Heating and Cooling- Take Care of Your Home or Business

Heating and cooling largely contribute to your energy needs and budget whether at home or in business.  It is important to get it right to also help you save money.  Choosing the correct heating and cooling system is not easy.  Answering several questions can, however, point you in the right direction.  For example, does the air in your home or business need to be heated and cooled or should you check if there are issues in air movement and distribution?  Additionally, how big an area do you need the heating and cooling for?  Lastly, should you opt for an inbuilt or portable system?  Once you can answer all these questions accurately, you are on course for choosing a heating and cooling system suitable to meet your needs.  Getting the services of a qualified professional will also help you answer these questions correctly. 

heat pumps-image:pixabay.com

There are several types of heating and cooling options one can choose from.  Based on the type of fuel used, one can choose from gas, oil and electric heating and cooling systems.  The efficiency of a given system given your heating and cooling needs will help you settle on the one that suits you best.  Energy efficiency is the ratio of the amount of energy put into an appliance and the amount of energy that leaves the appliance as heat. Efficiency is an important factor since it determines the cost of your heating bill. The unit size you settle for is also very important. Bigger does not necessarily mean better.  Before settling on a given system, you need to calculate the amount of heating and cooling you need.  This will prevent you from paying for a larger unit than necessary.  It also prevents you from using more energy than what is needed to heat and cool a certain area, maximizing on capacity usage.

The two main types of heating systems are radiant and convection systems.   Convection heating refers to heating the air temperature, normally with the assistance of a fan, that distributes the heated air.  Convection heaters are suitable for well insulated areas, not exposed to draughts, such as large areas in your home, hotels, function centres and offices.  Radiant heating on the other hand directly heats up surfaces, leading to an intense and toasty quality of heating.  It is ideal for large and draughty areas with high ceilings such as hallways, halls, restaurants, workshops and showrooms. Radiant heaters are excellent for selective heating of high traffic areas.

Heat pumps provide a constant, even temperature all year round by taking heat that is already in the air outside and bringing it indoors.  Ducted air conditioning works best with large environments by heating, cooling, filtering and cleaning the air.  Fixed fan heaters can be fixed into a wall cavity or mounted in a wall.  Off-peak heaters are thermostatically controlled heaters that store up heat, releasing it at times that suit you best. Panel heaters, on the other hand, are both radiant and convection thermostatically controlled heaters in one with no moving fan allowing for gentle air circulation.  Ceiling and underfloor heaters are silent and draught-free heaters located above the ceiling and below the floor respectively.  They are both thermostatically controlled and are virtually maintenance free upon installation.  Portable heaters are mobile and provide heat where you need them to.  They can be either convection or radiant heaters and require no wiring or upgrading.  Space heaters are convection heaters that slowly warm the air until it fills the entire room.  They work best in well insulated areas.   Spot heaters are radiant heaters that ideal for large and draughty areas with high ceilings. 

Written by the staff of Controlled AireHeating and Cooling in Moberly, MO.