Confused Between Different Heating Systems for Your Home? [HVAC Expert’s Advice]

Most of the homeowners in the USA do consider installing a heater in their home because of several reasons. Almost 90% of the homes in the northern part of the country use home heating systems which also results in 42 per cent of the electricity bills. However, it has become an important part of the lifestyle to have a heater in your home. With a compatible heater, you will be able to stay at a comfortable temperature. This will result in better sleep and your body productivity will be far better. This is the reason why the quest to get a better heating unit for home has vividly increased.

It’s obvious that picking up any random heater. Your heating system without any deep research will do no good for your home. You may start facing a lot of technical difficulties. Just after the purchase if you have not called for a complete analysis. That’s the reason why most of the people pick up professional advice. There are so many models and so many categories to understand that will make you feel confused. If you are feeling the same and searching for the best heating system, you’ve landed up in the right place. Going through this entire heating system guide will help you to find the best product available.

Different Types of Heating Systems Available

When it comes to a reliable heating source, most of the people depend on a particular product to gain the right atmospheric temperature. This may come from a central heat source which can be alternatively termed as a primary source of heat. Before you go on to buy any random product available for you, you must acknowledge the different types of heating systems available.

Not every model that you pick for your home can serve you well. So, you need to be specific about choosing the right type of heater available in your home. Below, we have classified the types of heating systems into three major parts. You can simply find the best suitable option and go forward.

1. Boilers

The boilers are the water heaters that can heat the water to provide you warm and comfortable water temperature for showering. They are mostly available with natural gas, propane and electricity fuel options.

Pros:

• Most of the boilers come with a pump mechanism to force the hot water out from the faucet. They are more energy-efficient to use.
• The boilers come with adjustable thermostat controls. It allows you to organize the temperature according to your specific needs.
• They are silent in operation and can work without affecting the environment. Boilers can be used in any room even to dispose of warm air for the room.

Cons:

• Installing boilers will require a continuous supply of heater.

 

2. Furnace

Having a heating system with a furnace is the most common type in entire North America. It performs combustion with the help of burning the fuel mixed with the air. It then blows the warm air into the room and creates a warm atmosphere altogether.

Pros:

• They are commonly found all over the country. Moreover, they are cheap and may not cost much for the initial purchase.
• The daily running costs are low and it will not take much time to repair if you need maintenance.
• The power consumption is also not much. As a result, it is always energy efficient to purchase the product and use it regularly.

Cons:

• This product is controlled by only one thermostat. So you may not get the option to heat just one particular section of the room.
• The fan that moves the warm air inside the room may be loud and noisy.

3. Heat Pumps

When it comes to efficiency, heat pumps are one of the most popular types of heaters using the product. They are commonly known “two-way air conditioners” that allow you to get the highest levels of efficiency with the product.

Pros:

• The efficiency is always high and provides support to large space needs.
• It comes with more durability than any other heaters.
• They are easy to maintain.

Cons:

• The initial cost of installing a heat pump is high.

Types of Fuel Needed for Heating

Every heating unit has an ignition that requires a power source to light on and to perform. This power source can either be electricity or it can be based out of fuel. Heaters having the same capacity but with different types of fuel may perform differently as well. So you need to figure out which type of model you would love to pick. Choosing the fuel type has to be done on a few basic points like the cost of refuelling the tank and the daily running costs of the fuel. You must also know about the environmental effect that the fuel leaves out when it is performing and emitting the wastage gas.

1. Oil

Oil is one of the most common types of fuel injectors available in heaters. Almost 87% of the total heaters are run based on oil consumption in the United States. Since it is easily available all around the market, the cost of refuelling is the only factor. The consumption of oil is also average which makes people pick oil-based heaters as a priority. When it comes to the heating systems with oil, they include a heat pump that draws the oil from the tank. This stank can be easily refilled or you can order for new tanks from the local stores. Because of the radiation technology, oil-based heaters are more energy efficient to use.

Pros:

• They are easily available all over the local market and are always cheap to buy.
• Oil-powered heating systems are much more efficient in terms of usage. Overall, the heat source is extremely efficient.
• It is easy to install the oil-heater systems with the boiler unit. They work with low noise and provide a lot of warmth. This can increase the levels of comfort with the people.
• Considering all the other fuel types, oil tanks are available at the cheapest budget.

