Common Heating Systems Questions Answered

Heating for the home can be a tricky thing since you may not know the ‘bones’ of what makes heating and air work. For residential homes, there are a few key questions you should know the answers to in order to ensure your system is running in tip-top shape at all times.


Q: How often should I have my furnace looked at?
A: A professional should examine your furnace at the beginning of each fall season, or just before it gets cold in your area. For some of us, that isn’t until November or December, but for others, it’s important to have the HVAC system examined at the end of the summer. This allows you to be ready for the cold front when it arrives, and ensures your home is in great shape should you have guests for Halloween or Thanksgiving.

As with all other investments in your home or vehicle, you want to maintain service for the furnace so you’re able to take care of any problems in their beginning stages. The last thing you want is to avoid a problem for a long time to have it end up costing big money to repair.

There are three parts to the furnace – the thermostat, the heat source and the distribution system. The heat source is usually the area that’s overlooked by people, but it can be the source of major problems. A dirty furnace system can also lead to air contamination and contribute to inefficient heat, plus wasted fuel. Most of us are doing are best to cut down on our gas bills, which is why it’s best to have the furnace examined before cold weather strikes.

Q: How do I buy a furnace that’s right for my home?
A: A furnace is a pricey investment, but remember it’s just that – an investment. The heat it will provide for your home will be well worth the cost. There are many stores that allow you to rent a furnace. While this can seem like an attractive offer in the beginning, it usually ends up costing you a lot more in the long run. Some studies show that the average home owner who rents a furnace will end up spending $18,000 more than a home owner who buys the furnace. Keep this is mind when browsing for your furnace.

Next, you want to take into consideration the size of your home to purchase the correct size of furnace. A heating expert with proper training will help you determine this based on the square footage of your home and the climate in which you live. Keep an eye out for HVAC heating systems with the Energy Star logo. Not only are these furnaces far more environmentally friendly, they also often qualify you for specific tax rebates. Check with your state to learn more about this tax rebates.

Q: What is radiant heating?
A: Radiant heating is what homes and apartments have when they have radiators. The heat ‘radiates’ from the radiator to heat the home. The modern version of radiant heating is radiant floors and radiant panels, which are part of the wall system. The success of radiant heating highly depends on the natural flow of air in that room or building, which is known in the industry as convection. Without proper convection, radiant heating will not be the most efficient means of heating a home.

Q: What are geothermal heating solutions?
A: This is the latest and greatest news for home heating. Geothermal heating solutions are the most efficient way of heating a home. Geothermal heating works to cool a home in the summer months too. It is far more cost efficient when compared to the conventional heating solutions such as propane, gas or electricity. So how does geothermal heating solutions work? The key is the earth loop. This is how the heat from the ground is transferred into the home via conventional methods.

While geothermal heating solutions may seem expensive because of everything they involve to get started, over time they are the more affordable and sustainable answer for home heating. A home heating expert will help you determine the best plan of action to implement geothermal heating solutions. Most homes that implement geothermal heating solutions do so by digging or drilling underground. Another way to go about is if you have a water source, such as a pond or lake on your property. With this type of system, the water flows up to the heat exchanger where the heat is taken from the water, then that water is returned to the original source.

Geothermal heating solutions have been shown to cut heating bills by over 60%. Some systems can also handle water heating, so be sure to ask your heating expert what the options are for the geothermal heating solutions system you have installed.

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