Choosing the Best Heater

Is the heater in your Harbinger, North Carolina, home is more than 20 years old? If so, you can save energy and money by replacing it with a newer and more energy-efficient model. In addition, newer models offer many extra features and can help you avoid costly breakdowns. Common types of heating systems include heat pumps, gas furnaces and electric resistance heaters.

Heat Pumps

Heat pumps are one of the most efficient types of heaters. That’s because, rather than producing heat, they transfer it.

During the winter, refrigerant moves outdoor heat into your home. During the summer, the refrigerant flows in the opposite direction, cooling your home like an air conditioner. You can conserve space by using a single heat pump instead of a furnace and an air conditioner.

Heat pumps don’t work well when it’s extremely cold outside. Many units include backup gas or electric heaters for when temperatures drop below freezing.

Gas Furnaces

Natural gas and propane heaters are very efficient. Of the two, propane is costlier, and you’ll have to buy propane tanks instead of connecting your home to a utility as you would for natural gas. A gas furnace extracts cold air from your home and passes it through a heat exchanger. A blower fan then pushes warm air through your ductwork into your home. Two-stage and modulating furnaces have lower settings that let you conserve fuel in mild weather.

Electric Resistance Heaters

Electric resistance heaters use a heating element similar to the burners on electric stoves. A fan blows air over the metal coils to heat it. You can combine an electric heater with an air conditioner, a heat pump or a portable electric space heater. Coils in your baseboards or under your floors use radiant heating. They heat all your rooms without ductwork and prevent your floors from getting cold.

North Beach Services Heating and Cooling is a Trane Comfort Specialist, and we can help you choose a new heater. For honest, friendly service and flat rates, call us at (252) 429-5325.

Image provided by Bigstock