Heating

In this area, heating is the most expensive utility for most home owners and businesses. And in this day and age, you have more options that ever before that can increase your comfort and decrease the cost. Let us help you design a system for your new construction or remodel that can actually pay for itself in the savings you will see.

There are several options to consider when installing a new heating system:

Gas
The standard gas furnace is 80% efficient. High-efficiency models can be up to 95% efficient. Compare prices and operating costs before purchasing a gas furnace. NOTE: High-efficiency models can have a 12 year life expectancy as compared with a 15 year expectancy for a standard model.

Propane/Oil
These kinds of furnaces are popular in areas that do not have natural gas distribution. The operating cost for these units is very high and the price for propane or oil changes frequently. Consider a geothermal heating and cooling system in place of propane or oil furnaces.

Electric Baseboard
These are very inexpensive to install but have high operating costs.

Geothermal
Combination furnace and air conditioners. This is the most energy efficient heating and cooling system on the market. They are more expensive to install, but have the lowest operating cost of any unit. Before you purchasing a furnace or air conditioner contact us and we can show you how you can install this type of unit with a lower life cycle cost than any other form of heating or cooling. [more about Geothermal]

Radiant
Using hot water in or below your flooring is one of the most comfortable types of heat. [more about Radiant heat]

Wood Burning Appliances
Usually used to supplement other forms of heat using a fireplace or wood stove but can also heat your entire home using an exterior stove with a water or forced air distribution system.

Myths about heating systems:

• Bigger is better
• Hot or cold rooms are unavoidable
• Any home 3,000 or more square feet needs two furnaces

If a contractor has told you any of these, give us a call and we can help you decide what to do.

Tips
Make sure the furnace is sized properly. Larger than necessary furnaces lose efficiency and cost more to run. We will perform a heat loss/heat gain calculation to determine the size of the furnace and air conditioner you need.

Perform airflow calculations for each room.

Balance the airflow between summer and winter and mark the damper positions for winter and summer.

Do not block registers with furniture.

Consider using zoned heating.