Common Home Heating Systems
Northern US and Alaska experinces extreme cold weather. Different States and sections of the country have different climates, with some much colder than the others. Indoor heating is required for almost all these locations. In this post, we are going to discuss about the most common and popular types of heating systems in homes. Because, having a good heating system in your home is a necessity, keeping homes warm during the colder months also ensures that our homes can function properly.
Furnace-based Heating System: These systems are probably the most popular and are powered by natural gas or electricity. Air is heated into a furnace that will then be blown or enforced into ducts to various vents and registers. While furnaces can heat the air with electricity, propane, or oil, most homes in Canada utilize natural gas. What makes it a popular choice comes from the fact that since the forced air distribution system (ductwork) can be used by your air conditioner during the summer months.
Electric or Baseboard Heating: The baseboard heating system is common to homes that do not have access to natural gas, propane and heating oil. The most common option for a home is to install baseboard heaters that are controlled by the use of a thermostat. Individual rooms or units can be controlled individually by electric switches. For these type of systems, the cost of utility bills can really shoot up especially during harsh winters.
Geothermal Heating systems: This is the most energy-efficient heating system available. The heat used by the Heating System is obtained from the ground and uses water from the ground walls. The system uses little electricity and are a great option to keep utility bills low during the cold months of winter. The real pain however is the setup costs of geothermal systems which can runs in hundreds of thousands of dollars. For the average Canadian, weighing the energy saved against the initial installation costs may not make financial sense, though. And that is the biggest reason geothermal energy isn’t more widespread among homeowners.
Heat Pumps: 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.
Oil Heating: Oil for home heating is another popular choice for residents in remote and countryside locations in Canada. The oil-based heating system works with either Boiler Systems or Furnace systems. With the Boiler system, heated water is used to warm the house. The oil is sent from the tank to the burner through a pump. The burner heats up water that is sent throughout your home via radiators and baseboards. With the furnace-based system, hot air is used. Oil is burned instead of natural gas, and the resulting hot air is distributed throughout your home via your duct system. This is the more popular of the two oil heating systems. Oil based heating although old is still very efficient and budget-friendly. Oil is burned instead of natural gas, and the resulting hot air is distributed throughout your home via your duct system. This is the more popular of the two oil heating systems.