What is the best heating in Mallorca? - Mallorca Newspaper

At first you don't associate the island with low temperatures. Of course, sub-zero temperatures are rare in Mallorca and mostly only in the mountains. But because of the high humidity, the German who has emigrated often shivers, even when the temperatures are mild. Quite a few emigrants claim that they are colder on the island than ever before in Germany.

Heating has long been unusual

Of course, this also has something to do with your own four walls. Mallorcan properties are often - if at all - poorly insulated. The antique wooden windows have their visual appeal, but when the wind whistles through the cracks, that is mostly of secondary importance. "For a long time, the trend was that Mallorcan apartments had no heating," says Federico Zarco, head of Balear de Climatización in Palma. "Slowly more are coming onto the market. New buildings in the middle price segment now have heating elements." This is also confirmed by his German colleague Tobias Bode from Welltherm. "It's getting more and more important. After all, Mallorca also has a heating period of a good five to six months a year from November and December. During the day the temperatures are sometimes pleasant even in winter, but at night it gets cold at the latest."

Heat pump

If you don't have pre-installed heating in your home, you're spoiled for choice. Portable heaters can be bought and used cheaply and quickly in electronics stores. These usually drive up the electricity bill rapidly. If you spend more money on the purchase, you can save in the long term.

"The most common form of heating in Mallorca is currently the heat pump," says Zarco. The way the bomba de calor works is often compared to an inverted refrigerator. This uses a refrigerant to extract the heat from the interior and cool the food. The warm Air is given away as a kind of waste product.With the heat pump, this heat is diverted in a targeted manner.

Meanwhile often used in the form of underfloor heating (suelo radiante). “It costs between 40 and 80 euros per square meter. It's not the cheapest heating method, but it's currently the most comfortable," says Federico Zarco. "Your feet don't freeze and the warm air rises." Compared to other devices, the energy consumption is lower because the heat is extracted from the environment. "For four kilowatts of heating energy, you only need one kilowatt of electricity." In summer, some heat pumps can also be used to cool down the temperatures.

Tobias Bode also appreciates the underfloor heating. "It only becomes problematic with defects, since the entire floor has to be torn open. In addition, it is quite sluggish with a longer start-up time."

Air conditioning

"In terms of consumption, the cheapest heating system is an air conditioning system," says Zarco. For a long time, the devices were decried as energy guzzlers. "In the last five to ten years, however, a lot has happened there." , says Bode. "You kill two birds with one stone because it's cool in the summer too. But the air conditioning has to run almost around the clock. It provides a warm draft, which is not for everyone." Cheap air conditioners are available from 400 euros. The installation costs are additional. "You have to reckon with 900 euros per room," says Federico Zarco.

Infrared heating

Tobias Bode prefers infrared heating, which his company Welltherm specializes in. “It warms the structure that it illuminates. The surfaces - ceilings, walls, floors - then act as heat sources themselves. It's a pleasant warmth that can be compared to a windless, sunny spring day."

The advantage is that the heating can be turned off once the surfaces are warm. "In order to keep the apartment warm around the clock, the device only has to run for four to six hours," says Bode. "With a consumption of 700 watts, the heating costs are around 50 cents per day." In the social networks, consumers report electricity costs of around 40 euros per device and month.

The disadvantage is that a suitable place has to be found for the ideal heat output so that the panels can illuminate as large an area as possible. If you want to heat the whole apartment, you need several devices. Depending on the size and design of the heating plates, they cost between 500 and 1,800 euros. "You can calculate between 3,500 and 5,000 euros to equip an average three-room apartment," says Tobias Bode.

Pellet stove

Fireplaces are still popular in the villages. The fire fascinates and brings a cozy warmth. But it is difficult to regulate and must be supervised. A pellet stove is a bit more modern. You don't get rid of the lugging of fuel, but the companies usually offer to deliver the sticks.

At Leroy Merlin, a pallet with 70 bags of 15 kilograms each of the wooden sticks costs 359 euros including delivery. "A sack fits into the storage chute, from which the oven is fed automatically," says an employee at the Optimus specialist shop in Inca. "Depending on how hard you heat, a sack lasts between nine and 20 hours." You should therefore calculate up to 150 euros per month for the pellets.

The oven itself is not cheap either. The models cost between 800 and 4,000 euros. “The price varies depending on the design. In addition, the better devices have a higher heat output and the turbine works more quietly," says the Optimus employee. The volume should not be neglected in the considerations.

A pellet stove can heat the whole apartment and produces hardly any ash compared to a conventional fireplace. It measures the temperature via a thermostat, which can be regulated. “The thermostat is near the stove, the rest of the room is a little cooler. You have to experiment a bit with it at first," says the employee.

In addition to the acquisition costs, the installation must also be taken into account. “An external company is responsible for this. The costs usually amount to 250 euros." Then there is the annual maintenance. "In the first year it is mandatory for warranty reasons, after that it is optional. It costs 95 euros. We offer the repair and adjustment of the device free of charge", it says in the shop.