Home is where the hearth is

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IS WHERE THE HEARTH IS

What kind of winter lies ahead? How cold is it likely to get at your place?

Without any scientific proof, Darwin is easily the warmest Australian capital to be in during winter, followed in order by Brisbane, Perth and Sydney (all very close), Adelaide and Melbourne (almost nothing between them), Hobart and Canberra.

Outside the capitals, Cairns, in North Queensland, sits at 26-27 degrees on average through winter. Officially the coldest is Cooma, in southern NSW, which experiences an average temperature of minus 2.9 degrees Celsius in winter. Believe it or not, even people in Cairns like homeheating - for that odd time it drops below 22 degrees.

There are many options when it comes to home heating. Electric, gas, combustion or reverse-cycle air conditioning – which is right for you?

Portable electric heaters - fan, radiant, oil-column, convection – are an option for smaller spaces and shorter time periods. Radiant heaters radiate heat from a red-hot heating element and are personal heaters rather than room heaters.

Oil-filled column heaters do not burn oil. Rather they use electricity to heat the oil that is sealed inside their columns and the heat from the oil is transferred to the casing and to the air circulating the columns. They are particularly useful in rooms where they will be switched on for long periods of time.

Convection heaters draw cold air over an electric heating element. The warmed air then leaves the heater and rises towards the ceiling, while cooler air moves in to replace it. A fan generally helps the convection effect.

With fan heaters, the ceramic types cool faster than those with metallic heating elements and reduce burn risk.

Infrared heaters are fairly new to the market. They heat up objects rather than air, heating the room like the sun heats the skin (but without the UV rays).

The electric fire, or flame-effect heater, offers the old-world charm of a fireplace, without the smoke, mess or need for a chimney.

Safety must be high priority and the good news is that modern electric heaters are considerably safer than older models, and much safer than liquid fuel combustion heaters which burn kerosene or other accelerants. Modern heaters also come with built-in safety features. Heaters must comply with Australian electrical safety standards. Convection heaters, such as oil column and panel heaters, tend to have lower surface temperatures, do not have exposed heating elements and are more stable due to their greater weight or wall mounting. While they are relatively safe as far as space heaters go, you still can’t be complacent about things like faulty wiring, tipping over and oil leaks.

Common sense safety with electric heaters:

• Never use on a shelf, bench or uneven surface. • Do not use in bathrooms, kitchens or any other wet areas. • Do not drape flammable items such as clothes, curtains and furniture over the heater. • Keep furniture, curtains, clothing etc at least a metre away. • Never leave a running heater unattended. Many people favour gas heaters, which can be very efficient and good value for money, over electric heaters and air conditioners.

Wood burning combustion stoves and open fireplaces are further heating options.

An open wood fireplace relies on a convective ‘box’ to heat up and passively circulate the hot air through the room while also producing radiant heat from the flames. Many people feel a sealed slow combustion wood fire is more efficient, being able to burn for longer periods and produce more heat with less fuel.

Australian HomeHeating Association Inc. (AHHA), is the peak industry body representing over 250 manufacturers, retailers, installers, maintenance companies and firewood suppliers within the home heating industry, and is a great place to find helpful information. www.homeheat.com.au

Ceiling fans - in reverse or ‘winter’ mode, make your electric heater more effective by drawing the room’s air up.