Where is the Heat Needed?
In a small house heating energy is needed for heating rooms, fresh air brought from outside and warm water.The division of energy consumption in a small house
| Heating rooms | ~40-60 % |
| Heating household water | ~10-25 % |
| Preheating of incoming air | ~5-15 % |
| Apartment and house electricity | ~20-30 % |
Heating rooms
It is worthwhile planning the heating system so that the heating of living areas, partially heated rooms and washrooms can be controlled separately. This makes it possible to heat different rooms according to need. For instance, the underfloor heating of a washroom can be kept on during summer even though the rest of the house’s heating is off.Heating incoming air
In mechanical incoming and outgoing air ventilation, fresh air is blown into rooms through incoming air ducts and ventilators. Cold outside air is heated in a heat storage unit by thermal energy available from removed air. If the heat storage unit does not make the incoming air warm enough (about +15°C) the incoming air is heated by the auxiliary radiator of the air ventilator.The auxiliary radiator is either an electrical resistor or a hot water coil. In a house in which the heating system is by water circulation, it is worthwhile for the auxiliary radiator to perform its own water circulation circuit, whereby when incoming air is heated the same heating energy can be used as in the actual heating system.
