The size of the fire you require is determined by the amount of heat lost in the room and the temperature you want to maintain. 21° Celsius is a typical comfortable temperature for a home. A well-insulated room, that also has any excessive air gaps sealed, helps reduce your heat loss (check your floor, ceiling, door frames and windows). The amount of free heat from the sun also comes into play, but we need heating at night and all the sun's heat has been and gone by then.
The general rule of thumb is 1kW will heat approx. 10m², however there are many factors that can alter this.
1kW = 1,000 Watts
Below are the three main types of houses, that have varying heat loss factors
- A poorly insulated home may lose up to 100 Watts of heat per m²
- A typical NZ home has a wooden frame, a tin roof, a raised floor, wooden windows, and modest insulation. This home may lose up to 80 Watts of heat per m²
- A new build home is generally very airtight and has excellent insulation. This home may lose up to 50 Watts of heat per m²
For example, a medium room with modest insulation, heat loss factor of 80 Watts per m² and a floor space of 75m², will require 6,000 Watts to heat. Therefore, our range of 6kW or more fires will be required to heat this space.
Alternatively, our larger gas fireplaces with with a heat output of 10kW or more will heat an area with a floor space of up to 125m².
Regency always recommend a site check of the home by a certified fire installer before installation.
