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Nov 15, 2013
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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.

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"I wish everyone else was as reliable as you guys are! I can't thank you enough, I will, as always, pass the word, about what a first class company you are and how you live up to your promises. I'm one of your biggest fans."

Bill R.
Apple Valley, MN
June 19, 2024

"This company is great. I have had siding, windows and LeafGuard® Gutters in the past. Just had the roof replaced. Great customer service. Would highly recommend."

Dennis J.
Prior Lake, MN
May 21, 2024

"Needed some help with gutters and the gentlemen that came out was honest about the problem and didn’t try to sell me into a bigger project than I needed like a different company did. Appreciate the honesty and will look to this company in the future for all other needs."

Brady G.
St. Bonifacius, MN
May 1, 2024

"It went well. Everyone was polite, capable, and effective. Questions were answered, and minor adjustments were made, at my request, quickly. All in all, very good experience working with Lindus."

Daniel T.
St Paul, MN
April 25, 2024

"Great company. Careful work. Good products. Fun installers They have done several projects for me and I have never been disappointed."

Donise W.
Minnetonka, MN
March 28, 2024

"I was very impressed that Lindus sent a safety inspector on day one and a quality inspector at the end. I did not expect this but sincerely appreciate this attention to detail. All of this demonstrates how Lindus stands by its work and differentiates Lindus from other firms. I would definitely consider Lindus for any future exterior needs."

Debbie E.
Plymouth, MN
February 27, 2024

"Over the past 18 years and 4 separate major home improvement projects, Lindus Construction has exceeded every one of our family’s expectations on each of these projects. Whenever anyone invests in home improvement, the homeowner’s concerns ultimately center on several critical factors: the ultimate quality of the final product, ease of working with the firm, honest communication and relationships, craftsmanship of the employees, timeliness, service after the sale, and of course, a manageable investment cost. We are proud to say that the Lindus team has been an outstanding partner in improving our house’s function, appearance, and market value."

Jim G.
Chanhassen, MN
February 8, 2024

"I did two big projects in 2023 with Lindus. First was removing and replacing attic insulation plus creating proper ventilation. Second was replacing roof and adding LeafGuard®. Did everything go perfectly? No but that is where a company shows its merits. All issues were resolved! I even received a check for unused supplies. I highly recommend Lindus. They are not the cheapest. You get what you pay for."

Jill D.
St. Paul, MN
December 14, 2023

"Lindus Construction is a company that provides the best possible workmanship, professionalism and customer service for each and every project. Lindus Construction is a great choice for roofing, siding, windows, doors, decking and LeafGuard® Gutter projects or any combination of those projects. Small jobs such as garden sheds to large homeowner associations with multiple buildings they are able to handle it."

Kelly P.
River Falls, WI
December 4, 2023

"We are quite pleased with the way our project went. The Lindus folks have successfully managed to instill a culture of quality and customer service in throughout the entire business, which is rare these days.  Everyone we worked with carried that same attitude of wanting to do it right and make us happy. The installation went well and we are very satisfied."

Tim M.
Minneapolis, MN
June 20, 2023

"Thorough, timely, efficient, good communicators. Excellent work, cleaned up well and took care of a few extra details without any hassle."

Carla U.
Minneapolis, MN
May 17, 2023

"Your services and products are wonderful!  (And we have used Lindus three times now). The crews were gracious and hard-working."

Alan W.
St. Paul, MN
May 11, 2023

"I would just like to compliment Randahl for excellent work and customer service skills.  Every time he was at our home, he was professional, thorough, extremely pleasant, and explained things well.  You are very lucky to have such an outstanding employee!"

Vicki F.
Blaine, MN
March 25, 2023

"Great job. Workers were friendly and cleaned up everything when they were done. They stopped to tell me they were ready to work and checked in when they were done."

Carolyn I.
Andover, MN
March 16, 2023

"This company has all ways been honest with us, took care of us and their workmanship is second to none."

Michael N.
Rosemount, MN
March 13, 2023

"Very professional, super quality work, everyone was very pleasant, would highly recommend, will continue to use Lindus for all future projects."

Chuck V.
Chaska, MN
February 18, 2023

"Service and work were excellent; thank you!"

Ron B.
Burnsville, MN
January 19, 2023

"The technician worked very efficiently and put in long hours to get the job done. Excellent work and we were very grateful."

Pam L.
Oakdale, MN
January 12, 2023

"I have used Lindus in the past and they once again, gave me excellent service. They stand behind their products and service. I have referred them to many friends."

Susan B.
St. Paul, MN
January 6, 2023

"We have had them do work at our home before and at my parents' house. They did great work!"

Sue R.
St. Croix Falls, WI
January 3, 2023

"The two young men that did the install were great.  They were personal and appeared very conscientious."

Jim H.
St. Anthony, MN
December 30, 2022

"Always polite and considerate. Last inspection was a quality control and I was impressed with him and his thorough inspection. Great job!"

Irene S.
Bloomington, MN
December 20, 2022

"We had a great experience with Lindus. The communication has been great. When I had a question I received a return email or phone call quickly. When Lindus employees were at our home, they explained what they were doing in great detail, my questions were always satisfactory answered. I will gladly continue to refer Lindus to friends and neighbors."

Roger D.
Shoreview, MN
November 29, 2022

"I highly recommend Lindus Construction. I have used them for three projects over the last few years and they are easy to contact, the people are friendly and they do very high quality work. Don’t hesitate to use Lindus for your next project."

Darrell M.
Lino Lakes, MN
June 9, 2022
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