Cons:

• It may not be the best with extremely cold temperatures. The oil consumption rate is high and it may increase your budget.
• The price of oil may depend entirely on the market. At some places, it may be highly expensive.

2. Electricity

Another common type of heating unit present in the market today is the option of having electricity. It is quite common to install a heating system that is powered with electricity in the USA. Almost every heating unit requires electricity for ignition. However, when it comes to the electrical heating unit, it features a heating element that is powered with electricity. Although most of the people do consider the environmental options when it comes to the ignition, it is still one of the most cost-effective ways of heating. This is the reason why choosing an electric heater is a common option for most of the people. It becomes effective to choose the heater that has an electric power source and it becomes an easy purchase.

Pros:

• The electric heaters are genuinely less expensive than that of the other type of heaters. They are available from all price ranges.
• This type of ignition comes with electricity-powered furnaces that do not emit any harmful gasses. Most of them are environment-friendly in nature.
• The mechanism of working for an electric heater is simple. The heating element can be easily ignited and performs well. This helps to consume low power

Cons:

• Compared with oil or natural gas heaters, they are less efficient to perform. However, in comparison with other heaters, it is not the worst type.
• The heat generated by electricity is not the warmest as compared to others. You may have to run the electric heater for a long amount of time.

 

3. Natural Gas

Out of all the types of heaters available, natural gas heaters are one of the most common types of heaters found. It is a popular choice because of the energy efficiency system. Natural gas is safe for heating and always allows more efficiency. Comparing all the other fossil fuels available, opting for natural gas will be environment friendly. As a result, you can expect the product to be running for a long time. Natural gas heaters are meant to be serving you for a long time. Since it is clean, the maintenance of the heater is also reduced to a lower cost. Around 57% of the total heater production is based on natural gas which makes it a popular choice amongst people. After reading this if you want to buy a natural gas water heater for your water heating needs then you can read this in-depth review on tanklesswaterheaterexpress.com.

Pros:

• The daily running costs of natural gas fuel are very low. It is mainly because the heater consumes limited fuel.
• Natural gas heaters are very effective for extreme climatic conditions. Heaters have the potential to deliver warmth to a big room.
• This type of gas is usually clean. As a result, the emission of carbon monoxide is also reduced to a lower level. You can expect the product to deliver you more.

Cons:

• The heaters with natural gas have a higher upfront cost. They are higher in a budget but the daily running costs are low.
• You cannot place any flammable object in front of the natural gas heater. It is prone to catch quick fire in case of leakage.

4. Propane

When it comes to choosing a heater that would serve you for long days, Propane is one of the top choices for most of the people. This is mainly because the propane heater comes with smart options which are kept in storage tanks. The propane tanks are installed outside the residence and then it can be filled whenever needed. This is the reason why most of the people fancy Propane based heaters. However, some of the heaters come with gas-based propane and some of them are filled with liquid-based propane with the heaters. They are usually long-lasting and can serve you for up to 20 years. Installing the tank and re-filling them can be easy.

Pros:

• Propane heaters are low in maintenance. They would not cost you a fortune in case you need to replace a spare part of the heater.
• Propane tanks are available with manufacturing companies. You can directly contact them for refilling and annual maintenance. So the cost is reduced.
• It offers good health to the heating pump. As a result, the propane heaters tend to live longer than that of the electric heat pump.

Cons:

• The initial cost of purchasing the propane heater is high. As a result, you may have to invest more than other heaters.
• Propane heater tanks are usually installed outside the residence and above the ground. Bad weather conditions should be taken seriously.

5. Geothermal Energy

If you are having a heater that is installed with geothermal energy, you’re probably having the best model so far. It has an impressive performance and is completely safe to use. This type of heater uses geothermal energy which is energy from the earth. This allows the heat pump to generate heat and then spread it across your home. It works by igniting the heat exchanger that is present within the heating unit. Once the heat ignition is activated, it starts gathering the energy from the surrounding environment and then uses it to apply heat to the room. It is the best type of heater to have for the environment. However, the only problem is that the heaters with geothermal energy are not easily available.

Pros:

• This type of heater is completely environmentally friendly. They have the lowest amount of emission taking place.
• You can get the heat exchanger installed underground. This will keep the landscape picturesque intact and effective. This is also safe for bad weather conditions.
• The products are highly efficient for heating the entire room. Since there is not much change in the ground temperature, it has high efficiency in heating.

