The summer has passed, and the seasons are changing once again. Winter is here. It’s time to put away the pool noodles and thongs and unearth the coats and warm boots. For those moments when you want to sit back and relax in the comfort of your home, the best thing for the cold is a heater.
Heaters are the ideal source of warmth for the home. They enable you to heat large spaces all at once while creating a cosy, inviting atmosphere. Like most other things in the world, heaters have also undergone significant change throughout the years. Evolving and improving technology has availed a wider range of types and models to cater to various needs and tastes. Therefore, selecting the right one for your home may require a little more effort with such possibilities on hand.
With that in mind, here is a brief overview of what is available in the markets.
Types
Before delving into the differences between heaters, you must first know the types of heaters being sold. There are four: wood, gas, electric and ethanol. However, the most popular ones are wood and gas for varying reasons.
Benefit Comparisons
Wood Heaters
Wood-burning fireplaces have always been the most prevalent type of heater used in homes. This distinction primarily stems from the history of warming the house where wood was always used. It has such satisfactory results that wood is still the primary energy source today. Furthermore, the appearance of wood heaters has become synonymous with the ideal image of home.
The advantages of using wood include:
- Environmentally friendly since wood as a source of energy is renewable.
- Reasonable operating costs, especially if sourcing the wood is easier and cheaper than adding to your utility bills.
- If you can maintain a constant supply, there is no worry that you will be unable to heat your home in case of emergencies where other energy sources become unavailable.
- In case you find yourself left only with a wood heater and no power, it is a versatile piece of equipment, so you can cook your food while warming yourself.
Gas Heaters
Gas heaters are steadily becoming the fireplace of choice in modern homes. The increase in demand has its roots in the advancements made to model designs. Because they have evolved so much, gas fireplaces now look and feel similar to wood heaters while eliminating some of the more glaring disadvantages of burning wood.
Some other benefits of gas fireplaces are:
- Easy ignition and use. Most gas heaters need nothing more than a switch and a pilot light to get the fire going. In contrast, lighting wood requires some effort before you can settle in for some relaxation.
- Better operating conditions. Once again, as opposed to wood, gas does not emit smoke or produce strong, distinctive odours when burning. Therefore, you can enjoy the warmth in a cleaner atmosphere.
- Easy, convenient operation- Some gas heaters come with remote controls, giving you the ability to turn the fire off and on with just the click of a button.
- Effective and accurate temperature control- The thermostat feature on a gas fireplace gives you the ability to set your desired temperature and maintain it as long as you need to.
Fireplace Design
In addition to the types and benefits of home heaters, you should also learn about the various designs. These speak more to your desired aesthetic. Consequently, the one you choose will often be complementary to your home decor.
Wood Insert Heaters
These are an offshoot of the traditional fireplace where wood is stacked in a firebox and lit to burn. The main difference between this type and the original is in how it utilises a more closed system. This system is meant to reduce or eliminate the inefficiency of open chimneys that often allow for significant heat loss. A wood insert provides a seal that retains more heat during operation. Therefore, more warmth gets into the house, and you spend less on energy costs.
Freestanding Wood Fireplaces
Freestanding wood fireplaces are an excellent design alternative to conventional inserts. They are rustic, interesting and can be stunning focal points wherever they are placed. Furthermore, these wood heaters are efficient and effective.
Concerning cost, freestanding wood fireplaces are budget-friendly where they offer value for money.
Gas Heaters
Gas heaters also have insert and freestanding models. In many cases, their appearance is very similar to wood fireplaces. They only diverge at the point where gas fireplace designs tend to have a more contemporary flair. As such, you may find that they are better suited to a modern interior setting, although that is not a hard and fast rule.
Now that you have some more knowledge about heaters, the process of whittling your choices down to the one that’s right for you may not be so daunting anymore.
