Types Of Central Heating Systems
Since a home heating system means, first of all, savings, comfort and independence from a centralized network, this option is gaining more popularity, whether we speak about apartments or houses, rural or urban areas. And since people are also faced with a diversified offer as the technology evolves, here is a breakdown of the main types of central heating systems for you to have a broad image.
The main criterion to take into consideration is the fuel used. The first option concerns the electric heating systems. The main advantage is that the electric grid has a wide coverage, mostly in any country. Secondly, electric heating has a 100 % efficiency, which means every consumed kW turns into heat. As concerns the cons, you need to know electric heating is a smart choice when you have a small living space. Secondly, the electric grid has to be adjusted to support high capacity electric heating systems.
The next type is the gas heating system which can be forced air systems (the most common furnace which is a forced-air central heating system that uses a natural gas burner to heat air), hydronic or hot water systems (systems have a gas boiler that creates steam or hot water, which is then circulated through the home in pipes or tubes) and combination between water heating and space heating systems (designed primarily for use as a forced air heating system but can also be adapted for some hydronic baseboard systems).
These gas systems go with all types of heating installations (floor heating, radiant panels) and are efficient in large spaces as well. Experts say their efficiency keep the pace with the electric heating systems and, recently, automatization can help save fuel, while the gas price is still affordable for most of the consumers.
The cons feature a low access to a natural gas network or very high connection costs, installation done only by specialized companies, under strict conditions – frequent technical inspections, supplementary safety measures – which can make costs go up, noisier in use over time. Here is a comparison between gas and electric heating systems.
Third come the solid fuel heating systems using wood, pellets or coal to release heat. We have already looked at the pellet based heating systems or stoves and saw their advantages, especially concerning efficiency and costs. They become an option of choice thanks to the low costs of fuel which will absorb the other costs, especially since a pellet stove requires a more expensive home grid.
Sources: Microcentrale.ro, Centrale.ro