Cons:

• The cost of having a geothermal energy heater is always high. It is mainly because the maintenance is very low and it considers several government subsidies.
• Purchasing geothermal energy is never easy. You may even not find exact models that match with the space of your room. So, deep research is always needed.

Factors to Consider Before Buying Heating Systems

If you are there to purchase a heating system, you need to first figure out what your goals are. Make sure that you have the purpose ready and according to this, you can choose the type of heating system that you need. Once you are done, you need to sort out amongst which type of fuel source you require. You can take the help of the guide mentioned above to know these specifications. There are multiple other factors to consider as well. Some of them are mentioned below here.

1. Size

Size comes to play up a big role when you are willing to buy a new heater for your daily usage. You need to know about where you would be placing the heater. Is it just for a personal room or for a large space? If the room size is big and you end up getting a heating system that has lower capacity, it will be of no use. According to this analysis, you can figure out what size capacity you need. If you have a room of at least 100 square feet, try to go for the models that have around 1500 Watts of capacity. Go for bigger area coverage than that of the actual size of the room. The heater should be capable of delivering a uniform heat distribution to the entire room space.

Members	Usage	Capacity Required (In Gallons)
		Electric	Gas	Oil
1-2 People	Low	30	30	30
	High	50	50	45
2-3 People	Low	40	40	40
	High	50	45	45
3-4 People	Low	50	40	40
	High	80	75	75
5 + People	Low	80	75	75
	High	80+	80	80

2. Energy Efficiency

You would not want to use a heater that hands you higher electricity bills for running the heater only 3-4 hours in a day. Having an energy-efficient heater would be the first big thing that you need to consider. To calculate the best choice, you can take the help of the energy star ratings that are available with the product. Most of the models do compose energy star ratings approved from BEE. It allows you to decide which model is more energy efficient. The simple calculation is that with more energy efficiency stars, the heater is likely to consume less electricity. This will allow you to run the heater for longer hours even in the cold night.

3. Maintenance

A lot of people do not consider maintenance as a big part of using the heater. However, it is one of the biggest challenges that most of the people face. Spending awful money repeatedly after purchasing is never a sign of a good heater. However, most of the heaters do indeed require annual or quarterly maintenance to keep the device in a good shape and perform like a newly purchased product. Having a higher warranty period or low cost of maintenance could give you a better advantage of choosing the product. Try to go for the device that has lower maintenance and available spare parts in the market today.

4. Safety

One of the most important factors that you need to consider is the safety features in the heater. A lot of people do overlook such features to save the budget and it ends up damaging the product. Accidents or damages to the heater may happen at any time if it is being run continuously for long hours. There may be several reasons why this is happening. But it is important to check whether the heater is catching fire or not. If gas is leaking and your heater is caught with fire, it will immediately explode causing more damages to the home. This is the reason why having advanced and a few basic safety features are always essential. You can also look at some of the safety features like auto-shutoff, overheating protection and others to ensure it is safe to run the heating system.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can you leave a space heater on overnight?

The space heater is designed to heat the surroundings before it goes on to heat the entire room. If you do not turn it off, it will keep on heating the entire surroundings. Over usage of the space, the heater will create multiple problems. It may make the room too dry and even not allow you to gain a bit of moisture. So I will never suggest this.

2. Do space heaters use a lot of electricity?

Space heaters are designed to heat a particular room and not the entire house. They have a similar consumption when it comes to performance. If you have a closer look at the space heaters, they would use around 1500 watts at the highest speed. Presumably, it would cost you around $1 per day if you run the heater for 8 hours in a day.

3. Do oil heaters use a lot of power?

Most of the oil heaters work with the procedure of radiant heating. This makes the heater much more efficient to use for regular space heating needs. Compared to the electric heaters, oil heaters use the same amount of power. So both these heaters having the same capacity will have the same power consumption as well. However, it is much more efficient to run an oil heater.

Conclusion

Having a heating system installed in your cabin or room will make the space comfortable. You can get good sleep or even work for long hours in your office. Choosing the best heating system for your home or your commercial space is never easy. Especially, some so many models are easily available both online and offline today. Picking up the right product for you will surely help you to save up money and also having a lower daily running cost. Do let us know below about how helpful is this guide for you and did it help you to buy the best heater or not.