Are you building a tiny house? It's an increasingly popular movement. Tiny houses can be portable or fixed in one location, and are usually only a few hundred square feet in space. They appeal to people who want to reduce their living expenses, have no mortgage, live more simply, and reduce their impact on the environment. If you are in the process of building your tiny house, or are making up your architectural plans for doing so, one thing you'll want to plan for in the design is heating. Fortunately, there are a number of unique ways to heat your tiny house that are both inexpensive and environmentally friendly. Here are of them.
1. Passive Solar Heating
According to TinyHouseTalk.com, passive solar heating is a great option for people who really want to go green with everything possible in their tiny house. With passive solar heating, energy for heat is collected in the walls, windows, and floor of the house. It is used when needed and expelled when it is not needed
Using passive solar heating involves orienting your house in the right direction. Therefore, you need to plan for this type of heating before starting construction on your house.
One of the long sides of your house needs to be facing the south, and it should have a lot of windows. It also should not be covered in too much shade from trees in the winter. You need direct sunlight. During the summer, add shades to the south facing windows so they don't collect too much sun energy.
You will then need to equip your house with the things it needs to passively collect the sun's energy without mechanical parts or electricity. Thermal insulation and specially glazed window glass for collecting and storing energy are the two most important things to include in your house design.
2. Radiant Floor Heating
Radiant floor heating is good for both mobile and fixed tiny houses. You can easily get one of your local heating contractors to add the appropriate tubing, heating coils, and insulation under your house to get the heat you need.
If your house is fixed on a foundation, you need to get this done while the house is being built. For a mobile house on a trailer bed, the radiant floor heating can be added at any time.
Radiant floor heating is very energy efficient. If you are connected to the grid, it will ensure your power bills stay low. If your house is mobile and you're using a generator you won't use too much fuel when you turn on the radiant heating. Because tiny houses are so small, you usually won't need any other form of heating to keep your house toasty in cold weather.
3. Geothermal Heating
Geothermal heating utilizes the natural heat of the earth to heat your home. Your house will need to be built over a geothermal hot spot, or in a place that imports geothermal heat, and will need to be in a fixed location instead of mobile.
When building the house, get heating contractors to connect your home to the local geothermal energy supply by installing a geothermal heat pump. You will be using a green form of energy, as it doesn't involve fossil fuels.
Your power bills will be small, as well, since you'll only need to use a little bit of electricity to run the pump. If you use solar power, you may not have a power bill at all.
Conclusion
There are many creative, environmentally friendly, and inexpensive ways to heat your tiny home. These three methods are all perfect for a tiny house lifestyle and produce enough heat that you shouldn't need a secondary heating method.
Call your local heating contractors today to come out and give you an estimate for installing one of these heating methods in your tiny house. Then, enjoy the monetary benefits and the comfort when it's freezing outside.
Share11 March 2015
Working with HVAC contractors is an important part of being a homeowner. Not only do your contractors ensure that a new system you buy is properly installed, but they also ensure optimal performance throughout the years through a series of regular inspections, maintenance services, and repairs. But there are lots of things you can do in between your contractor's visits to ensure that your HVAC investment is always in tip top condition, aside from cleaning out the air filters. After working with my dad for more than a decade in the HVAC business, I've put together a few methods homeowners can use to maintain a well working system, and I have published those tips and tricks right here on this blog. I hope some of the information you find here helps you on your journey as a homeowner!
