On the ways of heating the houses in the best possible way now that we are going through the winter, spoke on the SIGMA show "Mesimeri kai Kati", the Mechanical Engineer Eliza Vassiliou.
Regarding air conditioners, he noted that the performance varies depending on the location, ie the performance of an air conditioner in Troodos will be different and different in a house built in the city.
Performance, he said, also depends on the use made and whether it will be used in a well-insulated space.
The energy shielding of the space is the first thing we must take into account, he stressed.
"Insulation is the shield against heat loss and it is good for the citizens to know that they will build new houses, in addition to an architect to introduce to the designers and a mechanical engineer who will provide for them," he said.
At the same time, he noted that heating a house with air conditioning is not equivalent to a central heating system.
As he said, with a good heating function we will have better results.
Asked to comment on whether halogen stoves are economically viable, Ms. Vassiliou said that the consumer will pay less, however, in terms of efficiency it will not be the same as a central heating system.
It works with radiation, so it only heats the space it radiates, he added.
As for wood stoves, he noted that they heat more than one fireplace, however, no more than mechanical solutions.
"The fireplace as a heating solution is not so efficient," he said.
At the same time he stressed that any heating system that has a house, should know that its maintenance saves 10% -20% energy.
He added that maintenance also improves efficiency, reduces fuel consumption and helps extend equipment life.
Maintenance, he said, must be done once a year before operation begins.
Regarding central heating, he said that the thermostat temperature is very important for savings.
It should, he said, be set around 21-22 degrees, no matter how low the temperature sounds.
"For every degree that we increase the heating, we increase the consumption by about 7%", he stressed.
The time we sleep, he added, the temperature should drop by 3-4 degrees and for as long as it is in operation, there should be no windows and doors open.
Now with the pandemic and in view of the holidays that many will gather in houses, he noted that intensive ventilation of short duration is recommended.
It is better, he added, to open wide doors and windows for 5-10 minutes, than to have a half-open window.