Warm up for winter: The elements of heating your home

Powered by water, which transfers heat at a much higher rate than air, radiators are one of the most efficient ways to heat a home. But what is the process for installing radiators into new and existing dwellings?

In new homes, Warm NZ’s Todd Bowmast recommends that radiator pipework is installed when the build is at the framework stage.

“If the home is on a concrete pad, we can install the radiator pipework through the ceilings and down the walls to each desired radiator location” he says. “ We will then return to fit the radiators in the final stages of the build.”

Installing the pipework at this stage ensures that there are no difficulties installing pipework once the ceiling, walls and floors have been completed.

The approach is similar when installing radiators to pre-existing homes with underfloor access – a process that Todd describes as “a piece of cake”.

“We’ve done hundreds of installations,” he says. “It’s a really easy process – non-intrusive, with minimal remedial work to do once you’re finished.”

When it comes to established homes on a concrete slab, the best time to install heating is during renovation work.

Generally, this means easy access to the ceiling and walls where pipework can be run throughout, with installation of the radiators towards the end of the renovation when finishing and painting have been completed.

Not only is central heating easy to install, it can also be customised.

“Each individual radiator has its own thermostatic valve, which has a heat setting from one to five. You can adjust the heat on each radiator individually, or you can isolate them if you don’t want to heat that room and save on energy costs,” says Todd.

Warm NZ’s underfloor heating can also keep everyone under the one roof comfortable.

By using radiant heat technology – and operated by natural gas, LPG, diesel or an air to water heat pump – underfloor heating gently warms spaces from the ground up.

“When it comes to underfloor heating, we discuss your floorplan and your finished floor coverings, then how you’d like the house to be zoned – for example, you might have one thermostat for the kitchen, dining and living room, with one thermostat for each of the bedrooms.”

This ability to control the heating means you can tailor the temperature throughout different areas of your home or turn off zones you are not using. For existing dwellings, this technology can be installed in new extensions. For new builds, the possibilities are endless.

“We send all of that information onto Rehau’s team of heating engineers who will create a draft design and provide us with a bill of materials for accurate quoting. By using this team of engineers, we can minimise pipe runs and maximise efficiency.”

Among the many benefits of radiant heat, clean air is one of them.

“If you suffer from asthma, or allergies, radiant heat is not forced air – it doesn’t move dust or allergens around the room,” says Todd.

Unlike other technologies such as ducted systems, radiant heat won’t irritate your eyes, dry your throat or produce unwanted background noise coming through vents.

“Radiant heating provides an even temperature throughout each zone – you won’t get any cold spots.”

And cold spots are certainly not welcome this winter.

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