If you are thinking of moving house, one of the first things you should put on your list is the need for central heating installation. This is particularly true with rising energy costs.
Heating Considerations
As you inspect potential homes, the central heating installation should be foremost in your mind. If your new home hasn’t had central heating installation, now is your chance to work out where it should go.
1. Layout – You might be surprised to learn that the layout of your home plays a large part in determining the central heating costs. Naturally, any homes with high ceilings look stunning, but they are instantly considered to be a heating issue. The fact that heat rises means you will need to leave the heating on for longer in order to heat the whole home. Always remember that high ceilings equate to high-energy bills.
A second layout issue concerns the number of stories in the residence. Obviously the larger the home, the more appealing it is, but always think about how you’re going to heat the lower ground floors. With homes that have 3 stories, they are called tri-level homes and are often subject to the zone effect. Quite often, this means that the lower level rooms are cold and the top level rooms are warm. Unless you have a very sophisticated heating system, tri-level residences are going to drive your heating bill through the roof.
2. Control Areas – One way to reduce the central heating requirements for high ceiling and tri-level homes is a controllable central heating system. In fact, there are many solutions for the modern home these days, and it may be that you can choose which rooms you want to heat with your system. These can be a godsend for larger homes where certain rooms are not used often. If the home you’re moving to hasn’t already had central heating installation, this is something you can consider.
3. Vents – As a homeowner trying to be cost-effective, be sure to think about the vents in the home. It has to be said that the vent layout in some homes leaves a lot to be desired. For example, vents under the windows are a terrible placement. Another thing to look out for are any rooms in your new home that don’t have any vents, as these rooms will take a while to get warm and consequently mean your heating has to be turned on for longer.
With new homes, one can usually expect to find central heating already installed competently. Just be wary of older homes, as their high ceilings and generally larger rooms can make your central heating and energy bills rocket.