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It may seem a contradiction in terms but depending on how you use your conservatory or sunroom heating is an important consideration.
Again, design and usage are the key elements that will dictate your choice of heating. Bearing in mind that this is Ireland and the vagaries of the weather are obstacles to be dealt with at design stage.
If your conservatory/sunroom forms part of a new build house then you have many options. The system used in the main house will be most likely be continued into that area at construction stage with a couple of possible options available as back-up or secondary heating.
If you are adding a conservatory/sunroom to an existing house, it may be difficult and expensive to link the heating system. It is worth considering the value of an independent heating system in such circumstances.
Of course, the very nature of the room means that sunlight will be your greatest source of heat – but only during the day. And in Ireland, you are not guaranteed too much sunshine! It is fine to harness that heat if the room is only in daytime and summer. In reality, you need a heating system of some sort if you are to properly utilize a conservatory/sunroom and get a return on your investment.
Portable heating is a possible solution, particularly if the room is small. Gas and electric portable heaters are very convenient if usage is not too high. At a certain point, they become uneconomic and a permanent system needs assessment.
Oil is very effective, but now very expensive and likely to continue to rise in the foreseeable future. If used, it should be in conjunction with an alternative substitute such as gas.
Another method of heating the conservatory or sunroom is by open fire. This is very much dependant on how you design the room and the style or theme you wish to apply.
A rustic style, for example, will be most suitable for an open fire.
A built in gas or electric fire can look very attractive in a more modernist conservatory/sunroom.
A fire inserted about one metre from ground level will look sleek and yet will do the job perfectly.
For rooms that are part of a new house build another option is under-floor heating. This can again be oil or gas and is easy to install because it is part of a larger project.
If you not going with the under-floor option and you want a consistent quality of heat, then radiators are the solution, particularly in sunroom where you generally have about 300 - 600mm of a wall height under the windows. This will facilitate low line radiators of which there are many examples on the Irish market. Any hardware or plumbing supplies provider will have a large choice in stock.
It is advisable that before you build, you get a professional assessment done as to the level of heat required. The dimensions of any room, including the height, will provide a professional installer with the number of BTU’s (British Thermal Units) needed to heat the room to acceptable level. Do not skimp on this aspect. It is an easy mistake to make that you will sorely regret later. Better to be pounds wise than penny foolish in installing your choice of heating for your conservatory or sunroom.
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