Thinking About Central Heating For The New Property

January 30th, 2010 by Steve Evans

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. Since energy prices keep rising, there is no doubt that this an important thing to consider, so that you can be sure you have a cost-effective heating system.

Things to Consider With Heating

As you inspect potential homes, the central heating installation should be foremost in your mind. Basically, just remember that considering the feasibility of central heating installation is first and foremost the most important thing.

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 problem is that heat rises, so you will need more heating to heat the entire home when you have high ceilings. If you’re wanting to reduce your heating bills, a home with high ceilings probably isn’t the best one to choose.

Another layout problem relates to how many floors your house has. 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 – There is one popular way of reducing the need for central heating in homes with high ceilings, and that is to opt for a controllable heating system which will make life a lot easier. Something else to consider is a central heating system that you can control, so you wont lose as much heat in a home with high ceilings or multiple stories. 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. For those with large homes and rooms that don’t get maximum use, a controllable heating system could be a great idea. You can consider this for your central heating installation plans.

3. Vents – A more mundane, but important issue, are vent locations. It has to be said that the vent layout in some homes leaves a lot to be desired. If you find vents located under windows, you can expect the heating bills to be outrageous. Also look for very large rooms with one or no vents, as these rooms will take a long time to heat up.

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.