As a company that has been servicing heaters in Cherry Hill, New Jersey and other areas for the past several decades, we know all too well that homes come in all shapes and sizes, and that every winter homeowners in the Garden State need to figure out how to heat their homes affordably. We know that affordably heating a home involves many different parts of the home working together, such as appropriate insulation levels, sealing leaks into the attic, upgraded windows, and having the right heating system installed. But, how do you figure out what is the right heating system for your home?
First, you’ll need to figure out what kind of heating system you currently have in your home. The two most popular in our area are “hydronic systems” and “forced air systems.” Those terms are fancy talk to describe whether your home is heated by hot water (hydronic boiler) or by hot air (forced air heaters).
Hydronic systems use boilers to heat water. These systems are connected to a series of pipes which distribute the water throughout your home with either baseboard or radiators providing sources of heat within the rooms of the home. Forced air systems use furnaces (or air handlers) to blow warmed air through ductwork. The ductwork is connected to air vents in each room that blow the warmed air into the rooms to heat them.
Once you understand which heating system your home has, and how it works, you can now start to analyze your current heating equipment, and whether it’s the right system for your home. One of the main differences between models of heaters is their efficiency. Heaters that use natural gas, propane, or oil are rated based on their Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (A.F.U.E.) which is given as a percent. A 95% efficient gas heater will, for every dollar paid to the utility company, place $.95 of heat into your home. Increasing your heater’s A.F.U.E. is one of the easiest ways to more affordably heat your home. The easiest way to tell if you already have a high-efficiency heater is to look at the venting for your heater: Is it made of metal or plastic? If it’s metal, it’s NOT a high-efficiency heater.
Now that you have a heater which can affordably make heat, we need it to heat your home the way you want it. Are there multiple rooms in your home that are too hot or too cold? Is the upstairs noticeably warmer/cooler than the downstairs? Is the air too dry or too humid? Does anyone in your home suffer from allergies, asthma, or mold issues inside your home? If you answered “yes” to any of the above questions, then your heater may not be the right heater for your home.
Hutchinson Plumbing Heating Cooling has been providing heating services in Voorhees, Cherry Hill, and the rest of Camden County, NJ, since 1948. With years of experience helping homes stay heated, the experts at Hutchinson can help you answer the question of whether your home’s heater is right for you and, if necessary, find the right heater for you and your family. Trust the Family at Hutchinson to keep your family warm this winter!