If you’re considering switching heating systems, the milder weather and the seasonal lull when certified HVAC pros aren’t booked up makes spring the perfect time to install new equipment. To help you choose a new heating system, here’s a crash course on the three most common types:
Natural Gas
Natural gas is a convenient, consistent method of home heating that’s used in roughly 50 percent of American homes.
- Gas heat gives you the flexibility of installing a ducted, forced-air furnace or a boiler to supply hot-water baseboard or in-floor hydronic heat.
- When switching to gas, you’ll face the cost of installing a vent system and having a gas meter/line added to connect your home to the local supply.
- Since natural gas is produced here in North America, the supply is reliable and the price is more stable.
- The gas furnaces available today offer a superb level of efficiency, with AFUE ratings as high as 98 percent.
Oil
Oil furnaces became a popular choice for home heating decades ago, but nowadays they’re most often used in the Northeast.
- Heating oil produces more heat per BTU than other fuels, but the furnaces themselves aren’t as efficient at converting fuel into heat, so they have lower efficiency (AFUE) ratings.
- You’ll pay more to heat your home with oil, because the fuel price is tied to global supply/demand.
- You’ll need to have an above-ground storage tank installed and schedule periodic fill-ups from a fuel supplier.
- Oil poses an environmental hazard, so if your tank leaks, you’ll face a costly cleanup.
Electric
Today, electricity provides the energy to heat one in four homes in the U.S.
- There are a wide range of choices for electrically-powered heating, including forced-air furnaces, ductless mini-splits, heat pumps, and radiant, in-floor systems.
- Electric heating is reliable and safe, since there’s no risk of dangerous fuel leaks, exposure to carbon monoxide from improper venting, or fires.
- It’s possible to generate your own electricity for home heating by going solar.
For help exploring the different options for switching heating systems in your Lorain home, contact us at Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Lorain, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 440-201-2959.
Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning
1 (440) 246-5440
Serving the Lorain, OH Area