Temperature is getting colder, and you have to rely on basic heating units for homes to keep yourself safe from the cold. But sometimes, these home heating systems might not be enough to keep you warm, or they might break down and leave you out in the cold (pun intended!). Let’s see some types of heating units for your homes.
In times like these, you may find yourself looking for an upgrade. However, when you step out to look for heating units for homes, you’ll be shocked to find out just how many different types exist! From ductless heating to open fireplaces – the options seem neverending!
Types Of Heating Units for Home
Each type of heating system comes with unique perks and downsides. The best system for your home will depend on your specific heating needs and budget allocation. Here are the most common types of heating units for home:
Reverse Cycle Air-Conditioners
Reverse cycle air conditioners are great for both summers and winters. When in heating mode, the unit absorbs heat from the outside to warm your house up, and in cooling mode, it absorbs the heat from inside your home and transfers it outside.
Reverse cycle air conditioners are among the most efficient heating units for homes. Even the units with lower energy efficiency ratios (EER) are still cheaper and greener to run than most other heating and cooling systems.
Heat Pumps
Heat pumps have gained popularity over the past years. There are three types of heat pumps: air-source, water-source, and ground-source. All three types work similarly by extracting heat from the air, water, or ground, respectively, to heat your home.
Air source heat pumps are cheap to install; the other types aren’t. For example, ground source heat pumps require an extensive pipe system laid out in the ground, which is very costly to install. Water source heat pumps are also great, but they need a water source nearby to work, making them inaccessible to most people.
Ducted Air Heaters
As the name implies, ducted air heaters work by circulating heated air through ducts. The air heater can run on either gas or electricity, depending on your preferences. These units are relatively affordable to purchase. However, installing the ductwork for these heating units for homes can be costly, and you’ll need to call in a professional for the installation.
Radiant Floor Heaters
Floor heating systems use hot water pipes or electric wires inside concrete slabs or attached to the bottom of wooden floors. Other forms of in-floor heating might also use ceramic or stone tiles. This heating system uses a combination of conductive, radiant, and convective heating to provide even heat throughout the house.
While in-floor radiant systems heat slowly and take time to adjust to temperature changes, these systems are very energy efficient and quiet compared to other heating units for homes.
Electric Space Heaters
Portable electric space heaters are ideal for heating small spaces since they’re convenient to run and don’t heat to high temperatures. Electric space heaters have several types: radiant heaters, fan heaters, convection heaters, oil-filled column heaters, and smart heaters that offer Wi-Fi connectivity.
Unfortunately, while these heaters are more convenient with all their smart features, they’re often also costly to run.
Electric Fixed Storage Heaters
These heaters are the perfect mix between radiant and convective heating and offer excellent energy efficiency. Electric storage heaters use electricity during off-peak hours to heat high-density ceramic blocks. These blocks store heat and keep your house warm throughout the day.
Hydronic Systems
Hydronic systems circulate water or other fluids, such as oil, through radiator panels installed around your house. The liquid may be heated or cooled by electric or solar pumps or a boiler if the system only provides heating.
These systems are typically very costly compared to other heating units for homes. In addition, to ensure the system’s efficiency, you’ll need to take additional precautions, which might add to the total cost of installation. For instance, you’ll need insulation around the water pipes and on the exterior walls behind the radiator panels to prevent heat loss.
Portable Gas Heaters
Gas heaters produce heat by combusting natural gas or LPG (liquefied petroleum gas). Combustion generally produces gasses, which get released into the space where you’re using the heater. As a result, you need adequate ventilation to maintain good air quality, which can then cause lower efficiency of the heater. In addition, these heaters pose a health risk because of the combustion gasses and require regular maintenance.
Gas Fixed Heaters
Unlike portable gas heaters, fixed gas heaters use a chimney to direct combustion gasses out of your living space, so ventilation isn’t a significant problem. In addition, these heaters often use fans to circulate hot air throughout your area. Fixed gas heaters are more efficient than portable space gas heaters but usually require professional installation to ensure safe use.
Gas Decorative Appliances
Gas decorative appliances are not meant to provide appropriate levels of heating. These heaters often use more gas than a standard gas space heater and generate lesser heat. Due to this reason, these heaters aren’t a popular choice when looking for primary heating units for homes. Instead, they’re only used sparingly for aesthetic purposes.
Open Fireplaces
As cozy as fireplaces might seem, they’re very inefficient at heating. Around 90% of the heat that fireplaces generate goes up the chimney, leading to cold air flowing in to replace it. You can make a fireplace more efficient by having a metal insert, which will still cause 70% heat loss.
Fireplaces can be either freestanding or insert, and despite their lack of efficiency, they’re still pretty popular since they add a great aesthetic value to any home.
Slow Combustion Heaters
Slow combustion heaters use fans to direct a jet of pre-heated air to the area just above the wood. This process ignites impurities from the wood and captures heat that would usually escape up through the chimney. As primary heating units for homes, slow combustion heaters are very efficient and are best suited for larger spaces.
Heat Shifters
Heat shifters work by moving air from warmer areas to cooler regions. These systems are pretty cheap to install and run and are ideal for heating rooms. That doesn’t need heat all day long. In addition, since heat shifters work by using ducts to distribute heat, they can work across several rooms and even floors.
Solar Air Heaters
Solar air heaters work by taking heated air from inside a roof space or warming air by passing it through glass panels exposed to the sun and pushing it into your living spaces. These systems use efficient electric fans, or some might even use solar-powered fans. Since solar energy is a renewable and cheap energy source, solar air heaters are one of the most affordable heating units for homes in the market today.
Wood Heaters
Wood heaters have been around for centuries and have remained pretty much the same since then. While these heaters aren’t particularly ineffective at heating. They leave a huge carbon footprint because many trees get chopped down for firewood. As a result, many government organizations offer incentives for replacing wood stoves with gas or electric heaters.
Final Thoughts
Heating units for homes come in many different types and styles, and each one has unique perks and downsides. Ultimately, deciding which system is best for you depends on your needs and how much you’re willing to spend on its installation. Running costs can also be a factor.
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