| It may come as somewhat of a surprise, but not | | | | until the temperature drops below where the |
| every heating system is created equal. Though | | | | thermostat is set. Both natural gas and oil |
| most of your home's heat will be delivered to its | | | | systems can be very efficient, with the latest |
| destination as a result of adjustments you make | | | | technology it's really difficult to determine which |
| to your individual zone's thermostats, the method | | | | type of system is more beneficial for today's |
| of delivery could be very different depending | | | | homeowner. |
| upon what resource is responsible for heating | | | | Electric heating for the entire home isn't usually |
| your home. | | | | considered quite as efficient as whole home |
| The most common resources used to heat a | | | | natural gas or oil systems, but the technology |
| home are natural gas, oil and electricity. In both oil | | | | does seem to be catching up. Electric home heat |
| and natural gas heated homes, the systems could | | | | is generally easier to install and initially les |
| be further broken down into two more | | | | expensive because there is no boiler or furnace |
| possibilities: forced water systems and forced air | | | | required to burn a fossil fuel. Electric heaters look |
| systems. In forced air systems, hot air is carried | | | | very much like the baseboard heaters that are |
| through duct work inside of the walls of your | | | | hooked to forced water systems but are |
| home and delivered via discharge vents that may | | | | connected by copper wire directly to your home's |
| be on the floor, the walls or the ceiling. In forced | | | | electrical service panel. Electrical heaters can be |
| water systems, water is heated at the boiler and | | | | operated from a thermostat as well and when |
| pushed through cooper pipes to radiators which | | | | heat is required the electricity provided by your |
| provide heat to the individual rooms. | | | | service panel will heat a coil inside of the |
| Forced air systems will generally heat a room | | | | baseboard unit to deliver heat to that particular |
| more quickly, but in order to maintain the | | | | room. |
| temperature to which the thermostat is set they | | | | With electric baseboard heaters you can add |
| may have to continue running, where forced | | | | extra heat to an already existing system of |
| water systems (with cast iron radiators) the | | | | another type, provided that you have the space |
| radiators will take longer to heat up, but will hold | | | | required in your panel board to supply the |
| the heat for a much longer duration allowing the | | | | necessary power. Electric baseboard heaters are |
| boiler to run less often once it has heated the | | | | a great way to add heat to a finished basement, |
| room to the requested temperature. | | | | attic or attached garage that had no heat before |
| In both types of natural gas and oil home heating | | | | because they require no piping or duct work for |
| system, the generating of the heat begins with a | | | | installation - it may not be easy to run the wire |
| furnace or boiler. When the thermostat is set for | | | | necessary to make the connection, but it's |
| a higher temperature than what the current | | | | generally much easier to run pliable wire that it is |
| temperature of the home is - the boiler will fire, | | | | to run rigid pipe or ducts. |
| using either the gas or the oil to heat the water | | | | Three different types of systems, working in |
| or air depending upon the delivery system. The | | | | different ways, all to deliver exactly the same |
| heated air or water will then travel through the | | | | results, it's up to you to decide which system (or |
| ducts or pipes to deliver the heat where it is | | | | which combination of systems) may work the |
| needed. Once the room has reached the | | | | best to suit your particular home heating needs. |
| requested temperature, the boiler will shut down | | | | |