• Evaluate Home Heating Systems

• Add a Fireplace to Your Home Heating System

• Choose a Water Heating System

• Find Heating Systems on eBay Australia

• Buy Heating Systems With Confidence

• Need More Help?

• Legal Disclaimer

Evaluate Home Heating Systems

Evaluate Home Heating Systems

Before deciding what type of fuel your heater will use, assess the cost and availability of each energy source in your area. You’ll find that some energy sources are more readily available and less expensive in certain areas than others. Popular choices include:

• Gas heaters: Generally speaking, natural gas heaters cause less pollution and run more efficiently than electric or solid fuel heaters. Check out the Energy Star rating (ranging from one star to six stars) to determine the heater’s fuel efficiency; the more stars a heater has, the higher the efficiency. To warm up your home, you have a choice between central gas heating, which covers your whole home, and gas space heaters, which heat only particular rooms. You can also use your central gas heating to heat only certain areas of your home, called “zoning”. Cut down heating costs as well by using a timer.

• Electric heaters: Although electric heaters are the most commonly used type of heater, they are a lot less efficient than gas heaters, and can be up to three times more expensive to operate. Many oil heaters, convector heaters and radiant heaters fall into the electric heater category. Electric space heaters can be used to heat a specific room that is only used for part of the day, such as bedrooms or bathrooms. One other electric heating option is slab heating, where a central heating system heats a concrete slab floor using electric cables in the floor.

• Solid fuel heaters: Solid fuel heaters include any heating system that involves a chimney or flue that generally uses wood or coal. Although wood and coal are cheap and readily available, they also create more pollution and are less efficient than gas or electric.

• Portable heaters: Small, lightweight portable heaters are made to heat single rooms or small areas for a limited amount of time. While much cheaper to buy than other heating systems, they are much more costly to run.

• Solar heaters: Solar heaters are quite expensive up front, but are environmentally friendly as they don’t create pollution. You also save money without any continuing fuel costs. Although solar power is a constant, renewable source of energy, it is possibly less dependable in cloudy weather.

Investigate heating system features

When you have decided what type of fuel your heater will use, consider which other features are important to you.

• Safety features: Safety is a top priority when buying a new heater. Safety options like automatic shutoffs, heat guards and anti-tipping devices, will help ensure that your heating system is safe to use.

• Variable settings: A heater that has variable settings allows you more control over your heat output and energy consumption. Variable settings are particularly handy when the weather gets warmer.

• Built-in blower or fan: Another effective way of conserving energy is to use a built-in blower or fan in conjunction with your heating system. A fan or blowers assists in distributing heat throughout your home, thus increasing efficiency.

• Power: Ensure you match the BTU (British thermal unit) output to the size of your home. You want to avoid using a unit that is too powerful, and excessively wastes energy and money.

Add a Fireplace to Your Home Heating System

Add a Fireplace to Your Home Heating System

A fireplace is a great way of heating up your home, or you could even opt to use a fireplace in conjunction with another heating system. Pre-fabricated fireplaces make it easy for homes built without a fireplace and chimney to simply include one now.

Choose a built-in or freestanding fireplace

Pick between a built-in unit that looks and performs like a regular fireplace, or a freestanding unit that is easier to install and weighs less. Whatever fireplace you decide on, you will also need to install a metal chimney that is insulating, so that it can manage the smoke.

Select pre-fabricated fireplaces

Pre-fabricated fireplaces are available in various shapes and sizes. Ensure that you choose one which fits with the dimensions of the room, and matches the style of your home.

Evaluate gas and wood fireplaces

Every type of fireplace has its own benefits and challenges. A wood-burning fireplace feels more authentic, but is often more difficult to install and maintain. A gas fireplace makes for easy installation, as it only requires a vent through a wall. It burns ceramic or imitation logs, which are often lit with the flick of a switch.

Add the finishing touches to your fireplace

After you have installed the fireplace, you may want to add some nice finishing touches, such as a mantle and a hearth and surround, made from your choice of tile, marble, or stone. Also buy yourself some fireplace tools and a fireplace screen to protect from sparks.

Choose a Water Heating System

Choose a Water Heating System

Select between storage tank and tankless water heating systems that are available in electric, natural gas and liquid propane models.

