Heating Your Home: The Basics Part II

Advantages for Both Heating Systems

Whether you choose a furnace or a heat pump for your heating system is up to you and your builder,  but both have advantages.

• Gas Furnaces are extremely durable in all types of climate, and with an average lifespan of 20 years, they're a reliable option when it comes to warming your home.

A common problem to look out for with furnace heating, however, is air leakage. Often aging air ducts will begin to leak, allowing substantial heat loss. Proper sizing, tight installation and equal distribution are vital to the efficiency of how duct work is designed to perform. The need to "maintain" heating ducts is something to keep in mind should you choose to purchase a forced air furnace.

Note: A forced-air furnace is one that provides the heating in your house by blowing the air through the duct system. A furnace can be gas fired, electric fired or any other heat generating source.

• Heat Pumps are another common way to heat your home. A heat pump is basically an air conditioner that works in reverse, which means instead of blowing cold air inside and warm air outside, it blows cold air outside and warm air inside.

There are two common varieties of heat pump you can purchase:

Air-Source Heat Pump :  Warms your home by moving air from one place to another.

Ground Source (Geothermal) Heat Pump: Draws warmth from a different source, the ground. Piping loops in the ground draw latent heat to the house in winter. A geothermal heat pump has a higher efficiency rating than most furnaces or air-source heat pumps, but it will cost a bit more to install because of the need to bore into the ground.

For more information visit www.evenflowmechanical.com