If your home needs to be a little warmer; you might consider investing in a new heating system. So will you choose the right option for your home? Maybe it’s from a recommendation by a friend? Or perhaps you’ve seen something you liked in a magazine?
Choosing the best heating system for your home is more likely to give you great results if you consult with an expert. East Coast Plumbing and Gas have been installing central heating systems, gas fires and heaters into homes for over 30 years and they’ve been doing it in Hawke’s Bay properties for more than 8 years. The East Coast Plumbing and Gas free heating consultation service is a great starting point if you want to choose an effective gas heating solution for your home.
All you need to do to benefit from the experience of the East Coast Plumbing and Gas team is book an appointment to visit their heating showroom. The heating showroom offers you the chance to take a closer look at popular gas fire, heater and central heating systems while talking through your options with an expert.
To get a better idea of how the team match the right system to your home – we talked with Sean Patrick, Owner of East Coast Plumbing and Gas, to find out how he works out the best heating solutions for his clients.
“First we need to understand how much of the home our customers want to heat. If they want to heat the whole home then we’ll talk to them about different kinds of central heating and whole home heating solutions. If it’s just a single room then the options are different but we’ve still got quite a few choices to make.
When customers book an appointment with us, we ask them to bring in a copy of their floor plans. Whether they want to heat their whole home or a single room, the most important starting point is the structure of their home. We need to see that to understand what options are available.”
Heating a single room
Why it’s important to know all about the room you want to heat.
If you want to heat a single room then the purpose (bedroom, sitting room etc.), size and layout of the room will determine what kind of heater you can choose from.
Gas fires need wall space and you need to be able to install a flue or use an existing chimney on an external wall. Heat pumps need to be connected to an outside unit and need wall space in the right position.
“We ask quite early on if customers are looking for functionality or their focus is on creating a feature in the room. We have lots of gas fires to choose from in the Rinnai range – understanding what kind of look customers want is a good way to narrow down the options.”
Working with a short list makes it easier to make the right choice.
The combination of floor space, style and room layout quickly allows Sean and his team to recommend some good options for the customer to take a closer look at.
“We know exactly what each fire costs to install and we’ve got a good idea of how they perform, so we can save customers a lot of time and avoid the heartache of looking at models that won’t work in their space or will cost more than their budget.
We usually find that we’ve got a model of gas fire that meets both their design and functionality needs, and we can often surprise customers with the added bonus of how easy Rinnai fires are to use – giving them complete control of their room temperature from inside or outside their home.”
Heating your whole home
New builds vs. existing homes.
The options for heating a whole home are a little bit different. The first question is whether the home has already been built. New builds offer the opportunity to install some forms of central heating system – like underfloor heating – more cost effectively. That’s why finding out if the home’s already built is a good place to start.
“Underfloor heating is a great option for new builds because we can factor the installation into the house construction. And customers love the luxury of walking around on warm floors on cold Winter days. It’s less cost-effective when it’s being added to existing homes but that’s still possible. You just need to have the budget to make it happen.”
Taking a close look at the style and layout of your home
The next question is what style of home is going to be heated. House construction has a big impact on the cost of installation and the best central heating system for the home. Factors like concrete floors, multiple levels, access under floors/in the roof cavity, and the layout of the rooms can all affect the decision around which type of heating will be most effective to install.
“We start off by understanding what the customer wants to achieve and what the building is like that we’re working with. Usually budget is a key consideration – we can ultimately install anything but what we’re looking for is the most cost-effective combination of installation and running costs.
That’s why it’s also important to understand upfront if the customer has any kind of preference when it comes to energy source. Solar energy or a wetback fires can make a big difference to the running cost of central heating – especially if a customer has a free supply of wood. Many of our customers choose to run their central heating systems on gas because they like the efficiency.”
Central heating systems with radiators or ducts?
After deciding on an energy source, customers will choose between central heating systems that heat homes with hot water (hydronic) and central heating systems that heat homes with hot air (ducted). Again house design can be a factor in choosing between the two but it’s often down to personal preference.
“Customers who have experience of central heating with radiators are often keen to choose hydronic heating systems. Radiators are an efficient way to heat the whole home and come in a wide range of styles, allowing homeowners to integrate them into their home’s existing design.
Ducted Central heating systems work well for customers who prefer not to give up wall space to a radiator and are looking for a more integrated solution. They’re good in modern homes where there’s less wall space available because of large feature windows.
Sometimes there’s a bit of a trade-off between the preferred system and the logistics of fitting it into the home, but we work out the best solution. We also tell our customers about the details they might not know about – like being able to create different zones at different temperatures and how to manage timers so you always wake up or come home to the temperature you want.”
How to get help choosing the right heating for your home
If you want to choose the most effective heater for your Hawke’s Bay home, start by booking an appointment to visit the Heating Showroom at East Coast Plumbing and Gas. Once you’ve made your appointment you’ll be asked to bring along a copy of your house plans. The team will use these to talk you through what you want to achieve with your heating and help you to find the best solution for your home.
Want to find out more about heating your home?
Explore our central heating solutions online.
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