Do you know how to heat your house as efficiently as possible?
Whether you’re buying a new home or you’re making some upgrades, it’s easy to forget about the importance of heating a home. Residents of warmer states or those house hunting during the summer will almost always be more focused on cooling the house than heating it.
When the cold strikes, you’ll realize what you’re missing. In this post, we will talk about the types of heating systems for your home. The more you know about heating a house, the easier it’ll be to select the best method, so read on and start giving more thought to your home’s heating system.
Firing Up the Furnace
Most furnaces are natural gas-powered, but you can get electric, propane, or oil-powered furnaces as well. The way that it works is that, when turned on, the furnace forces conditioned air through your duct system and into every room of your home.
Most consider furnaces to be the best heating system because the duct system can be used by your air conditioner in the hot months. The average furnace lasts between 15 and 30 years and can offer over 98% energy efficiency.
The Boiler System
Boilers are common central heating systems in older homes. They heat up water and send hot steam through pipes to radiators in each room of the house. Heating a home this way is expensive to install and costly to run, which is why they aren’t really in fashion any longer.
As with furnaces, boiler systems last up to 30 years and can offer up to 90% energy efficiency, but it depends on the age.
Heat Pump
A heat pump can actually be used to heat and cool the home. Rather than generating heat through gas or heating water, it uses refrigerant and electricity. This makes heat pumps far more energy-efficient than the previous two central heating methods.
The only real issue with the heat pump is that it’s best in climates that don’t dip into freezing temperatures. Because it uses the air around the home, if the air is too cold, it won’t be effective.
Hybrid Heating
One way to utilize the energy efficiency of a heat pump with the power of a furnace is to employ a hybrid heating system. With this, you’ll use the heat pump to heat and cool your home. Only during extreme temperatures will the furnace kick in and heat the home.
This is a great option for anyone that lives in cooler climates, but if the climate is regularly freezing, then your furnace will kick in every time. It’s also an expensive option, as you need to install two different types of heating.
Choosing the Types of Heating Systems That Make Sense
Now that you know more about the most popular types of heating systems, it’s time to choose the one that makes the most sense for your home. Each one provides something a bit different, so it really depends on what you value, where you live, and how much you want to spend on your system.
Did you find this post helpful? Come back again for more home improvement tips.
