This publication is intended to help plan a successful installation of a wood-burning heating system and to use the system in the most safe and effective way. Topics covered include: low-emission wood burning technology; wood heating options, including space heaters, wood stoves, conventional and high-efficiency fireplaces, pellet stoves, high thermal mass masonry heaters, and central heating; planning a space heater installation; installation safety; installation of wood stoves and flue pipes; chimneys; avoiding wood smoke spillage; efficient wood combustion; purchasing and preparing the wood supply; calculating costs of heating; and heating system maintenance.
In The Homeowner's Guide to Energy Efficiency, John Krigger and Chris Dorsi help homeowners set realistic personal goals for reducing their energy consumption. Their methods for making homes more energy efficient will also improve comfort, safety, durability, and resale value. They guide readers through the process of assessing current energy usage and predicting the benefits and estimating the costs of remodeling options. With projects ranging from simple fixes to large-scale renovations, this book offers solutions for the energy-conscious homeowner, regardless of budget, technical ability, or time.
Does turning the thermostat down on a winter's night offset the costs of reheating the house in the morning? What will best prevent energy loss: new windows or insulation in the attic? Is heating oil cheaper than natural gas? Blending science with anecdote and example, Colin Smith answers questions like these, providing an insightful guide to creating an environmentally friendly home without sacrificing comfort. This Cold House helps homeowners identify heating and cooling priorities and choose the most appropriate methods, tools, and equipment. Basic equations allow you to estimate possible savings in annual heating and cooling bills and determine payback times for improvement projects. Practical and entertaining, This Cold House illuminates the concepts behind energy efficiency and translates them into ideas you can use, whether you live in a castle, igloo, or house. -- Dan Holohan
Using the latest technologies to stay warm safely, cleanly and efficiently. Wood Heat is a comprehensive and practical homeowner's guide to using wood as a reliable source of heat with the latest wood stoves and traditional fireplaces. The book explores the efficiency of wood compared to other fuels, the environmental impacts of various fuel types as well as sustainability issues that have led to so many adopting a wood-burning lifestyle. Heating with wood does more than keep a house warm. Though it can be a hands-on expression of self-reliance, it does bring us closer to the land by using fuel that is renewable and sustainably harvested, and renews our wonder in the cycle of the seasons. And the biggest benefit is that wood heat saves money in the long run. There are four ways that wood can be used to heat a home or cottage: wood stoves (the most popular), fireplace inserts, pellet stoves and masonry heaters. Wood Heat explains the pros and cons of each. The book provides all of the information and advice needed to convert to a wood-heated life. How-to topics include step by step directions. They include: The comparative advantages of heating with wood Buying, cutting, splitting, stacking, storing and moving firewood Building the perfect woodpile Varieties of wood and their burning characteristics The latest technology for burning wood efficiently and cleanly Energy content of wood varieties per air-dried cord (BTUs) Catalytic and non-catalytic stoves Cooking with a wood stove How to make a good fire Essential hearth and fireplace tools Sizing wood-burning appliances A chimney maintenance checklist. Currently, over 10 million U.S. households use wood as their main heating fuel or to supplement other forms of heating. Unstable, increasing fuel costs and the desire of many people to move toward self-sufficiency will only increase the numbers of those choosing to burn wood for heat. Wood Heat is the ideal guide for all.
Reducing energy consumption and costs is an issue of ever-increasing importance, and European and national legislation aimed at reducing carbon emissions is tightening up minimum energy standards for new buildings as well as those being extended or renovated. Energy-saving measures in the home will, therefore, become ever more cost-effective throughout our lifetimes. This book covers every aspect of the efficient consumption of energy in the home including the following and much more: the position of the dwelling, its method of construction and the materials used; energy rating and the legal framework; insulation and U-values; windows and doors; conservatories, sunrooms and loft conversions; heating and hot-water systems; lighting and making the best use of daylight; ventilation; renewable energy technologies; appliances, gadgets and housekeeping; the wider environmental issues including water economy and recycling. This non-technical book is fully revised and updated to take account of recent legislation and developments in energy efficient products and techniques.
This publication provides guidance on how to comply with the requirements of Building Regulations, Part l for conventional space heating systems and hot water service systems in dwellings. It contains four self-contained fuel-based sections and five specialist technology-specific sections (community heating, underfloor heating, heat pumps, solar water heating, micro CHP). This guide is a second tier document referred to in Approved Document L1A and Approved Document L1B.
