Looking into how to heat your home or business for the upcoming cold season? It can get confusing when comparing and contrasting the pros and cons between a furnace and a boiler.
The Main Difference Between a Furnace and a Boiler
When you boil it down, the biggest difference between the two is the direct method of how the heat is produced. A furnace heats up air and blows it into your home; whereas the boiler which heats up water and uses that to spread the heat through pipes.
Pros and Cons of a Furnace
A furnace is the most economic choice for heating. So on a tighter budget, a furnace is the way to go. A furnace can be gas or electrically powered. As mentioned, a furnace heats up air and blows it into a home. Because of this, it creates a warm draft. Furnaces also use a forced-air system which can blow dust out of the air ducts and into the house if your air ducts are not cleaned often.
Pros and Cons of a Boiler
A boiler will warm up water and send that water through the pipes to heat your baseboards and radiators. Choosing a boiler will eliminate the draft that some people do not care for. However, a boiler is more expensive of an option than a furnace. And if you already have ducts installed in your home, a boiler makes them useless. Similarly, installing baseboards and radiators will make this price that much more expensive.
What Maintenance is Required?
If you choose to go with a furnace, the air filters will need to be changed every 1-4 months depending on the air quality. It is simple to do once you have seen how it is done. If you take the route of a boiler, it will need an annual service. This service can be difficult and dangerous to do on your own and it is highly recommended you hire a professional Eldersburg, MD boiler maintenance service to do it.
Which Heating Option is Right for You?
To decide which heating option best fits your home, look at your budget, what is already installed in your home, and how frequently you wish to have maintenance done on your system. If you would like an outside opinion from a Westminster, MD commercial plumber, contact the professionals at Michael Runk Plumbing and Heating. Our employees are experienced with all types of residential and commercial heating systems and strive for excellence. We don’t consider a job done until the problem is resolved and your expectations are met or even exceeded!