Which Heating System is Right for You?
This is the time of year when home heating bills start their upward rise. If you’re tired of paying exorbitant amounts of money to heat you’re home, perhaps a new heating system is in your future. Or, maybe you’re building a new home or remodeling an existing home and want to know your options. Whatever your circumstances, this article will guide you through the world of heating, and cooling, so your home is as comfortable, efficient, and affordable, as it can be.
Air-Source Heat Pumps
Heat pumps have been the preferred method of high efficiency heating and cooling in mild climates for decades. Recent improvements in technology, however, now enable air-source heat pumps to work in below zero temperatures, so if you live in such a climate, don’t count them out!
Heat pumps consist of an indoor and outdoor unit. When you’re in heating mode, the system pulls heat from the outside air and compresses it to make it warmer for indoors. Because there is always heat in the air, even in negative temperatures, the system works. When you’re in cooling mode, the unit pulls heat out of your home and sends the air through the refrigeration system to cool down the temperature. As you can see, heat pumps simply move air around. They don’t actually generate heat, which means they can provide up to four times the amount of energy they consume, making them highly efficient and cost effective. In fact, a heat pump uses 30-40% less electricity than your standard furnace.
The initial cost of installing a heat pump can be high. If your home currently uses a forced-air furnace, however, you may be able to use the current ductwork and just purchase and install the indoor and outdoor units. Air-source heat pumps are also available in a ductless version, as well as radiant floor system.
Hint: When purchasing the outdoor unit, buy a brand that uses a scroll compressor instead of a piston compressor. The scroll compressors last longer and are more efficient.
Water or Ground-Source Heat Pumps/Geothermal
If you want to take efficiency and monthly energy savings to a higher level, opt for a geothermal system. In a geothermal system, you’re using a water or ground-source heat pump to transfer heat between your home and the ground, or your home and a nearby water source. Because the ground, a few feet below the surface, is a constant, mild temperature, the temperature going into the heat exchanger is typically higher, or cooler on a hot day, than it would be in an air-source heat pump. Likewise, water temperatures below the surface of the water remain relatively stable and mild. This amounts to higher efficiency ratings, and very little month-to month-costs.
The initial cost to install a geothermal system is high, often several times that of an air-source heat pump. However, experts say you can recoup these extra costs in as little as 5-10 years in month-to-month savings. Many homeowners have seen their heating bills cut in half, or quartered, after installing a geothermal system!
Geothermal systems often work best for large areas of land, as they require hundreds of feet of pipe to be ran underground, or in a nearby water-source, such as a pond or lake. If you don’t have a large lot or acreage, drilling is an option. Be sure to hire experts when drilling, as they will know the geography of the land.
Active Solar Heating
Heating your home with solar energy can be cost effective when designed properly and used in climates with high solar resources. The initial cost of the system is high, however, and the system is more complicated than air, water, or ground-source heat pumps.
For more information in how active solar heating works, consult the following articles:
“Active Solar Heating” via U.S. Department of Energy
“Active Solar” via Wikipedia
Furnaces and Boilers
Most homes use a furnace or boiler system to make heat and distribute it throughout the house via vents, radiators, baseboards, or radiant floor heating. These types of systems are less efficient than heat pumps, because they consume energy to make the heat they heat your home with, and they can also experience substantial heat loss through vents and flues. On average, furnaces and boilers only have an efficiency rating of 60-70%. In recent years, however, new higher efficiency units have come onto the market. These units can have an efficiency rating around 95%; however, they are still consuming energy to make the heat needed to heat your home.
The cost of equipment is less in a furnace or boiler system than it is for air-source heat pumps, geothermal heat pumps, and solar. However, the month-to-month cost of operating the system is usually substantially higher. In addition, you cannot cool your home with a furnace or boiler system, while most heat pumps are available with that option.
Wood Burning Stoves and Pellet Heating
Though wood and pellet burning stoves often receive high marks for ambience, they don’t provide for uniform heating, and the amount of indoor air pollutants they put out is high. It’s often hard to size a wood or pellet burning stove appropriately, so homeowners often end up with overheating certain rooms while the rest of the house remains cold. If you opt for this heating method, make sure to have a reputable dealer and installer size the stove specifically to the square footage and layout of your home.
Wood and pellet burning stoves typically run, on average, about $3,000, not including fuel and maintenance. Pellet stoves only require refueling once a day, and the pellets are cleaner and lighter than wood fuel. However, pellet stoves require electricity to run fans and other equipment. The cost of electricity to run a pellet stove is low, however. But if you live in a rural area has an unreliable electricity source, a wood burning stove would be the safer bet for you.
