and neck).

If you have a suspended floor, you can reduce the flow of air through the living space by putting a vent in the floor in front of the heater to supply air. But make sure it can be closed off when not being used.

Ask the following questions before buying a heater:

Does the room need to be heated or will eliminating cold draughts and improving insulation be enough?
How many rooms need to be heated?
How big are they?
How often and for how long will heating be required?

Very little energy is required to make a well designed house comfortable. A highly efficient house may need no non-renewable energy inputs for heating and cooling. Such homes are possible across much of Australia.

Even for existing homes there are many ways to reduce energy bills, improve comfort and help the environment.

Mechanical heating and cooling should never be used as a substitute for good design. It is better to invest more money in an energy efficient building than spend it on heating and cooling.

The principles of thermal comfort and the importance of air movement, humidity and radiant heat are explained in the passive design section.