Fall has settled in, with magnificent colours, birds starting their migrations and a return to crockpot meals.
But is your house set up to allow you to enjoy the cool evenings? If you get the shivers in several parts of your home, don’t despair: there are a number of back-up heating solutions to warm your indoor spaces without overheating up your energy bill!
To help you identify the heating solution that best meets your needs, we’ve rounded up some useful tips to make shopping easier.
A device that suits your spaces
Before you choose your back-up heating, define your goal: do you want to deal with frequent power outages in your neighbourhood, make a room a little more comfortable or reduce your energy bill? As well, calculate the area of the space you want to heat so that you can choose the right capacity.
Electric heaters are probably the easiest to fit into your décor because they’re movable and come in a wide range of formats.
- Heated floors are a perfect way to add comfort to small rooms, such as a bathroom or entry.
- Electric convection heaters quickly heat a small room, such as an office, on an occasional basis.
- Wall- or ceiling-mounted radiant heating units provide comfortable heat but don’t move any air. Instead of heating the air, they heat objects.
- Portable radiators have the advantage of being easy to move to meet your current needs.
- A small forced-air radiator can be convenient to heat a bathroom and get rid of the humidity built up during a shower.
Non-electric heating solutions are useful in a power failure.
- Pellet stoves or fireplaces burn granules of pressed wood. They’re easier to use than a traditional wood stove, for a modern and environmentally friendly solution.
- Propane or natural gas fireplaces don’t need a chimney vented to the roof, just an outlet hose. They are turned on and off by a remote control and rapidly flood a room with heat.
Note that ethanol (or bioethanol) heaters are just for decoration and shouldn’t be used to heat a room.
Safety first
Whatever type of back-up heating you choose, some safety rules are necessary to prevent unfortunate incidents.
- Put your back-up heaters at the proper distance from any furniture, item or curtain that might touch the heating surface.
- Have at least one smoke detector on each floor and change the batteries twice a year (tip: set reminders in Edwix!). Also, if you choose a combustion device, install a carbon monoxide detector to identify the presence of this odorless gas, as it can be fatal if there is a leak.
- Also get your devices inspected regularly.
- Don’t leave a combustion device running unattended.
- Finally, upload all your invoices and warranties into Edwix to track your devices.
Above all, have a great fall!