| Selecting the right type of home heating system | | | | Electric Heat Pump |
| can be confusing. Here is a basic overview of the | | | | Heat pumps shuffle heat from one place to the |
| most common home heating systems. | | | | other. They can also be used a air conditioners |
| Traditional furnaces | | | | during warm weather. A typical heat pump |
| A furnace that is used for Home Heating system | | | | extracts arm air from the surroundings like the |
| purpose draws the air from the home into a | | | | outdoor air, underground water, surface water or |
| system of ductwork. Here the air is heated and | | | | the earth. This air is then heated by the pump if |
| regulated to the living rooms. Some furnaces also | | | | necessary as is regulated into the house. The |
| use blowers to circulate the heated air. The air | | | | thermostat of an electric heater is much like that |
| that is to be circulated is drawn through a filter to | | | | of a furnace but it also has controls for air- |
| get rid of dust particles. The furnace may be | | | | conditioning. |
| fuelled by different types of fuel like gas, coal, oil, | | | | Radiant Ceiling or Floor Heaters |
| electricity and wood. The gas and oil furnaces use | | | | Radiant heaters heat up the home as the sun |
| a power light to heat the heat exchange unit | | | | does. It does not use any blowers. Instead |
| which in turn heats the air that is to be circulated. | | | | electrical radiant elements are installed inside the |
| Heating strips or elements are used by the | | | | floors or walls or on the ceiling. Each area has a |
| electrical furnaces to heat the air. A coal or a | | | | control that might be marked from lower to |
| wood furnace constitutes of a fire box, where | | | | higher temperature. However, they do not show |
| the fuel is burnt and a heat exchanger which | | | | the current temperature of that place. Another |
| warms up the air that is to be circulated. The | | | | type of Radiant heating is Hydronic Heating. In this |
| temperature inside the house is controlled by the | | | | type of heating system hot water, which is |
| thermostat that is usually positioned at eye level | | | | heated in a boiler, flows through the pipes or |
| on a wall. | | | | tubes that have been placed at the places that |
| Steam Radiant Heating System | | | | are to be heated. These types of heaters are |
| Steam Radiators are is an old concept and not | | | | used under roads so as to keep away the snow |
| very much in use today but they have their own | | | | and ice from accumulating there. |
| advantages. They have cast iron radiators that | | | | Space Heaters |
| radiate heat with steam. The steam system may | | | | The best part of Space heaters is that they are |
| have one or two pipes. In a single pipe system | | | | portable. These types of heaters are fueled by |
| the water and heat flow in the same pipe but the | | | | gas or kerosene oil. They might be standing free |
| direction of flow is opposite. In a double pipe | | | | in a space or might be attached to a wall. |
| system separate pipes are used for the flow of | | | | However these types of heaters are not used to |
| water and heat. These heaters are very efficient | | | | heat large area like a living room. |
| and they warm spaces quite quickly. | | | | |