How to Choose the Proper Heating System for Your Home in Burleson, TX

The type of heating you choose can impact on how much energy your house uses and how well it heats. Read on to learn about five factors to consider when choosing a heating system for your Burleson, TX, home.

Type of Fuel or Energy Source

Natural gas heats most American homes. Where natural gas isn’t available, homeowners use LP gas and propane. Electric heat pumps have also become popular, with most being efficient to meet heating needs while saving on energy use. However, electric pumps come in handy in less extreme climates.

When determining the most appropriate fuel type for heating your home, consider the availability and cost of the fuel. You can work with a professional heating contractor to determine the estimated cost of operating the system with the fuel you choose. You can also task your local gas or electricity utility company for estimates.

Heated Air Distribution System

Heating systems use either hot water or forced air to disperse heat to all parts of the home. Forced air systems are more common in the United States. This system distributes heat through hot air ducts. Hot water systems use boilers that heat water and then distribute it through pipes, which might be plastic or copper. The heat then radiates to all parts of the house where the pipes pass.

Forced air systems are advantageous in that they can serve as air conditioning systems to keep the air purified. However, these systems might produce short bursts of very hot air, and sometimes the moving air might feel cooler than room temperature.

Hot water systems provide even heat around the house. However, these systems cost more to install.

Efficiency

You need to choose a system that operates efficiently. An efficient system reduces the cost of operation. Small efficiency differences can make an impact on your power savings over the lifetime of your heating system.

You can check the Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency, AFUE, or the Heating Season Performance Factor for electric pumps. These two ratings take into consideration the normal operating efficiency of the systems and also consider the changes in external temperature.

System Types

There are three types of heating systems. Gas, oil and propane systems are common and offer an efficiency of 78–96%. These systems come as base models, mid-efficiency models and high-efficiency models.

Boilers are also common. Newer models come with an AFUE efficiency rating of 80%, while older models are less efficient. Boilers mainly use electricity. They have heat pumps that distribute the water and these use electricity.

Electric heat pumps apply the same refrigerant cycle as in an air conditioner. These pumps are more efficient compared to other electric heating systems. They have the same operating costs as gas operating systems.

Size

Sizing determines how efficient a system heats at home. In many cases, the contractor might install a larger system than you think you need to ensure it performs even in severe weather. A larger system also ensures there’s sufficient heat in a home even when the distribution system is inefficient or the insulation system doesn’t work as expected.

While a large system can perform well in extreme temperatures, it won’t perform at peak efficiency. A contractor can help you calculate the size needed for your system.

Contractors perform a heating load calculation to determine the right size of the heating system. Factors that determine the size needed in a home include air-tightness, size of the rooms, efficiency of the insulation system and orientation of the windows.

It’s important to work with a contractor to help you choose the best heating system for your home in Burleson, TX. With heating systems accounting for up to 42% of household utility bills, you need to acquire the right system to save on electricity costs. When you’re ready to choose the best heating system for your needs and have it installed, call Airmasters AC, Heat, Plumbing & Electrical and talk to a member of our professional team.

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