Posted in Tips.

REFORM HEATING

Air conditioning systems (heating and air conditioning) are the largest consumers of energy. Heat and cold represent up to 50% of the electricity bill. Due to their magnitude, they are a key objective for energy savings. In this area, savings are possible through the following measures: programming the temperature according to schedules, checking the air conditioning systems frequently, it is especially important to pay attention to the filters when heating is by air.

Also, two thirds of the heat generated in a building is lost through walls and ceilings (the remaining third goes through doors, windows and ventilation systems). Therefore, it is obvious that improving the thermal insulation of the building can lead to a drastic reduction in heat loss (or unwanted heat input in the summer months) and air conditioning costs. For this reason, it is very necessary to carry out regular maintenance of the building, attending to and repairing any deteriorated walls, broken glass or windows that do not close properly.

For all these reasons, it is essential to renew the heating system when it is very old or to carry out periodic maintenance on the installation.

There are many heating systems on the market and they can be classified by the energy they consume or by their operating system.

Types of heating according to the energy they consume

Electricity
Electricity and Natural Gas
Natural gas
Butane gas
Propane gas
Diesel
Biomass (pellets)
Geothermal energy
Firewood

Now let's see some examples of them:

Heating all by electricity : heat pumps, electric radiators, small hot air heaters, etc.
Electric heating and natural gas :

* Water radiator boilers : these boilers heat the water that goes through the heating circuits with natural gas, and move or distribute the water through the radiators using an electric pump.

* Radiant heating : same as the previous section. It normally requires a boiler that heats and pumps the water through pipes that run through the floor. The advantage it has over the previous one is that to heat the environment it needs lower temperatures than radiator heating and therefore consumes less.

Natural gas heating : this is also known as the previous ones because the highest consumption is natural gas.
Butane gas heating : boilers that work with replaceable cylinders
Propane gas heating : where there are distribution networks for this gas and by accumulation in large tanks, especially in single-family homes
Diesel : by accumulation in tanks, especially in single-family homes
Biomass or pellet heating : these are boilers that use pellets (or biofuel pellets: pressed pellets made from wood compounds or other organic plant components)
Geothermal energy: free energy that takes advantage of the natural heat of the Earth that exists at a certain depth. Almost exclusively for single-family homes that have land around them to be able to make the excavation and set up the technical room.
Aerothermal : Aerothermal is based on the use of latent heat in the outside air, whatever the outside temperature. This heat is transferred to a heat pump that transforms it into heat or cold depending on the need, like a conventional heat pump. It can also provide hot water through an inertia tank where the heated water is accumulated until it is used. This system requires a certain amount of space to install the equipment.
Wood : boilers that use this fuel to produce heat or it is used in ground fires for very local heating. This heat can also be distributed through ducted systems.

There is no better heating than another. The best heating system is made up of several subsystems and various combinations. One of them could be: gas boiler and water radiators + the use of the internal residual heat generated in all homes and which is discharged into the heating system through an exchanger. This makes the boiler work “less” and, therefore, consume less.

On the other hand, the most efficient heating system, measured according to parameters known by the acronyms COP (heat) or EER (cold), is the conventional heat pump, because for every kW of electricity it consumes, it provides 3-4 kW of power in air conditioning (heat or cold).

In order to choose the best heating system to install, it is always necessary to carry out a study of each case and to be aware of the promotions available on the market in order to take advantage of them. But they must always be proven systems, which have already been used for a certain period in our market. Not in the market of other countries. The climatic conditions depending on the location must also be taken into account.

And above all, it must be taken into account that there is a large part of the year in which neither heating nor cooling is necessary.