• Storage tank water heaters: Heated water is stored in an insulated tank until it is used. The gas models generally run more efficiently and cheaply than the electric units.

• Tankless water heaters: Water is heated only as needed and flows through coils on its way to the pipes. Tankless water heaters are more efficient than storage tank units.

Think about how much each model will cost to run and maintain. A good place to start is by checking the Energy Star rating, which indicates energy efficiency.

If your needs change over time, especially if you build on to your home, you may want to upgrade to a bigger storage tank, and move its location to allow more room.

If you have a garage or a freestanding unit outside your home, you can consider a point-of-use water heater, which uses a smaller tank and is intended to heat a limited area.

Find Heating Systems on eBay Australia

Find Heating Systems on eBay Australia

Once you know what type of heating system you want, go to the Home & Lifestyle portal, click on Heaters or Hot Water Heaters, Systems under Major Appliances, and start searching for items on eBay Australia.

• Categories: The Categories list on the left side of each page will help you narrow down your listings by item type. For example under Heaters, you'll find links for Convector Heaters, Fan Heaters, Oil Heaters and more.

• Keyword search: Search eBay Australia listing titles for specific words. For example, if you want to find gas heating systems, type "gas heater" (without quotation marks) into the Search box. Click "Search title and description" to expand your results. Visit eBay Australia's Search Tips page for more tips on searching with keywords.

If you can't find exactly what you want, try shopping eBay Stores, tell the eBay Australia Community what you want by creating a post on Want It Now, or save a search on My eBay and eBay Australia will email you when a match becomes available.

Buy Heating Systems With Confidence

Buy Heating Systems With Confidence

Before making your purchase, make sure you know exactly what you're buying, research your seller, and understand how eBay Australia and PayPal protect you.

Know your purchase

Carefully read the details in item listings.

• Figure delivery costs into your final price. If you spend a lot of money, make sure the seller will insure the item when it ships.

• If you want more information, ask by clicking the "Ask seller a question" link under the seller's profile.

• Always make sure to complete your transaction on eBay Australia (with a bid, Buy It Now, or Best Offer). Transactions conducted outside of eBay Australia are not covered by eBay Australia protection programs.

• Never pay for your eBay Australia item using instant cash wire transfer services through Western Union or MoneyGram. These payment methods are unsafe when paying someone you do not know.

Know your seller

Research your seller so you feel positive and secure about every transaction.

• What is the seller's Feedback rating? How many transactions have they completed? What percentage of positive responses do they have?

• What do buyers say in their Feedback? Did the seller receive praise?

• Most top eBay Australia sellers operate like retail stores and have return policies. Do they offer a money-back guarantee? What are the terms and conditions?

Buyer protection

In the unlikely event that a problem arises during your transaction, eBay Australia and PayPal are there for you.

• Pay safely with PayPal: PayPal enables you to pay without the seller ever seeing your bank account or credit card numbers. In fact, PayPal protects buyers 100% against unauthorised payments from their accounts. Plus, with PayPal Buyer Protection, your purchase can be covered up to $1,500.

• eBay Australia Security & Resolution Centre: Visit the Security & Resolution Centre to learn how to protect your account and use eBay Australia's quick and efficient resolution tools.

Need More Help?

Need More Help?

Visit our help pages or start a thread on one of our Community Discussion Boards - If you have a quick question that needs answering, try posting it on our community Answer Centre - there's bound to be a seasoned eBay Australia veteran with just the information you're looking for!

Legal Disclaimer

Legal Disclaimer

Buying Guides are intended merely as a guide or review for members when considering what products or services they may be interested in bidding on or purchasing. eBay does not make, and nothing in these Buying Guides is intended to constitute, any warranties, guarantees, representations or assurances about the accuracy of the information or content contained in these Buying Guides. Furthermore, eBay does not make, and nothing in these Buying Guides is intended to constitute, any warranties, guarantees, representations or assurances about the nature or performance of the products or services appearing in the Buying Guides. Content, trademarks and brands referred to and contained in the third-party links provided are the property of their respective owners, and eBay has no control over and accepts no responsibility for their content. eBay is not affiliated with nor does it endorse the use of any particular product or service.