The concept of “old house” is quite often associated with frequent repairs, draughts, high maintenance and heating costs. If you’re tired of constantly watching TV with your jacket on and counting the costs, learn about options for improving your old house heating from our article.
Three key steps to efficient heating
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Eliminate draughts: Find the places where cold air is coming in (gaps in vents, walls, doors, windows and ) and seal them. Effective sealing can already help reduce heating bills by up to 15%.
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Improve insulation: Check the quality of your insulation and consider options to improve it. At worst, older homes may not have it at all, and at best it may already be substandard. Pay particular attention to loft insulation, as this is where heat loss accounts for around 25% of heat loss.
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Choosing the right heating system: Very often older homes still use old systems that are not properly maintained and consume a lot of energy. Consider modern heating options and choose the most suitable one for your home, taking into account regional climatic conditions.
As a rule, the implementation of the first point, if desired, is the easiest and fastest, as it consists of buying sealants and their proper application.
To fulfil the second item can be more difficult, as it may require the help of specialists and more significant costs. Nevertheless, a properly insulated sealed attic that creates a thermal boundary makes the task of heating the entire old house much easier.
As for the third point, it will have to devote both more time and more money, but you should not panic in advance. In order that your investment is not wasted and solve all the problems with uneconomical heating, it is necessary not only to familiarise yourself in more detail with the new possible options, but also to get expert advice on this issue.
Let’s briefly consider the possible options
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Heat pumps. In most cases, it is heat pumps that are the ideal option for heating older homes. Their job is to transfer heat from the outside to the inside, and in the warmer months they can work for air conditioning, which would definitely be a win-win for any home.
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Electric underfloor heating. Installed individually in rooms where you need to provide extra warmth (such as a nursery). Unfortunately, for the whole house, such a solution can not be called optimal.
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Localised heating. A portable heater may seem like a quick and practical solution, but in practice it turns out to be the least efficient and aesthetically unappealing.
If you haven’t noticed yet, the favourite on this list for an older home is the electric heat pump. It’s the most energy efficient, environmentally friendly, and safe way to heat. And you can opt for ductless options, which are more commonly referred to as mini split air conditioners or ductless heat pumps.
In older homes, especially those with fragile structures or unique architectural elements, these can be the ideal option. Mini split AC installation does not require major interventions and changes to the structure of the old house. And the possibility of using it also as an air conditioner will be an additional bonus and will save costs.
With these devices in an old house several tasks are solved at once. You can not only heat, but also cool only those rooms that you want, and for each room to set an individual level of comfort. And, of course, it is impossible not to mention that using a heat pump will allow you to finally get rid of that constant feeling of musty air in the house.
So, are you ready to modernise your old home and make the most of it? Start today and you’ll be able to insulate it in time for the coming winter.
