How to heat or cool your building

Need to heat or cool your home, office or studio? With a wide selection of heating and air conditioning systems to choose from, the trick is finding one that best suits your precise situation. Too powerful a heating or cooling system can be wasteful; one not powerful enough might be inefficient also, as it needs to run more often. Oz Plumbers discusses air conditioning systems and heaters.

Different heater types

Looking to heat an entire house or building, or perhaps just warm your feet while watching the telly? There are many options available, including:

• Portable heaters are usually small units that you can move around. They offer instant heating, but only for small areas and for short periods of time
• Portable un-flued gas heaters heat individual rooms and simply clip into a floor or wall-mounted socket. However, they're not recommended for unventilated areas and are actually prohibited in Victoria
• Flued gas heaters can be left on for long periods, with the combustion gases being released outside through a flue
• Off-peak storage heaters heat an insulated core overnight and slowly release warmth throughout the day. They're cost-effective for those in chilly climates, who need to heat a home all day
• Gas log fires provide the ambience of a log fire - without the work. They are connected to a flue and can either be built into an existing fireplace or be freestanding
• Gas or electric ducted heating distribute fan-forced warm air via ducts to each room for all-over heating
• Reverse-cycle air conditioning can both heat and cool your home, either as a wall or window unit or split system
• Hydronic heating uses a unit outside the house, which sends heated water through the system to deliver radiant warmth to each room
• Subfloor heating radiates heat directly through the floor via the installation of an electrical heating element beneath the surface. This helps to prevent the usual dust from circulating the room

If you have the budget and space to consider most or all of the above options, in addition to cost-efficiency it's a good idea to consider environmental friendliness of your heating system.

Air conditioning types

Like heating, the options for cooling your home are numerous. Ideally, you need to strike a balance between your requirements and a system's cooling capacity.

• Portable air conditioners can be moved around from room to room and cool small areas for short periods of time. However, they can be a little noisier than fixed air conditioners
• Wall or window air conditioners are fixed in place and can cool rooms and open-plan areas up to 50 square metres
• Split-systems cool one or more rooms or an open-plan area, comprising an outside compressor unit and a few indoor air outlets
• Ducted systems are usually put in the roof or outside at ground level and are ducted to air outlets throughout the house
• Inverter technology varies the compressor speed and maintains the set temperature within a narrow range, so is often more energy and cost efficient than other systems
• Evaporative coolers draw warm air through a special filter, which is then cooled and blown through the building. While cheaper, they can create extra humidity in the air, so are better suited to dry inland climates

Doing some background research will help you decide on the best heating or cooling system for your home or office. Seek the advice of an expert if you're not sure which system is right for your needs. With specific guidance, you can enjoy both summer and winter months in significantly improved comfort.