5 Heating Options to Consider For Your Home

Homeowners have a wide range of heating options to consider when upgrading their residences. Therefore, they must weigh these options to decide which one will work best for their needs and fulfill their expectations. To help homeowners make this important decision, the following information details the different types of heating available for homes.

Heating Option 1: Furnaces

Furnaces send warm air flowing through the house through a central outlet or duct system. They may run on electricity, natural gas, propane, or oil.

Gas furnaces are the most common because they are the most affordable option to run on a regular basis. Electric models are almost as popular, especially since the furnace itself is much less expensive than the other options. However, the price of electricity is higher with electric furnaces.

Oil furnaces used to be rather popular, but they are cumbersome to refill and leave an oily film on the walls, floors, and furniture. Propane furnaces work well in areas without access to electricity or natural gas. Because the gas is stored in tanks, it's easier to refill than oil.

Heating Option 2: Baseboards

Baseboard heaters run on electricity, but do not use a central furnace to produce heat. Instead, a heating element inside each baseboard heater generates enough heat for that space.

Each room needs its own heater to effectively warm the house. These heaters come in a variety of sizes to best suit the needs of each space.

Because baseboard heaters use electricity, it's often rather expensive to run them day and night. Homeowners may supplement their heat by using their fireplace or wood stove instead.

Heating Option 3: Radiant

Radiant heat is a rather new way to warm up various rooms in the house. This system uses heating elements installed directly in the floors, walls, or even the driveway to deliver heat to that surface.

As the materials heat up, they feel pleasantly warm to the touch, keeping the home comfortable. Radiant heaters are extremely popular in bathroom floors, especially when combined with towel warmers. When installed in outdoor surfaces, they prevent the driveway or other surfaces from developing a layer of ice during freezing weather.

Heating Option 4: Wood Stoves

Wood stoves, pellet stoves, and fireplaces are all excellent heating options, as they produce heat by burning logs and pellets. Although they are most often used to heat up main living areas, small fans can help distribute the heat throughout the rest of the house.

Wood stoves are normally installed wherever the home has a chimney to vent the smoke. In recent years, however, ventless gas fireplaces have been developed for installation anywhere in the home. These fireplaces work using natural gas and do not create any smoke to vent outdoors.

Heating Option 5: Portable

Portable heaters allow homeowners to warm up any area in the house that has an electrical outlet. These heaters are only meant to provide supplemental heat in a single room. They do not produce enough heat to warm up the entire house.

Portable heaters use a lot of electricity and should not be left unattended. For that reason, many people use them for short periods of time to bring the temperature in the room to a comfortable level.

With a clear understanding of the different types of heating for homes, it's easy to find a system that will work for each residence. If homeowners are having a hard time deciding, they can consult with an HVAC specialist for even more insights about each system.