Posts Tagged ‘Boilers’

Ham Lake Heating Tip: Comparing Heating Fuel Costs

Monday, November 19th, 2012

Looking for a new heating system or upgrade for your Ham Lake area home? Before you choose a new furnace or boiler system, be sure that you understand how to compare the costs of fuel in your area. While you may thing that natural gas is the best choice for a furnace, you may find that an electric furnace would provide better energy savings for your particular home.

There are many factors other than just the cost of the fuel to help you choose a cost-effective heating system to install. Call the Ham Lake heating professionals at Air Mechanical to help you through this process. First, you’ll need to decide which type of system you want to install.

Heating Options

Whether you are building a new home or retrofitting an existing heating system, you’ll have several options. You may decide that you want to upgrade your split system heat pump to a ductless mini split, especially if you are facing costly ductwork or adding a room to your home. While many newer homes the area install high-efficiency systems, you can also upgrade to zone control or install programmable thermostats to get more energy savings.

Keep in mind that before installing a new high-efficiency furnace or boiler system, it’s a good idea to make other upgrades to ensure that your home is ready for this type of system. Radiant floor heating is ideal in new homes, since the flooring would have to be ripped up in remodeling jobs. We can go over the different types of heating systems that we install and help you select the most cost-effective one by going over different factors you should consider. Fuel cost is one of these factors.

Gas or Electric

While natural gas is typically less expensive than electric heating systems, you will definitely need to research fuel costs in the area before choosing. You may also choose a dual fuel system, such as a dual fuel heat pump. This type of system uses the electricity for the heat pump in heating mode until it is no longer efficient to do so. Then the system automatically switches to the gas furnace as a backup heater. Make sure you understand the costs of heating your particular home with both types of fuel before choosing a dual fuel or standard heat pump or gas boiler system.

Feel free to call the Ham Lake heating experts at Air Mechanical if you have further questions about comparing fuel costs in our area.

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Pros and Cons of Various Heating Systems in Cedar

Friday, December 9th, 2011

When it comes time to install a new heating system in your Cedar home, there are a lot of options to consider. Many people get overwhelmed when confronted with all of the furnaces, boilers and heat pumps on the market these days. So, to help you get a handle on what each has to offer and which will offer you the best benefits, here is an overview of the modern heating system market.

Furnaces

Furnaces are the core of a forced air heating system and use gas, oil or electricity to heat air which is then circulated through your home by a blower in your air handler. Furnaces are among the most fuel efficient heating systems on the market today with options available at up to 95% AFUE (meaning it uses up to 95% of the fuel consumed to produce heat). They are also inexpensive to install and while they don’t last quite as long as boilers, they are highly efficient when well cared for.

Boilers

Boilers use gas, oil or electricity to heat water or steam which is then circulated through your home into radiators or baseboard heaters. The heated water or steam releases heat into your home and heats it in turn. While not quite as energy efficient as a high efficiency furnace, boiler heat is perfect for homes with existing radiators and no room for vents and ductwork. It also has less of an impact on indoor air quality since there is no air movement and boilers tend to last a very long time when well maintained.

Heat Pumps

Heat pumps are becoming increasingly popular, especially in milder climates where it rarely gets below 40 degrees F. A heat pump uses the same technology as an air conditioner to extract heat from outside using a compressor, evaporator coils, and condenser coils with refrigerant.

It is most efficient in the spring and fall when temperatures are mild, but it uses much less energy than either a boiler or furnace and it can be used in the summer to cool your home. When properly maintained, a heat pump will last 10-20 years and save quite a bit of money, though it is recommended that you have an emergency heat source for days when the temperature outside gets below 40 degrees F.

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