Throughout the communities we serve, there are two types of heating system we most commonly find in homes—either the forced-air furnace or the hydronic boiler system. Both have long histories, and both have their pros and cons.
The one thing they have in common is that either makes a great option for homes in Tacoma and beyond. But how do you make the decision between the two if you have neither? Perhaps you’re getting by with space heaters right now. This is highly inefficient, plus in some cases can even be dangerous (you definitely never want to leave it a space heater on when you aren’t home). In this post, we’re going to talk about some of the benefits of boilers, if this is, in fact, an option you’re considering.
Choosing a Boiler
Furnaces truly are the most popular heating systems around, but that doesn’t mean boilers don’t still have their place. Many homeowners decide to rely on these systems because they want to avoid the installation of ductwork. Since we have a pretty mild climate, not all homes have central cooling systems in them, meaning they don’t already have ductwork—which can be inconvenient to have installed, particularly if you have a small home or a home without an attic.
Here are some of the reasons it’s a good idea to choose a boiler as your heating source:
- They Are Very Energy Efficient: Boilers suffer from less heat loss during operation than a furnace, due to that lack of ductwork. Water is a more effective heat transfer medium than air, where a furnace has to heat air and a boiler heats water and pipes it to terminal points. This more effective method of heat transfer means a boiler consumes less energy on average than a furnace system.
- Quick, Even Heat Distribution: One of the problems that homeowners have with furnaces is they tend to blow out heated air that just gathers at the ceiling of a room. While you can boost system efficiency with ceiling fans, that’s a lot of work to go through, when you can just choose a boiler instead and rely on radiated heat fully spread around your home. Radiant heat warms up a room faster and more evenly.
- Long Service Life With Few Repair Needs: Boilers do not have many moving parts to them like a furnace does. This means that they don’t suffer as much from the forces of natural wear and tear. This smaller number of moving parts also means that not as many repairs are needed over the years.
- Less Dust and Pollutants: The ductwork that’s hooked up for furnaces are magnets for dust, dander, lint, and a range of other airborne allergens and contaminants. Each time a furnace blower turns on, it blasts out these pollutants, potentially making for unhealthy air. This is especially important to note if anyone in your home suffers from allergies or asthma.
But honestly, dust infiltration or even mold development that can occur in ducts, can make even the healthiest person ill. There are certainly indoor air quality products that can help with this problem, but the issue is completely eradicated with a boiler system!