For as long as we have walked the planet, humanity has always needed a way of staying warm. When it's cold outside, indoor comfort helps with that.
Today's heating has advanced considerably, and new technology has created many different ways to keep a modern home warm. This blog will help make modern heating easier to understand by explaining what are the different types of home heating systems and comparing some of the advantages and disadvantages of each. Types of home heating systems include:.
Heat pumps can be used to both heat and cool the home. They use refrigerant and electricity to transfer heat rather than generating it directly like a gas furnace . As a result, they are often much more efficient than other types of heating systems. Unfortunately, they work best in moderate climates where temperatures rarely dip below freezing.
Hot water boilers, which are the more popular residential choice, heat the water up to between 140-180° f, and then distribute it through the home. The heated water can be distributed through radiators, baseboard heating units, convectors, or even radiant heat systems embedded in the floor, which makes hot water boilers a great choice for homes with an existing piping system. Regardless of boiler types, a boiler must use one of three different fuel sources: gas, oil or electricity.
When temperatures drop, it’s easy to find yourself cranking up the thermostat to keep your home warm. Choosing the right type of home heating system can ease the burden of your thermostat and help save energy. All heating systems share one goal: transfer heat to living spaces to maintain a comfortable and toasty environment. Some homes have more than one heating system, particularly when they have a basement or an additional room heated by a different system than the rest of the house. Here are the 10 types of home heating systems that you should know as a homeowner (or prospective homeowner).
Forced Air Heating/Cooling Systems
Forced-air systems use – no surprises here – air to distribute heat around your home via a system of ducts and vents. Furnaces, heat pumps or hydronic coils can be used in forced air systems, with the former being the most common option around the us. Furnaces
‘this system uses the same ductwork as an air conditioner,’ says rene langer
certified hvac specialist, pick hvac. ‘the downside is that the furnace can be rather noisy when in use and it can take some time for the furnace to blow warm air out of the cold ducts. ’furnaces can be fuelled by gas, electricity, or oil.
Heat pumps are just two-way air conditioners (see detailed description in the cooling systems section). During the summer, an air conditioner works by moving heat from the relatively cool indoors to the relatively warm outside. In winter, the heat pump reverses this trick, scavenging heat from the cold outdoors with the help of an electrical system, and discharging that heat inside the house. Almost all heat pumps use forced warm-air delivery systems to move heated air throughout the house.
This modern system has been gaining traction in recent years. It is famed for its cost-effectiveness as it uses solar energy to effectively heat water or any other type of ideal fluid after which the heat is transferred to the inner parts of the home and some stored to be used later. However, this system is fundamentally flawed in that it relies on other types of heating systems for it to function optimally. This means that the active solar heating system can distribute heat through the central forced-air system or the radiant floor and this dependence on traditional heating systems makes it unworthy to many due to this shortfall.
By far the most common hvac system in modern north american homes, the forced air system uses a furnace with a blower fan that delivers warmed air to the various rooms of the home through a network of ducts. Forced air systems are very quick at adjusting the temperature of a room, and because air conditioning systems can share the same blower and ductwork, this is an efficient overall hvac system. Installing a new forced air hvac system typically costs between $5,000 and $10,000. This is based on the square footage of your home, and larger houses will require stronger units that may increase costs.
Forced-air systems are prevalent in all regions of the country because they are effective, are made for several energy sources, and can combine heating and cooling systems. Forced-air systems are particularly effective in regions that experience cold winters and freezing temperatures because they heat up quickly and deliver high temperatures, but ductwork is required. Heat pumps are ideal for milder climates because they are highly energy-efficient and can be used for heating and cooling. Ducted and ductless heat pump models are available. Hybrid systems that combine energy-efficient heat pumps and powerful gas furnaces are a good alternative for cold regions.
The biggest benefit of a furnace is how quickly it distributes air: when a furnace is running at optimum health, your home’s temperature will increase as soon as it’s turned on. Furnaces are also relatively affordable to purchase, install, and maintain (since the technology is so common), and they also keep a low visual profile in your home. However, furnaces are one of the least efficient heating systems on the market. You lose a lot of valuable heat and energy when the hot air travels through ductwork. In addition, since most furnaces run on fossil fuels, you’ll have the added health concerns from possible carbon monoxide and gas leaks.
Natural gas furnaces are types of heating systems that are forced air central systems. This means they produce heated air through combustion of natural gas from a central unit in the home. The system’s blower forces the heated air through ductwork into rooms throughout the dwelling. Natural gas furnaces offer better energy-efficiency ratings versus oil or electric furnace types of heating systems. The cost to install a furnace is typically more affordable than installing a boiler. Furnaces are able to react faster than boilers to thermostat adjustments, heating spaces in less time.
The furnace is the most commonly used type of heat, and it provides heat to your home using hot air. Usually, this system uses one or more electric motors to draw in the fresh air and fan it over a gas burner or electric heating element. The hot air heats up fast so these systems can be problematic if you don’t have enough ventilation because they lower the humidity level within your house. This means that you should never install a furnace without also installing adequate ventilation to compensate for its use. If installed properly, furnaces are efficient at distributing the heated air throughout your house.