Staying Warm And Cozy In My Yurt
What if I don't want to use only a wood stove to heat my yurt?
Two is always better than one, so I recommend that if you can, you use two sources of heat for your yurt. There will be times that you have a power outage and must rely on your wood stove. Likewise, there will be times when you don't feel like going outside (in the middle of the night during a blizzard when you have the flu...) to get more firewood.
There are many different electrical heat sources that are perfect for yurts. Space heaters have come a long way and the technology is pretty cool. First and foremost I recommend a unit that is not hot to the touch. Glowing Red elements are a thing of the past - and they typically only heat up the objects immediately in front of the unit. Let us take a look at some of the modern options:
Energy Efficient Radiant Heating Panels
Rarely has there been an energy-efficient system that can be turned on and off like a light bulb that produces heat like the sun in the space that we need it.
Radiant heating panels, made here in the US, are now able to provide overhead sun-like warmth to the exact space where you need it. For the best impact, suspending these modules from the ceiling is the best way to receive extreme comfort. They can reach 170 degrees and produce a cone of comfort at an 80-degree angle from the hung unit. Being radiant heaters, they do not cause drafty air movement like convection heaters.
From 400 to 600 watts, the energy efficiency of this system is significant compared to all-electric heating systems as well as gas and oil. And there is no ductwork and no fans. It heats people and things that then radiate the warmth back to people again.
The panels are less than 2 inches thick and come in various lengths and widths. A typical unit is 24 ¼” x47 ¾” x 1 1/8” weighing 11 pounds. Available in either 120 volts or 240 volts drawing 3.3 and 1.7 amps respectively this unit produces up to 1365 BTUs. The 120-volt model can plug right into a standard wall socket. Thermostats, switches, and automatic motion sensors are available. The module is framed in aluminum or steel enclosed.
For yurts, it can be freely suspended. And for design purposes the panels are paintable.
Sizing a radiant heating system can be a little daunting for large commercial spaces. But for small homes, cabins, and yurts, there are some helpful guidelines. If you are well insulated, the rule of thumb is to size the panels to 10% of your ceiling square footage. Keep the unit 2’-4’ away from exterior walls. Also, allow 4’-8’ between modules. If you know you have a cold spot, the rule of thumb says to add a small unit to that area. Or test it out.
The thermostat setbacks will cycle the units on and off as needed.
Goodbye cold corners. Hello, hot (plus cool)Dyson Hot + Cool heats the whole room faster than any other, and cools during warmer months.
Conventional heaters have limited settings. Like a watched pot that never boils, they can’t always heat a whole room quickly. Meanwhile, central heating is sometimes wasted on the whole house when you only need to heat a room. Dyson Hot + Cool is engineered to heat the whole room faster than any other. Dyson Hot + Cool costs approximately 30% less to heat a whole room than conventional fan heaters.
Dyson Hot + Cool can be set between 32 and 99 degrees Fahrenheit to heat a room. An intelligent thermostat keeps it there. Dyson Hot + Cool monitors the room temperature by measuring surrounding air. If a drop is detected, the heater turns back on to maintain the set temperature.
James Dyson says: “fan heaters rely on inefficient motors or dust friendly grilles. As the heat rises you’re left with a partially heated room and a worrying burning smell. We've developed a heater that heats the whole room, without you having to constantly adjust the temperature.”
It took 22 engineers – including experts in thermo dynamics and fluid mechanics – over three years to research, develop and test Dyson’s patented Air Multiplier™ technology for its application in a heater.
How it works: Using patented Air Multiplier™ technology, air is drawn in through a mixed flow impeller, a combination of the technologies used in turbochargers and jet engines. It is then accelerated through a 2.5mm aperture set within the loop amplifier. This creates a jet of hot air which passes over an airfoil-shaped ramp channelling its direction. Surrounding air is drawn into the airflow, amplifying it six times in a process known as inducement and entrainment.
Safety features: Dyson Hot + Cool has low surface temperatures throughout and no visible heating elements. And if tipped over, the machine has been engineered to automatically cut out.
Remote Control: Turning the Dyson Hot + Cool on and off, adjusting temperature, airflow rate and controlling oscillation can be done easily from across a room. The remote control is curved and magnetized to store neatly on top of the machine.
Precision: Dyson Hot + Cool has temperature controls and an intelligent thermostat. Variable airflow and oscillation is controlled either by remote or on the front of the machine.
Cooling fan: Unlike conventional heaters it has a dual-mode function as a cooling fan. In keeping with Dyson’s Air Multiplier™ range it couples high airflow and velocity.
Dyson Hot + Cool is available now at on dyson.com and most major retailers at the manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $399.99.
- Color - The Dyson Hot + Cool is available in iron/blue and white/silver
- Easy to clean – quickly wiped clean with a cloth.
- Weight – approximately 5.3 lbs.
- Guarantee – Dyson Hot + Cool has been tested for the equivalent of 10 years of constant use and comes with a two year parts and labor guarantee.
- Patents – Currently, worldwide there are over 170 patents and over 270 pending patent applications relating to 21 different technical aspects of the Dyson Air Multiplier™ fan range.
- Environmental chamber – The temperature range in the chambers is from 32°F to 99°F, and 10% relative humidity to 80%.
- Materials – Dyson Hot + Cool is constructed from tough Acrylontride butadiene styrene – ABS. ABS is a tough thermoplastic used to make light, rigid and molded products. It has good shock absorbing properties and is used to make car bumpers, crash helmets and modern golf club heads. It’s used in Dyson vacuum cleaners and Dyson Airblade™ hand dryers, too
Research, design, and development are at the core of Dyson. One-third of the people at Dyson are engineers and scientists. Their expertise in fluid, mechanical, electrical, EMC, thermal, chemical, acoustic, and software engineering allows them to design new technologies from the bladeless Air Multiplier™ fan to the Airblade™ hand dryer as well as challenge and improve existing ones. Dyson has over 1,900 patents and patent applications for over 300 different inventions (July 2011). Dyson’s RDD investment has quadrupled over the last 5 years with plans to double engineers to continue to invent new machines.
Another nifty little unit that I like (so much that I have two!) is the Eden Pure Heater. This is an advanced quartz infrared portable heater that can help heat your yurt with efficiency.
Engineered and designed in the USA, the new EdenPURE GEN4 uses specially designed SYLVANIA Quartz bulbs as a heat source, along with our new "EdenFLOW™ Direct Air" technology for even more efficient and even heat distribution.
For those of you challenged with a smaller space to heat, our EdenPURE Personal Heater fits the bill comfortably, heating a more intimate space. Now 30% more efficient, the Personal Heater heats an area up to 500 square feet!
http://www.edenpure.com/
The EdenPURE Model 750 is new for 2013. Designed, engineered and manufactured in the US, this space saving heater heats up to 750 square feet. The Model 750 portable heater is equipped with patented copper heating chambers, infrared bulbs designed by SYLVANIA, antimicrobial copper and “EdenFLOW Direct Air™” Technology.
One thing I like about all of these products is that they are cool to the touch. Little ones and pets won't get burned if they get too close. They can be relatively close to the walls and furniture and do not take up too much space.
All my best,
Enjoy the journey!
