desmondo84

Okay heat pump seems to be the way to go. What about gas? expensive to install and I imagine need all kinds of permits?

Bo-Jangles

You'll need to find out if you have gas to the road and then it can be an expensive business getting it from the road to your house, or go for bottled LPG.

Snap Shot

We've got mains gas here, in regional New Zealand. The gas fire was already in-situ when we moved in. Real flames, fake logs and a curved glass front to diffuse heat into the room. Lovely.

The infinity water heater is an electric coil inside the hot water pipe and gas jets under the pipe, or something like that. The unit is on the outside of an external wall. Plenty of 'on demand' hot water. Lovely.

I had a larger gas meter installed prior to getting a dual fuel i.e. gas and electric oven, to handle the extra gas demand because of the new cooker. (As well as someone crawling in the void under the floor to sort the gas pipework.) The hob is gas i.e. cooking with gas. Yes really ! The oven is electric. I kinda got used to having a fan assisted oven.

Google, 'Rockgas' as they supply LPG. Other suppliers/installers are available.

Justcol

I have gas central heating, its a ducted air system with a dozen vents all around the place.
It takes 5 minutes (literally) to warm the whole house, its on a thermostat so it can be set for any temp
and is programmable to run automatically, it keeps the whole house lovely and toasty


But DAMN its expensive to run

upandrunning

Actually if there is mains gas in the road, it is free to have a line and meter installed. We went for a Rinnai Energsaver fluid gas heater. It heats the whole house as long as doors are open. We have top up panel heaters in the bedrooms for a cold July. It was $3000 all installed and the best heat source as you can warm your toes in front of it and the heat is cheap. 6.2c a kw and the heater is 5Kw. Works out the same as a heat pump but I think the benefit is that the one source heats the whole house whereas a heat pump will only heat the one room.

Gill and Rob

We have both heat pumps and a pellet fire.
Absolutely love the heat and the real flames of the pellet fire. Clean and easy to use. Would NEVER have a wood burner again... all that work :-(

Gill

bearskin

Wood burner. I LOVE ours. I used to forage for wood only, but then we had it delivered for a few years - this year we had a lot left over and so have just done a top-up of bits and pieces locally. Have built a nice wood shed too - well, almost, just got the roof to go on in the next dry weekend.

We have the Metro Fires 'Wee rad' and we cook on it when it is going in the winter. I'd say we get through about 2 cubic metres of wood a year, so the cost is very low compared to what I hear people wasting on their heat pumps.

I have no problem with the maintenance. Have it professionally cleaned every 3 years - otherwise I brush it myself twice a year in between. The ash goes on the garden beds. Preparing the fire in the morning ready to be lit in the evening takes about 3 minutes.

Genesis

Totally agree. Wood burners make a place so so cosy. My mate got me onto one 8 years ago and I could not live without one. It is the best heat IMO. In the last house I had central heating, heat pumps and hot air fans. By far the nicest was the log burner. Yes the gas central heating was simple and effective but as another poster has mooted its really expensive. There is nothing like the heat, ambiance and flicker of a real flame...and the smokey smell that permeates ones locale is just wonderful..if you like that kind of thing.

southerner

We have main heat pump and a few small eco-panel wall heaters which give a bit of radiant heat in some key spots around home.

desmondo84

got the heat pumps in and a very good job for the rooms they are in but don't do much for the rest of the house. Thinking of putting a woodburner in as well to give a real blast of heat.
What is the process to get one in? Do I need to get some kind of permit before I can install it or do you get that afterwards? Going to contact Stihl and see what they recommend. I guess you need to get them to come out to house to advice on size, location etc?
In terms of firewood, obvisously big blocks are the way to go. But can you use it was a way of getting rid of small branches. We've a load of trees which will need a chain saw taken to them to cut them back so can we burn the wood after it''s dried out?

Stormer999

Exactly what we have just done. The shop we bought the Log Burner from applied for the permit which takes about 2-3 weeks to be approved after the premises have been inspected by the shop for suitability. The fire was then fitted (the type we have has a thermostatically controlled fan built in so an electrical switch was fitted) then all of the fitting details are sent off to the local planning office who take approx 28-30 days to grant a 15 year compliance certificate. Still considering a heat transfer ducting though at the mo we just leave the doors open. The wood has to be well dried usually 1 season old. Genesis was spot on with his post real fire seems to have a place in everyone's heart. Think the permits vary area to area and Chch are very strict on wood burners within the city limits.

desmondo84

Thanks very much for the reply - sounds doable. What are we talking in terms of ballpark figure? And is the heat transfer ducting a big extra?

Mark Smith

We paid $500 for our 2 room heat transfer kit (Airflo) and its been a winner combined with the log burner. The sparky charged about $350 to fit. Bedrooms are much more comfortable.

Stormer999

Masport IE4000 insert fire complete with permit charges and electricians cost inc flues total cost $5.6K.

AceofSpades

Jeeeeeze you Kiwis are still using wood fires over there, how positively prehistoric and not exactly carbon friendly!! .

Over here in Australia I have solar panels and ducted air conditioning. I keep it on all day and the whole house is toasty warm at night, despite it being 5 degrees outside. And being free from the smell of wood smoke is a bonus, with no ashes to clear away in the morning. No hand wringing over buying dry or wet wood, or what burns best. The whole system (solar and air) for a 4 bed, 330sqm home cost me well under 20 grand. Money well spent, and worth its weight in gold during the long summer. In a couple of years from now I'll probably add a Tesla Powerwall to it.

Come on over, the 21st century is wonderful you don't know what you're missing, lol. It's not just shrimps on the barbie you know.