There are many types of heating and air conditioning systems in existence. They can be divided into two broad categories, forced air HVAC systems and hydronic HVAC systems. Forced air heating systems, as the name suggests, use air to transfer heat from the furnace to rooms that require heating. Hyronic heating systems, on the other hand, use water or steam to transfer heat from the boiler to the room. The following are some of the major differences between the two types of heating systems:
Heat Transfer Medium
Contents
While a forced air system uses air to transfer heat from the furnace to the room, hydronic heating uses water. In the former, air is drawn from the room by powerful fans. It is then passed through a heating chamber before being pumped back to the room. As a result, indoor temperatures rise. With hydronic heating, hot water/steam from the boiler is transported to different parts of the room through metal pipes. Baseboard heaters and radiators mounted in different parts of the house extract heat from water. It then radiates it to the surrounding air. As a result, there is no forced circulation of air.
Comfort
The main goal of installing a heating system in your home is to improve home comfort. In that regard, it is important to note that hydronic heating leads to even heat distribution around the house. This means that you will enjoy an even temperature inside the house regardless of where you go. With forced air systems, you may experience gushes of hot air and cold drafts of air around the house. This can lower home comfort significantly.
Installation Cost
The cost of installing a forced air heating system is low compared to hydronic heating. It uses a furnace and air ducts to supply air to different rooms in the building. With hydronic heating, however, you will need an extra heat exchanger for each room in the house as well as additional plumbing. Each of the radiators can significantly increase the cost of installing the heating system.
Health & Safety
There are a number of problems you can encounter with a forced air system. For one, the forced circulation of air may raise dust and other allergens. This can activate allergies and cause an asthma attack. Secondly, a broken combustion chamber can lead to leakages, and this may contaminate your air. If carbon monoxide finds its way into your air supply system, you and your family may experience carbon monoxide poisoning. With hydronic heating, the only thing that you need to worry about is water damage if there is a leakage in the system. This makes hydronic heating healthier and safer than forced air systems.
Energy Efficiency
Water is a better heat transfer medium than air, which makes hydronic heating a more energy efficient heating system than forced air systems. However, the efficiency of the system will also depend on the type of fuel used, efficiency of the furnace/boiler, insulation of the air ducts and hot water pipes among other things. The age of the boiler/furnace is also crucial as newer heating appliances are much more energy efficient than older models. You may need to consult an experienced HVAC contractor, to learn more about the efficiency of your heating system.
Heating System Tune-up Yardville NJ
Both systems have their advantages. Regardless of what kind of system you have in your home, a system must be maintained in order for it to work effectively. This means that you need to schedulle an annual heating system tune-up. Be sure to find a reputable HVAC company that can work on your type of system.
Princeton Heating & Air Conditioning offers a wide variety of services, including heating system tune-ups, heating system installations, and heater repair services by Nate-certified specialists. We work with all makes and models of forced air and hydronic heating systems. We also offer fuel oil deliveries. We are among the few providers in NJ to hold a Carrier Presidents Award Dealer distinction. Be sure to call us and speak with one of our comfort specialists today if you have any questions.
We service Allentown NJ 08501, Bordentown NJ 08505, Columbus NJ 08022, Cookstown NJ 08511, Cream Ridge NJ 08514, Crosswicks NJ 08515, Imlaystown NJ 08526, New Egypt NJ 08533, Roosevelt NJ 08555, Trenton NJ 08601, Windsor NJ 08561, and surrounding areas!
Contact us now at (800) 253-9001 to find out more!