This year we have not yet felt cold and there is a prolonged weather but in the end of days will certainly need more warmth in our house. Therefore, any means of heating (listed positive and negative) if you choose, here are some extensive instructions to keep as warm as possible in your home.
1. Close the chink of the main entrance. Get a special “pillow” or insulating coming just behind the main door of the house, in order to cover gaps and cracks that allow cold outside air to enter.
2. Check all the windows of the house and space for leaks. Use a lighter or a lit match and by the movement of the flame will understand the possible air currents to check possible leaks from your windows. If you notice a gap, close to an old garment, or even better insulating them until repair the damage.
3. Place, thicker and more “thick” curtains on the windows and doors of your home. The curtains should be as large as possible in size and cover as much as possible the doors to minimize the chances of heat losses from single glazing and wooden frames.
4. Do not let the heat go up the chimney. If your fireplace is decorative, close the chimney with a special balloon (it costs more than 20 euros) in order not to “lose” the heat from the inside.
5. Keep the doors closed in rooms not in use, to prevent cold air moved them into the rest of the house.
6. Cover the floors with thick rugs – carpets. Prefer to “dress” your home with thick rugs and carpets, and for 10-15% of heat loss in a house “blame” the “bare” floors.
7. Put aluminum foil behind the radiators, especially if leaning against an outside wall of the house. Aluminium reflects thermal waves and “returns” to the interior of the house. You can use aluminum foil.
8. Clean your radiator from dust and dirt and do not place bulky objects in front of them that absorb heat.
9. Let it get sunlight in the house. Keep closed the curtains at night but open in the morning to let in plenty of sunlight and solar radiation which warms and was also essential for a healthy environment in the home.
10. Set the timer. Choose to set the heating to relatively low grades, but for longer hours. Do not attempt to raise their grades to warm the house quickly because they consume more energy too no avail. Each degree you download the thermostat leads to great savings.
Check and find out the pluses and minuses of the different heating systems
Safe, healthy and economical heating is especially in recent years the most difficult exercise that consumers are asked to solve. There are now numerous heating systems such as oil, natural gas, LPG, heat pump, air condition, panels, …. are some of the options. How well do you know if your choice protects your pocket and the environment?
The WWF program – Better Life, sole giver of which is the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, made a … test the various heating systems and presented comprehensive pluses and minuses for the most popular.
Burner – Fuel oil
Benefits
Before the crisis, it was the most common source of household heating in large urban centers. The operation of the simple: The burner uses fuel to heat the water in the boiler, which crosses the heater bodies which dissipate heat in space.
Cons
However, in recent years the oil price is prohibitive for most of us, since it requires high operating costs and frequent maintenance of the boiler to ensure proper operation. Oil is obviously not a renewable energy source, with the growing demand to gradually leads to the depletion of the reserves. In addition, characterized by higher carbon dioxide emissions that harm the climate relative to other basic heating technologies.
Gas Boiler
Benefits
Natural gas is a recent alternative to the use of oil as it is quite cheaper as an option. The provision of continuous, while not having to prepay such as oil. Meanwhile, gas boilers typically provide better performance since it is the last technological generation.
Cons
Despite the fact that natural gas has lower emissions than oil, it is still a fossil fuel and -as tetoio- non-renewable energy source. Main negative is also of limited network nationwide, which deprives the opportunity to a large part of the population to exploit its advantages in relation to heating oil.
Air-condition
Benefits
Air-condition is a good option as beyond established longer “average”, we provide coolness in the summer months, they are able to cover our heating needs in winter, especially in the southern parts of the country. As the heat pump is electrically operated.
Cons
The air-condition the new generation with inverter clearly lower installation cost, but of course lower efficiency than heat pumps, while emissions are lower in oil boilers and comparable to those of gas boilers.
Traditional stove
Benefits
The remembered from the tales, but our economic crisis has to bring them to our lives. Energy can be quite efficient since depending on the quality and size can be heated sufficiently square, using a fuel with a relatively low cost, such as wood.
Cons
Unfortunately, despite the low cost, pollutant emissions, especially from old and poorly maintained woodstoves is very great, especially in large cities, creating breathing problems to residents, as the effect of smog on the environment. At the same time, unfortunately, the lack of measures by the state in connection with the economic crisis of recent years have led to widespread illegal logging phenomena, thus destroying the forest areas which are close to urban areas.
Pellet stoves
Benefits
The pellet stoves are more efficient but also more expensive alternative to the woodstove, they use crop residues and wood pieces where no chemicals are used. At the same time provide more energy than that of wood.
Cons
However in this case may lead to significant pollution of the atmosphere, depending on the quality of the burner and the quality of the pellet, with possible effects on human health, such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.
Heat pump
Benefits
The heat pump (water, air, water / air) constitutes a heat source with which we are able to transfer energy from a low-temperature room to a higher temperature area. With heat pumps consume electricity not only achieve heating in winter and cooling in summer. Moreover, we ensure lower greenhouse gas emissions, which will be continually improved as the Renewable Energy Sources increase their share of the country’s electricity.
Cons
Their main disadvantage is the high cost, but accompanied by very high efficiencies (lower electricity consumption), which accelerates the payback time.
But before someone answer the big question what fuel is cheaper and what heating system is the most efficient, you need to think how to drastically reduce the needs of home heating. Because real economy in heating is achieved only with the energy shield the house.
