Eco Heating in the Home with Character Cast Iron Radiators

Oct. 25, 2010 - PRLog -- When you are looking to renovate or upgrade your home, you may want to think about eco-friendly options in your heating system.  We are all constantly encouraged to conserve energy and help the environment, and this can have the added advantage of saving us money.  Alternative heating systems are available that do not use fossil fuels, and these include air-source heat pumps, geothermic heating, solar heating and wood burning.  All of these can run under floor heating or can be attached to a conventional radiator system, including character cast iron radiators such as those found at http://www.traditionaldesigns.co.uk.

Geothermic heating is an option for those with spare land and it works on the basis that the Earth is one big heat store.  The sun heats up the soil during the day, and the further down you go, the more constant the temperature.  At about 10 meters depth, there is no seasonal fluctuation to the heat source and it remains constant all year round.  However, where deep drilling is not an option, pipes can be run horizontally at about 1.5 meters under the soil.  There is some seasonal fluctuation to this but it is still an efficient heating source.  A thermal loop is run into this core temperature then a heat pump is used to extract the heat from the fluid in the loop.  This means that electricity is used, which can be generated from renewable sources.  The savings in heating costs can be up to 70%.

Another option to consider is an air source heat pump.  This works in a similar way to geothermic heating but extracts ambient heat from the air.  This means that there is no need for digging or drilling, although you will need a pump attached to the outside of your building.  An air source heat pump extracts heat from the air outside in the same way that a fridge extracts heat from its inside.  These will work up to minus 15 degrees outside, but will require more electricity to extract heat as the temperature decreases.  

Both the geothermic and airsource heat pumps are getting better all the time and can now run radiators.  In choosing your radiators, think about the thermal mass of the radiator.  A cast iron radiator is made from much heavier metal than panel radiators.  This gives it the advantage of radiating the heat over a longer period, as it takes longer to cool down, thus not saving energy but using energy more efficiently.  They do not heat quickly and cool quickly like steel panel radiators.  

It is important as well to ensure each room is heated to the most ambient temperature.  Thermostatic radiator valves are the best option as these will sense the temperature of the room and adjust the flow of hot water through the radiators accordingly.  A bedroom will not require as much heating as a living room, so the temperature can be pre-set accordingly.  There are times when a manual radiator valve would be more appropriate such as hallways and other areas of high temperature fluctuations.  A selection of quality valves can be found at http://www.traditional-radiator-valves.co.uk

Selecting an eco-friendly and efficient heating system is a big step, but one that you can be proud of.  You will enjoy the warmth from your ornate cast iron radiators, knowing that your eco choice of heat generation is helping to lead towards a cleaner world, and saving you money at the same time.

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