Four Major Options Out There For Heating Your Home

If you're building a new home or looking for a new heating system to replace the old system in your current home, you should consider your options. There are numerous types of heating systems out there, and each one has its own unique set of advantages and disadvantages. 

The following are four of the most common types of home heating systems out there. You should familiarize yourself with all of these types before you choose a new system for your home.

A forced-air heating system

Most homes in the United States with a central heating system have a forced-air system. This type of system relies on ducts and registers that are built into a home's design. A furnace heats air, and then this heated air is channeled throughout the home using the ducts and registers.

A forced-air system is ideal to heat a home for many because it is so widespread that getting service and repairs is convenient and affordable. Two disadvantages of a forced-air system are that they can sometimes be noisy, and a home's ductwork can accumulate dust over time that ends up compromising interior air quality.

A radiant floor heating system

Heating through radiant flooring involves heating water that is then forced through tubes placed under a home's floors. This allows the heat to rise up into the interior of the rooms. 

Radiant flooring is better than some other types of heating systems in that it allows for uniform heating across even large rooms. On the other hand, a forced-air system concentrates the hot air at the duct vent from which it is being blown into the room.

Unfortunately, radiant floor heating tends to be on the expensive side and is not compatible with all types of home flooring.

A boiler

Like radiant floor heating, boiler heating relies on channeling hot water throughout a home. While radiant floor heating does this with tubes placed under flooring, boiler systems channel hot water to radiators that then allow heat to be released within a home's interiors.

Boilers are one of the best options available for homeowners who are looking to maximize energy efficiency. Also, they don't make as much noise as forced-air systems. One possible disadvantage of boilers is that they result in uneven heat distribution throughout the home.

A wood-burning stove

Nowadays, most homes don't get all their heat from a wood-burning stove. However, a wood-burning stove can sometimes function as both a heating apparatus and a homey looking piece of interior decor.

Wood-burning stoves are inexpensive to fuel because they use firewood as opposed to more expensive fuels like oil and gas.

Contact an HVAC contractor who specializes in heating services for more information.


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