It’s cold again in Columbus. The iciest months of winter seem to bring about more service and repair calls, which often results in the need for new heating systems. From furnaces to boilers, there are various products on the market that will heat your home. What’s a boiler you ask? Let’s take a look.
Types of boilers
A boiler is a type of HVAC equipment used to heat your home, and it uses either steam or hot water to do so. Both use a boiler to heat the water and a radiant system to provide heat to all of the rooms in a home.
Steam boilers
You could compare steam boilers to a teapot. These systems boil water to make steam, which is transported to radiators around your home. Generating more steam increases the pressure in the system and pushes the steam throughout the system. Radiators have air vents that open to let off the pressure – and the heat – into your rooms. The steam then cools, condenses to water and goes to the boiler to be reheated. Steam boilers are usually powered with natural gas or propane.
Hot water boilers
Hot water boilers operate similarly, but circulate hot water all over your home instead of steam. When you increase the heat, water begins to warm up and is pumped through the radiant system when it has achieved your chosen temperature. Water boilers can be fueled using either oil or gas, however, oil fired boilers are not traditionally found outside of New England and the Northeast U.S.
Benefits of heating your home with a boiler
Boilers are known for their nearly soundless operation. In fact, you most likely won’t hear a boiler working at all unless there’s something wrong with the system. And, because radiant systems use pipes that are installed in the walls or floor, boilers can give you a more comfortable and even heat. Another bonus is that boilers don’t blow air around, helping decrease the allergens in the air.
Choosing the right heating system for your home can be a tough decision. Although they can be more expensive than furnaces, boilers offer quieter and more even heating for your home. If you’d like to find out more about the high efficiency boilers available in Columbus, give Wolfe & Sons Heating and Cooling a call at 614-451-0846.