A selection of the best alternative sources of heating a private home

In conditions when energy is constantly becoming more expensive, alternative heating of a private house becomes relevant. Owners of cottages and cottages are looking for acceptable heating options for their property, considering a wide variety of offers: from solid fuel boilers to solar collectors. Each heating option, which differs from the standard, has certain advantages and disadvantages. We will talk about them today.

A bit about alternative energy

For some homeowners, any opportunity may be to abandon the familiar gas heating in rural areas. Others strive for complete autonomy and are eyeing the possibilities to accumulate and use solar energy.

Environmental advocates advocate for the environmentally friendly energy of the earth and water. Some are concerned about how the air in the house warms up and how heaters affect the humidity in the room.

The use of natural energy sources is currently quite expensive and pays off, usually within ten years or more.

In general, modern alternative types of heating look quite diverse:

• solid fuel or liquid fuel boilers, as well as biofuels;
• heat pumps based on the use of geothermal energy;
• solar collectors using the thermal energy of the sun;
• various types of infrared heaters;
• “Warm baseboard”.

More recently, alternative heating methods included systems such as "warm floor", which appeared on the market not so long ago. Today, they have become quite familiar and perfectly complement, and sometimes completely replace the usual methods of heating with radiators.

Pay attention to the article with an overview of energy-saving heating systems: their types of advantages and disadvantages:https://aquatech.tomathouse.com/en/otoplenie/alt_otoplenie/energosberegayushhee-otoplenie-chastnogo-doma.html.

It would seem the use of a gas boiler for heating a private house has many advantages. Many thousands of homes are warmed that way. However, homeowners' demands for heating quality are constantly increasing.

It is worth noting that it is technologically not so easy to connect a gas boiler to the highway. Problems arise in the process of processing all relevant documents. In addition, the cost of gas is constantly growing. Finally, the quality of heat also raises complaints. Using a boiler, it is difficult to heat the house evenly: the temperature of the radiators and the floor is much higher than in the center of the room.

Option # 1 - biofuel boiler

To refuse gas and replace it with another energy carrier, it is enough to change the boiler. The most popular options are electric and solid fuel. But heating an energy carrier with electricity is not always economically viable.

An interesting option might be to use boilers on biofuel. For their work, special briquettes and pellets are used, but materials such as:

• wood pellets and wood chips;
• granular peat;
• granules from straw, etc.

Using briquettes allows you to make the fuel supply to the boiler automatic; you no longer need to take care of this. However, it should be noted that the cost of such a boiler can be ten times higher than the price of gas analogues, briquettes are also quite expensive.

Please note that a properly arranged fireplace is a good alternative to modern heating methods. He is quite capable of effectively heating a small cottage.

You may be interested in an article on how to make a bioreactor with your own hands, whether it is cost-effective and whether special permissions are required:https://aquatech.tomathouse.com/en/otoplenie/alt_otoplenie/energosberegayushhee-otoplenie-chastnogo-doma.html.

Option # 2 - use of heat pumps

Geothermal heat pumps heat the house using the energy of the earth or water. In the summer, such a system works as an air conditioner, i.e. helps cool the building by returning excess heat to the ground. This is an environmentally friendly type of heating that uses renewable resources.

If we compare the costs of heating with heat pumps and gas boilers, we can note a noticeable savings: about 15%. However, alternative heating systems of this type are rare, since the costs of their creation remain very high.

Please note that the heat pump requires a constant supply of electricity. Therefore, you should not mount such a system in an area where electricity is often turned off. You can solve this problem using your own generator, but as a result, the cost of installation and maintenance will increase markedly.

Option # 3 - use of solar collectors

Solar collectors - These are the plates that are usually installed on the roof of the house. They accumulate the heat of the sun and with the help of a coolant transfer the collected energy to the boiler room. Heat enters the heat exchanger, which is mounted in the storage tank. After that, the water is heated and can be used for heating, domestic needs, a swimming pool, etc.

Solar collectors can work efficiently at low temperatures and cloudy weather

Thanks to new technologies, solar collectors are able to receive heat even in cloudy weather or when the air temperature is below zero. However, the maximum effect of their use can be obtained in the southern regions, where the amount of solar radiation is quite high. In colder areas, solar collectors will better cope with the role of additional, rather than primary heating.

Read more about the device and the principle of the solar collector, as well as how to install it yourself, read in our material:https://aquatech.tomathouse.com/en/otoplenie/boilery/solnechnyiy-vodonagrevatel-svoimi-rukami.html.

Option # 4 - infrared heating

Infrared heating is becoming more widespread. Such alternative sources of home heating are relatively inexpensive and very easy to install. Compact infrared heaters effectively heat the room, in addition, they can decorate the interior.

No less popular infrared film, which is used during installation of the system "warm floor". It is laid under a layer of decorative flooring, which greatly facilitates installation. No need for complicated repairs, just remove the flooring, lay the film and lay a new coating.

Warm baseboard allows you to warm the room efficiently and evenly

Also, a system called ““warm baseboard". This system is mounted along the walls, which are heated first and radiate heat inside the room, preventing its penetration outside. As a result, the air temperature in the room becomes very uniform.

These alternative sources of heating for a country house also do not require too high costs for the acquisition. And their installation is simple. For example, the electrical system of a warm skirting board can be installed in just a couple of days. In this case, you do not need to install additional communications, which means that the interior of the house will not be affected. When using such heating, the humidity in the rooms remains optimal.