When you're having a new home built or are making major renovations to your current home, you might carefully consider the type of heating system you choose. A standard home furnace is not your only option today, and some heating systems might actually be a better choice for your space and your overall comfort. Note a few factors to consider before you decide on a heating system for your home.
Furnace versus boiler
A furnace and boiler are very similar, except that a furnace heats air and a boiler heats water. A standard furnace is connected to your homes ductwork and it blows warm air out vents. A boiler is connected to baseboards or radiators; heated water runs through these pieces and makes them warm so they then radiate heat. One advantage of a boiler is that the warm air produced by a furnace is typically very dry, which can make your skin feel dry; the heat given off by radiators and baseboards doesn't dry the air, so a boiler may produce a more comfortable atmosphere when in use.
Radiant floor heating
Radiant floor heating consists of tubes or coils that are placed under your home's floorboards and which then circulate heat. Radiant floor heating tubes circulate heated water, whereas electric coils simply plug in and get warm themselves, then giving off that heat. This type of heating system can be very efficient especially for large spaces; the coils or tubes can be snaked underneath every area of the floor, so there are few "dead zones" or cold spots in your home. Also, radiant floor tubing that is circulating water is less likely to dry out wood floorboards than a furnace blowing warm, dry air into the space, making it a better choice for any room with wood floors.
Ductless systems
A split system air conditioner is what you find in a hotel room; it vents directly out a wall and blows cold air out the front panel, cooling just one area of a building at a time. These types of systems can also work with heat and not just air conditioning; they are like a space heater, but a permanent installation in a wall or ceiling. They don't blow warm air through all the ducts of your home but just through the front panel. If you don't typically need to heat your entire house during the winter but, for example, just need to keep a bedroom warm at night, these can be a very efficient and affordable choice.
