When many homeowners think about heating systems, they only think about fossil fuel burning, forced-air, ducted systems. In today’s market the opportunities are expanded far beyond this traditional mode of thinking.
Even within the scope of forced-air systems, there are a great amount of decisions to be made. This guide begins with some of the considerations that should be factored in to your decision, and ends with a description of some of the more available systems.
What you should consider:
A pre-existing system: The decision is wide open for new homes, but viable options can be significantly limited for remodeling jobs. Many upgrades can be made to your current system such as a more efficient furnace or “duct boosters” that allow you to better regulate the temperature of a single zone heating system, but drastic changes to your system type can be expensive and time consuming. Existing non-ducted systems, for example, will make it considerably more difficult to install a forced-air system.
Fuel type: The type of fuel your heating system will burn is one of the most important decisions you will make. While almost all categories of heating system are made in compatible versions for nearly every fuel type, this decision will help you evaluate the cost of installation for your system with a real estimate of component parts.
If your property includes a gas well, you have solar panels, or you have access to a free and ready supply of burnable wood this decision is simple. For the rest of us it is helpful to know that propane, home-heating oil, and natural gas are competitively priced. Natural gas is delivered by utility lines, and is therefore more convenient, but not always possible for homes located away from gas lines.
Electric is often the most expensive energy source, but is often the cheapest to install, and wood is only cost effective if you are willing to do the work of collecting the wood yourself. The consumption of all fuels has an effect on our environment making the efficiency of your system the more important environmental choice.
The need for central cooling: While built-in wall-mount air conditioners are available, duct work is still the simplest and most efficient way to deliver central air conditioning. A ducted system is the obvious choice for new homes that require central cooling, since you will need to install duct work anyway. Remodeling jobs may choose to go with one of the more efficient non-ducted systems, such a geo-thermal radiant heating, and retain the existing duct work for cooling.
Multi-zone preference: The efficiency of most homes will benefit greatly from the addition of a second climate zone. This can be done in the design phase of all ducted or non-ducted systems. Homes with a need for several drastically different climate zones may find it more cost effective to choose electric radiant or baseboard heat, since a new zone can be added by simply adding another thermostat.
Long-term cost evaluation: A more efficient heating system will almost always pay for itself in a primary residence. For camps, summer homes, and winter cottages this is not always the case. The heating systems for part time residences will often not be used enough for efficient fuel consumption to outweigh the upfront costs of a more expensive system. Home owners should make a realistic evaluation of the running costs for any heating system, and compare the long term savings to the upfront investment.
Available heating systems:
Forced air heating: This is the classic home heating system. Heated air is moved through duct work to the different areas of your house and delivered to the rooms through vents or registers. While the concept of forced air heating is standard, there are several relatively newer options available.
You have a choice in furnaces ranging from traditional gravity furnaces to multi-zone heat pumps. Even outdoor wood burners (discussed later) can be attached to your existing duct work. Separate climate zones and strategically placed “duct boosters” can enhance your ability to regulate the indoor climate. However, while these extras and correct placement of thermostats can improve efficiency, the choice of furnace has the greatest impact on the efficiency of your system in a well insulated home.
Perimeter radiant heating: Electric, hot water, and oil base-board as well as radiators fall in to this category. These systems employ heaters that radiate heat energy to a local area. It is very simple to create separate climate zones with these systems, since each heater is capable of operating on its own thermostat. Modern electric base-board heaters are far more efficient than earlier models, and hot water heaters can run off exceptionally efficient boilers. However, there is no duct work for air conditioning, and the heaters themselves may not be aesthetically pleasing or suitable for homes with small children.
In-floor radiant heating: In-floor radiant heating is available in two basic types, hot water tubing and electric mats. Hot water tubing is commonly run inside a cement slab, but can now be run between the joists below a wood floor. Electric mats are commonly installed in the mortar of a tile floor.
These systems radiate heat from the entire surface of your floor and eliminate the problems associated with cold flooring materials like tile, wood, or cement. Modern electric mats are extremely efficient and far more reliable than earlier models which tended to break down.
Hot water tubing is possibly one of the most efficient heating systems if you incorporate a geo-thermal well (discussed later). The primary concerns for in-floor heating are the difficulties presented for renovation projects (since the tubing is located in the floor or slab, adding it to a home not already set up for in-floor heating can be labor intensive) and the lack of duct work for air conditioning.
Outdoor wood burners: Outdoor wood burners can be used as a furnace or boiler for all non-electric heating systems. These wood burners eliminate many of the insurance risks associated with indoor wood burning stoves and can be very cost effective for homes with a ready supply of burnable wood. The primary concerns are excessive smoke in populated areas, wood storage, and the labor involved in collecting wood and filling the burner.
Geo-thermal wells: Geo-thermal wells pump ground water into your boiler for in-floor tubing or hot water base-board heating. Since ground water maintains a constant year round temperature, it takes far less energy to heat the water. Geo-thermal wells can be a significant upfront cost, but the improved efficiency will pay for itself over time.