Electric.ie July-August Magazine 2019

ELECTRIC.IE • The Magazine & Website for the Irish Electrical Industry • 53 Benefits of Electric Heating E lectric heating is incredibly versatile as it can be used for both air and water products. Moreover, with a whopping 64.7% of energy used in EU households going towards heating, it is more important than ever to ensure your Š‡ƒ–‹‰ •‘Ž—–‹‘ ‹• ‡‡”‰› ‡ƥ…‹‡–Ǥ Which is where electricity comes in. The latest developments in electric heating include effective and fast components, new innovative thermal elements and amazing, state-of-the-art programming. Let´s take a closer look at the main advantages of electric heating over gas: • Installation: Electric heating systems are easier and cheaper to install compared to ‰ƒ•…‡–”ƒŽ Š‡ƒ–‹‰ –Šƒ– ”‡“—‹”‡• pipes, vents and ducts. They don’t ”‡“—‹”‡ ƪ—‡ ‘” ’‹’‡™‘” •‘ –Š‡”‡ are no restrictions on building layout or design. Nor are there any planning issues. A simple connection to the electric circuit ‹• ƒŽŽ –Šƒ– ‹• ”‡“—‹”‡†ǡ •‘ ˆ‘” ‡™ build properties this means it can ‰‘ ‹ ƒ– –Š‡ •‡…‘† Ƥš ™‹”‹‰ •–ƒ‰‡Ǥ It’s a big job to install a gas system ƒ†…ƒ –ƒ‡ •‡˜‡”ƒŽ ™‡‡• –‘ Ƥ– new pipes, radiators and a boiler ˆ”‘ ƒ ‰ƒ•…‡”–‹Ƥ‡† ’”‘ˆ‡••‹‘ƒŽǤ – may also be messy and damaging to your property, especially if ƪ‘‘”„‘ƒ”†• ‡‡† –‘ „‡ Ž‹ˆ–‡† ‘” walls broken into. With almost all electric radiators (like ours), a template and installation kit is provided. Therefore, it’s a simple job to drill the template holes, screw the support in place and slide the radiator into position. Then all you need to do is plug into the electric socket, switch on and instant heat is generated. • Safety & noise: Electric heaters are generally safer than gas as they do not burn fuel to generate heat. This eliminates risks such as carbon monoxide emissions and explosions. In addition, there are no water- ƤŽŽ‡† ’‹’‡•ǡ •‘ –Š‡”‡ ‹• Ž‡•• ”‹• of damage to the property from leaking or burst pipework. Gas systems can be far noisier than electric due to the hot water rushing through the pipes. Gurgling, kettling, dripping, creaking, banging and even tapping are common with gas hot water systems. Kettling is a common noise and sounds much like a kettle boiling. This noise is actually a warning sign as it’s caused by a build-up of sludge or limescale in the heating system. If it becomes severe or blocked, you ™‹ŽŽ ‡‡† ƒ ’‘™‡” ƪ—•Š‹‰ •‡”˜‹…‡ to remove the build-up and back in working order. With electric systems, there is no noise emitted and no limescale build up. • Ecological: Š‡ ‡™ ‘–ͲͰ ”‡‰—Žƒ–‹‘• stipulate that all space heaters that consume energy (electricity, gas or Ž‹“—‹†Ȍ ™‹–Š ƒ ‘‹ƒŽ Š‡ƒ– ‘—–’—– Rointe