Space heating is vital to the warmth, comfort and healthiness of a home, and is vital to the long term costs and environmental impact of a house. It is best to decide on a heating system in the design phase, as installation will be much easier. Things to consider when choosing the most efficient heating system for your home include house size, climate, fuel type and availability and running costs.
Under floor
Underfloor heating systems can be either electric (such as a Warmup system) or use warm water as a heating medium (examples can be seen at Central Heating New Zealand). Both systems offer energy-efficient, controllable heating. Warm water underfloor heating uses pipes that run through the concrete floor slab, and can be heated using electricity (heat pump), wood, diesel or gas. These systems can be used in combination with another heating system (e.g. radiators) to suit each room.
Radiators
Radiators are a good choice for a central heating system. A tank of water is heated using electricity (heat pump), wood, diesel or gas and the water is pumped through radiators in each room. Each radiator has a temperature adjustment function. Examples of radiator systems can be seen at Central Heating New Zealand.
Heat Pumps
Heat pumps move heat from one place to another – which means they can be used for heating and cooling. Generally they use electricity, and are very efficient at this heat transfer, making them a low-cost and environmentally friendly option. Heat pumps can heat/cool air or water, and have a unit outside exposed to the air, or underground (for geothermal heat pumps). Many retailers exist in NZ, and more information is available at Right House, about both air source or ground source heat pumps.
Fires and Woodburners
The performance of fires and woodburners varies greatly. An old open woodburner for example releases particulates (soot) into the air, and burns very inefficiently – much of the heat goes up the chimney. Modern woodburners however are very efficient, as are wood pellet burners. Wood can be used for space heating and hot water heating simultaneously (for example the Ecomax boiler).