Written on: November 2, 2020
The weather’s starting to get a bit crisp, if not outright nippy, here in south and central Oklahoma.
As the days get cooler, and then colder, a lot of folks around her talk about “turning the furnace on” or “getting the furnace tuned up.”
But are they really talking about a furnace? They might not be!
People often use “furnace” as a catch-all word for any kind of home heating system. They may not have a furnace, but a boiler.
Whichever one you have, a furnace or a boiler, if you use propane for home heating, Pitmon gives you reliable, safe propane delivery!
There are two basic types of boiler: hydronic (hot water) and steam. A hydronic boiler burns fuel to heat water, then pumps it through pipes and into your baseboards or radiators. A steam boiler operates pretty much the same way as a hydronic boiler. But instead of heating water, it converts water into steam before sending it through to your radiators and baseboards.
With a boiler, you get even, strong, comfortable, long-lasting heat that isn’t drying like forced-air heating can sometimes be. Boilers have a long life expectancy, on average between 15 and 20 years. Being closed systems, boilers can offer outstanding energy efficiency.
One downside for boilers is that they are more expensive to install, as the heating system is a more complex one.
A furnace heats air and circulates it around your home to keep it warm. Air is brought into the furnace through a return and is heated. A blower then sends the heated air into the ductwork, which brings it to all the rooms in your home through vents.
Furnaces are the most popular kind of heating system on the market today. Why? Because you have a lower overall cost of ownership with furnaces compared with boilers. They are less expensive to purchase, install, repair, and maintain. Furnaces are a simple, straightforward system, and can usually be installed in less than a day.
Furnaces are the best getting your home warm fast, and to higher temperatures.
A disadvantage of furnaces is that because the heat is only being blown into a room from the vents, it is not always distributed evenly, and you can end up with cold spots in a room. You also need to clean the ductwork regularly to prevent dust and other allergens being circulated around your home.
Count on Pitmon for the propane you need to keep your home warm. Become a customer today!
