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IStock / City Presse
Heating a small studio or a large house is not the same thing.
If you now have the choice between different heating methods, some are more or less suitable depending on the size of your home.
In order to benefit from optimal comfort and to pay the right price, you must take into account several criteria to determine the power of your equipment.
Calculate the heating power
To estimate your heating requirement, first calculate the volume of the room to be heated, by multiplying the area by its ceiling height.
On average, it is estimated that a normally insulated house, with a height of 2.5 m, requires between 70 and 100 watts per m2.
To find the precise wattage required for your room, multiply the square meters by the number of watts per square meter.
Another method: calculate the difference between the desired indoor temperature and the average outdoor temperature.
Multiply the two values obtained (and the house's insulation coefficient if you know it) and you will obtain the power needed for each room, in watts.
For more precision, you can also use software and websites allowing to realize this equation.
Take to the skies
There are things you may not have thought of that can affect the efficiency of your heating system.
Topping the list, if your home looks like an energy strainer, the amount of your energy bills will quickly encourage you to do insulation work.
In addition, the heating power varies depending on the position of your home.
The need will not be the same if your apartment is located on the top floor, on the ground floor or next to other dwellings.
The energy requirement can be reduced by around 20% if the neighbors also heat.
How to heat less than 100 m2?
Once these external elements have been taken into account, the most suitable system should be chosen.
For small areas, electric heaters remain the most common heating method.
Beyond 30 m2, it is advisable to install at least two radiators in two separate places, in order to distribute the heat more efficiently.
As soon as we gain in surface area, gas is one of the cheapest fuels on the market and offers good value for money for a space of less than 100 m2.
If the house is not connected to the city network, you can opt for wood heating.
If this system is efficient, count a higher installation cost and think about sufficient space to store the fuel.
From 100 to 200 m2: boiler, stove and renewable energies
With good efficiency, the boiler is the most used equipment in houses over 100 m2.
Running on wood, gas or electricity, this central heating system increases the temperature of the water supplying the radiators and heated floors.
Be careful, however, not to choose an oil or coal supply since the installation of these boilers will be prohibited from 2022.
Another alternative: wood and gas stoves.
With a power of 7 to 13 kW and meeting BBC standards, they are suitable for this type of surface.
Finally, if aerothermal heat pumps (which draw energy from the air) or geothermal (from the ground or from groundwater) have a higher initial cost, they are ecological and economical over time. term, especially since state aid exists for their installation.
For a surface of more than 200 m2
As an inexpensive fuel, wood (fueling a stove, boiler or fireplace) provides a good level of heating for large areas.
A condensing boiler, with an output of up to 400 kW, offers several advantages: less waste of energy, heat loss and pollutant emissions.
It can be coupled with solar thermal collectors which, installed with a combined solar system, can provide between 25 and 60% of a home's heating needs.
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Think about the specifics of each room
In a home, wet rooms need 25% more power than others.
Likewise, those that are exposed to the north or at altitude need 10 to 20% more watts.
On the other hand, sunny spaces will consume less energy (- 5 to 10%), just like rooms with a party wall (- 20%) since they benefit from the heat produced by the neighbors.
Housing
Winter
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Heater