Topic: Pros and Cons of 3 Popular Heating Systems Used by Edmonton Homeowners
Home heating, in the midst of a frozen Edmonton, Alberta winter, will cost a king's ransom. Given that Edmonton home owners utilize 80% of their total monthly fuel and power for space and water heating alone, it's a good idea to discover your alternatives, in addition to the benefits and negatives, before selecting a heating system. By seeking the home heating system that best suits your unique needs, you'll be in a position to achieve an economical price while ensuring your comfort level is of the highest quality.
Standard equipment for a heating unit (e.g., furnace or boiler), consists of an instrument intended for circulating the heat (e.g., ducts, registers, pipes), and thermostats that control the indoor climate. In a a small number of cases, space heating units such as electric baseboard heating do not demand costly duct work.
It is no secret that energy-efficient heating and air conditioning systems use a lot less energy and are much better for the atmosphere. In addition, the sort of energy your heating system uses has a direct effect on how much it will cost you to heat your house. For instance, just about 95% of gas-rich Alberta householders heat with natural gas. According to Statistics Canada, Alberta homeowners shell out around 30% less for natural gas than other families residing in other provinces.
Selecting the Exact Sized Edmonton Heating System
Making a decision on the right size of heating and air conditioning equipment for your home is not an easy job. The combination of multifaceted heating equipment and well insulated homes means that a boiler or furnace does not demand as much fuel and electricity as previous ones. To decide the precise size, you need a trained HVAC contractor to assess the heat/loss in your residence.
Below are some choices for residence heating systems...
1. Forced Air Heating System
Forced air is by far the most preferred heating equipment in Edmonton. Approximately 90% of Edmonton houses use a central forced air system to distribute warm air. Forced-air systems consist of a furnace with a fan to heat and distribute air, supply ductwork to take temperate air to each room, return ductwork to pull cool air back to the furnace, and a centrally placed thermostat for controlling the operation of the furnace.
Advantages of forced air heating systems include their lower price and fast heating aptitude in the wintry weather and cooling execution in the summer months. In addition, with a forced-air system, a/c is easy using the same ducts, and it's simple to humidify and filter residence air.
Drawbacks range from the vast space required for the ductwork and, because of the air blowing out from the vents, it can at times feel drafty, and the moving air can include allergens. As well as, the loud furnace fan can be irritating.
If your furnace is 10 to fifteen years old, the annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) is probably only 60 to 65 percent. This means that you are squandering up to forty pennies for every loonie spent on fuel. Even if your present furnace is still operating sound, it may be time to have a look at stepping up to a high-efficiency component.
If you are truly considering a furnace replacement, high efficiency or condensing furnaces achieve a ninety to 98 percent AFUE. Through the method of transforming fuel into heat (combustion process), the condensing furnace removes so much heat that you could actually touch the vent/flue without burning your hand.
On December 31, 2009, the Canadian government implemented a minimum energy performance standard for gas furnaces. All furnaces put on the market as of that date have to be high efficiency furnaces. It does not affect your current furnace.