CHOOSE THE RIGHT HEATING FOR YOUR HOME!
Hi Neighbours
It is in these colder months we start thinking about keeping warm. So to help you all we are posting our tips to choosing the right heating for your home.
When looking to heat a home, it's important to consider the wide variety of heating methods on offer. An under-heated home can lead to illness and poor health. Creating a warm, dry and comfortable home should be a top priority.
Heating options are far now greater than they were a generation ago. Electrical, gas, new super-efficient wood fireplaces, gas fires, in-concrete floor hot water or electrical heating units, central hot water heating, heat pumps and air conditioning units and home ventilation systems are just some of the popular heating options to choose from.
Because the heating needs of every dwelling are different, you need to undertake heat loss calculations based on: the size of your home, the materials used for construction, whether your home is north or south facing, the size and number of external walls and the number of windows and doors.
The World Health Organisation recommendations for room temperatures are:
21 degrees Celsius in living areas
18 degrees Celsius in bedrooms
22 degrees Celsius in bathrooms
Start with insulation – keep in the heat you have, then add heaters to warm you up. Insulation will also reduce temperatures in the summer.
Considerations
Ensure you have an abundance of insulation – remember, building code requirements are a minimum.
It’s important that whatever system you install is of sufficient capacity to heat your home properly – too small a unit will result in expensive bills and insufficient heating.
Some heating system installations require a building consent and registered installer.
The modern approach to heating is ‘whole house heating’. Good insulation and an energy-efficient heating system will heat all areas of the house at a reasonable price and help keep your family healthier through cold months.
CENTRAL HEATING
Central heating can be fuelled from gas, diesel, solid wood pellets or hot water heat pump, can work through warm water underfloor heating or slim water radiators (and sometimes both), with the possibility of adding domestic hot tap water and even swimming pool heating all from the one heat source.
Poll: Have you ever had a scary flight?
A plane flying from Christchurch to Wellington on Sunday had smoke billowing out of the engine and upon landing, passengers had to open the emergency exit and jump out. Have you had any scary flying experiences?
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56.7% Yes!
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43.3% No, it's always been smooth flying
ALEXANDER ROAD SPEED LIMIT
Alexander Road in Trentham-Wallaceville of which 50% separates a golf course from a military encampment enclosure and the rest has mostly high fenced off industrial and residential areas on both sides, should have a 70km speed restriction.
Only a short time ago the road had a 80km restriction and was reduced to a pedestrian 50km much to the frustration of many. It has never been an accident prone stretch of road.
The several round-abouts ensure speed is reduced to 30-40km when these things occur.
I recently stayed a few days in Feilding - often given the title of the best town in NZ - and one of the lengthy main streets has a 70km speed restriction despite a predominance of unfenced residential properties on both sides.
LIVE Q&A: Financial well-being with Cat Rikihana
Today (Wednesday) we're having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with Cat Rikihana who is a financial mentor, educator and financial capability practitioner at Financial Freedom Trust in the Manawatū.
Cat Rikihana (Ngai Tahu) like many financial mentors around Aotearoa, works with individuals, groups and whānau to successfully navigate financial stress and hardship. Mentors work alongside whānau to increase confidence and skills in personal money management and advocate with and for clients. Cat enjoys delivering online and face-to-face workshops which provide opportunities to normalise money conversations and encourages people to make time to consider their financial well-being.
Cat is also an independent financial well-being coach, educator and indigenous life coach at Restore Wellness Network. She is a published writer and currently in the process of writing her first non-fiction book: 'A financial self-care guide for women in Aotearoa.'
She'd love to answer any questions you may have around your budgeting and spending habits, strategies for saving, retirement planning and debt. (Don't be shy, but be mindful about what you disclose!)
↓ Share your questions now and Cat will reply to your comment below ↓
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