Cyprus-Forum.com

[devil]

You have to decide what you can support.

Heating the air: this is the most comfortable method, using some form of convection heating.
Radiant heating: this is where you (usually) have visible light, often with a reflector. It heats more by the radiation hitting the body and is essentially local. Can feel OK on one side of the body and cold on the other.

Electricity: clean but expensive
Gas: undesirable combustion products. Burning LPG produces mostly carbon dioxide and water vapour: the latter can make the house damp, often causing condensation and mould
Kerosene: as for gas plus bad smell.

Electrical heating:
Night storage heating: provides good background convective heat 24/7 and is economical but requires 3-phase wiring and a special EAC installation. May require a complement of heating on very cold days, especially in the early evening. Silent.
Aircon heating: using the aircon as a heater is, by far, the most economical way of electric heating on ordinary power lines, and is forced convective. May be noisy.
Fan convector: effective and rapid but, like all direct conversion of ordinary power line electricity, is expensive to run as main heating method. May be noisy.
Oil-filled electric radiator: good background convective heating but, like all direct conversion of ordinary power line electricity, is expensive to run as main heating method. Silent.
Halogen or quartz radiator: relatively low power, giving sensation of warmth, but usually insufficient to heat the air significantly, so you feel cold the moment you move away from the heat source.

Gas: in order to keep the gas bills reasonable, these are usually radiative with the same disadvantages as the halogen/quartz electric radiator (plus the moisture problem). Requires frequent ventilation of the room to maintain a healthy atmosphere, thereby losing heat.

Kerosene: as for gas, slightly more economical but smellier and greater risk of toxic carbon monoxide emissions: must never burn with yellow flame.

Central heating (usually oil-fired) is very expensive to run but very effective. Much installation hassle if house is not built with pipework in place.

My personal preference, as my house did not come with central heating, is night storage heating which handles 95% of our heating needs. We occasionally run the aircon heating for a while if it is particularly cold but we do light a wood fire in most evenings, which reduces the electricity consumption in the sitting room (not sure that it is more economical, though). We have two neighbours with oil-fired central heating and their heating bills are much higher than ours.

Hope this helps.

[susanbunny]

I agree about the halogen heaters, they don't seem to warm the whole room. but I sit in front of one upstairs while on my computer, and it is brillant cost £8....we have a gas fire each down stairs, and that works fine, then 15 minutes before bed we put the aircon on, to warm the bedroom.

What you have to remember with cyprus built houses is there is no insulation, the walls are single skin, the double glazing is not sealed units like the UK so draughts come in. There was snow in Paphos the other day.

during the summer the tempratures soar and you get used to the heat, thus when it drops in the winter you feel it. Also as mentioned floors are all tiled and marble, yes you put rugs down, but not as warming as carpet all over.

Susanbunny

[devil]

I agree that the quality of house construction is criminal in these days of trying to reduce fossil fuel consumption and CO2 emissions (and remember that electric heating also causes this, at the power station), Apart from badly fitting doors and windows, most houses have aluminium-profile frames which conduct heat like fury from the warm inside to the cold outside. When it is ~0°C outside, just put your hand on a window frame: feels a lot colder than the glass!.

See http://www.cypenv.org/Files/houses.htm

[mountainman]

Carbon monoxide is a byproduct of combustion from any fossil fuel system. As such, the device should be vented so that exhaust fumes exit to the outdoors. (NB, the vent should not be directly under another window).

I'm not suggesting that you not use the system, just take the proper safety precautions. And install a CO detector with battery backup just in case.

-dinos

Hi Dinos
The by-products of complete combustion are Carbon Dioxide and Water Vapour, both pretty harmless in a room with adequate ventilation.

Carbon Monoxide is a by-product of incomplete combustion and is extremely dangerous. if anyone has a gas fire showing yellow wavy flames of a build up of soot on the radiant panel of anywhere else then TURN THE FIRE OFF and get expert advice.

David

[orokliniservices]

Thanks all, I've bought a gas heater and no real complaints so far, smell isn't too bad.
My dog is happy with it as you can see!
Happy New Year

[G.Man]

duff link

[dinos]

Hi Dinos
The by-products of complete combustion are Carbon Dioxide and Water Vapour, both pretty harmless in a room with adequate ventilation.

Carbon Monoxide is a by-product of incomplete combustion and is extremely dangerous. if anyone has a gas fire showing yellow wavy flames of a build up of soot on the radiant panel of anywhere else then TURN THE FIRE OFF and get expert advice.

David

Valid point; I should have articulated that better. But I find CO in almost every house I screen for it with gas appliances. Usually 2 or 3 PPM (maximum EPA exposure limit is 9 ppm over an 8 hour period). And especially with gas fireplaces that vent indoors.

Happy new year,
dinos

[andri_cy]

The kind that oroklini has in the picture my family has been using since I was a little girl. Depending on the gas tank you buy you might have a bit more or less smell. They work very well though...

[Eliko]

On the subject of 'Halogen' heaters and the fact that they are most effective at close range, it's easy to imagine the reason for 'THE HIGHLANDER'S' preference, a slight lift of the kilt and the world seems a better place at this time of year, take care of your whiskers and 'A Happy Hogmanay' to you sir.