Pros & Cons of Home Heating Systems
Every home in the Midwest has some sort of home heating system for the cooler temperatures that we face during the fall & winter seasons. Residential home heating systems can range from piping hot water throughout your home, to blowing air or even using heat from the earth. We are going to discuss some of the most popular systems and the advantages and disadvantages of both.
Forced Air
The most common type of heating & cooling systems on the market
- Moves throughout your home through ductwork and registers and is heated in the furnace.
- The air is heated using various fuel sources such as natural gas, propane, electricity or oil.
Advantages/disadvantages of this system
Forced air systems are the only heat distribution system that also can be used for cooling purposes. It also allows the air to be filtered, humidified or dehumidified. This type of system is less expensive than other options on the market. The only disadvantages of this system are that the moving air throughout your home can distribute allergens more freely, requires ductwork that takes up space and can sometimes be a little loud.
Radiant Heat
Widely known to provide the most comfortable heat in a residential home and comes in a variety of options from a pot belly stove or in-floor heating.
- Radiant heat is the process of direct transfer of heat from a hot to a cold surface through embedded tubing in the floor directly below the surface.
- Radiant heat can be fueled by hot water heated by a boiler that is fueled by natural gas, propane, oil or electricity.
Advantages/disadvantages of this system
Radiant heat provides an even, comfortable heat and are quite energy efficient. A disadvantage is that they take longer to heat up, since the surrounding materials must warm, they can be expensive to install, air conditioning would require separate ductwork and if a problem arises, accessing the hidden piping can be difficult.
Hot Water Baseboard
Baseboard systems are similar to radiant heat because they use hot water that is heated by a boiler to heat space by radiation and convection.
- The water is heated and then piped to baseboard units mounted along the walls.
- The boiler can be fueled by natural gas, propane, electricity or oil.
Advantages/disadvantages of this system
Baseboard systems are very energy efficient & quiet. Disadvantages are they are slow at increasing the temperature in your home and you must keep items such as furniture and drapes away from the units.
Geothermal
The newest heating & cooling technology on the market today is geothermal.
- Heat is taken from the earth by use of ground loop pipes and deposited into your home.
- The EPA says that a geothermal heat pump can save you 30 to 70 percent on home heating and 20 to 50 percent on cooling over conventional systems.
Advantages/disadvantages of this system
Geothermal advantages are that they have a very good lifespan, usually around 25+ years for inside components and 100+ years for the ground loop. They are very quiet and have minimal maintenance costs. They also add a lot of value to your property. Disadvantages of geothermal heat is the increased upfront initial cost to have it installed which are usually two to three times those of conventional systems. If you don’t hire a qualified contractor who uses proper installation techniques, your system may not last as long.
