What Are the Different Types of Heaters?

While many homes in Texas utilize heat pumps and central heat furnaces, there are other heating options from which to choose:

1. Central Heat Furnace – The most common type of heater found in North American homes. These furnaces work by blowing heated air through ducts which vent the air out to various rooms throughout your home.
2. Traditional Boiler – Boilers pass water through radiators and heat the water to the boiling point. From there, heat radiates and warms the home.
3. Heat Pumps – Can be used year-round to keep your home more comfortable. It can be helpful to think of a heat pump as a two-way air conditioner that moves heat out of your home during the hotter months of summer and pulls heat into your home during the cooler months.
4. Ductless Heating and Cooling Systems – These systems work by carrying hot or cold air (depending on the time of year) into the home using electricity. The main benefit of a ductless system is that it doesn’t require any air ducts in your home.

By being aware of some of the different types of heaters and how they work, you can ultimately decide which option is best for your home.

Central Heat Furnaces

A central heat furnace can be powered by gas or electricity, depending on the utility access on your property.

Central heat furnaces are effective at keeping your home comfortable and are also quite energy-efficient, making them a popular choice amongst homeowners. However, they do require extensive ductwork and ventilation systems to circulate air, so if you don’t have any ductwork in place, you may need some costly retrofitting done.

Boilers

Another potential home heating option is the boiler. A boiler can be powered by oil or natural gas and doesn’t require any ductwork to be in place. However, some homeowners are against boilers as a heating option because each room needs to have at least one radiator, and these can be an eyesore and take up additional square footage.

Heat Pumps

A popular option among Texas homeowners is the heat pump. There are two different types of heat pumps: air-source heat pumps and ground-source heat pumps

Air-Source Heat Pumps

An air-source heat pump uses the outside air as a heat source during the winter and a heat sink during the summer. Air-source heat pumps are the most common of the two due to its easy installation and overall cheaper cost. These units are installed similarly to a central air conditioner.

Ground-Source Heat Pump

A ground-source heat pump gets its heat from the underground as temperatures are more constant year-round. While these heat pumps are more expensive than the air-source heat pumps, they do offer better efficiency and sustainability. If a new homeowner is planning on living in their home for a while, then these pumps are a wonderful investment.

Often a heat pump is used in conjunction with a traditional central heat furnace to provide the best level of comfort at the highest efficiency. It is important to understand that, like a central furnace, a heat pump does require existing ductwork and ventilation systems. Otherwise, they will need to be retrofitted.

Ductless Systems

Ductless heating and cooling systems are gaining popularity across the United States and are more-or-less “the norm” in most other countries. Ductless systems are often a wall-mounted indoor unit that is combined with an outdoor compressor. These units are remarkably energy-efficient, quiet, and do not take up much space. They also do not require any ductwork, making them popular additions to smaller homes and homes looking to add in a unit without retrofitting their home.

Looking For an HVAC Professional?

Whether you need service on your existing home heating system or are looking to have a completely new one installed, having an HVAC professional you can trust is so important. At Comfort Masters Heating & Air Conditioning, we can diagnose heating problems, complete necessary repairs, and install brand new heating systems. Contact us today to find out more about what we can do for you or to schedule your service call.