Heating and cooling are essential parts of an American home, responsible for maintaining comfort for households and improving their quality of daily life. If you’re looking to install, repair, or replace your heating system, it’s important to understand the many different types available. In this post, your trusted AC contractors from Comfort Solutions Heating & Cooling discuss some of the most popular types in American homes.
Furnaces and Boilers
One major difference between furnaces and boilers is their media of heat transfer. Furnaces heat the air, distributed through ducts and vents around the home. Boilers heat water, which is then pumped to radiators to heat up rooms. Both heating systems can run on oil or natural gas, although oil-fired boilers are generally considered inefficient and so, are rare.
Efficiency for these types of heating is measured in AFUE. The higher the AFUE rating, the more efficient the unit is. Installation is handled by heating and cooling services experts that may also offer duct installation, maintenance, and repairs.
Heat Pumps
For homes in temperate regions, heat pumps are an excellent and energy-efficient replacement for more conventional heating systems such as furnaces and boilers. Heat pumps can function as both heaters and air conditioners. This is heat pumps work by transferring heat from one place to another, instead of producing the heat itself.
You can find ground-source (also known as geothermal) heat pumps or air-source heat pumps. Air-source heat pumps are relatively cheaper but geothermal heat pumps are more efficient. The repair cost for malfunctioning heat pumps is also relatively reasonable, making it a viable product for many homes.
Space Heaters
Central heating is generally more common in many homes. However, direct heating options also exist, the most widespread being electric space heaters. That said, while these portable alternatives are available cheaply almost anywhere, they are somewhat more expensive to use than their central heating counterparts.
Heating and Cooling Experts
For all your heating and air conditioning needs, whether it’s repair, maintenance, or replacement, call your trusted HVAC contractor at Comfort Solutions Heating & Cooling today. Give us a call at (503) 698-2665 or fill out our contact form to set an appointment. We look forward to working with you!
