OK, so winter is approaching, and you need to face the necessity of doing something about your current home-heating system. First, of course, determine whether you need a new furnace altogether or whether you can just make alterations to the system you already have. When purchasing a new heating system, whether it be from Home Depot, Lowe’s, or any other vendor, two important things to consider: 1. Check the rating on the item which estimates how much it will cost you to run it for a year, and 2. Consider the warranty. If you only plan to be in your home for another 4 or 5 years, why pay more for a furnace which comes with a 20-year warranty?
If you only need to upgrade your existing system, there are also many options available. First, how many heating zones are there in your home? (Ideally, the larger the house, the more zones you will have.) If you have only one zone and the current heat output is not sufficient, you need to consider adding a zone so that you are only heating one part of the house at a time, versus putting in at a great expense another HVAC system.
Additionally, you can give your HVAC system an upgrade by installing a more efficient heat pump HVAC system. A heat pump is based on the same principal as your kitchen refrigerator by moving the heat from outdoors inside (and in reverse in summer) and thus making a cold place cooler and the warm place even warmer. Now, the heat pump of course will cost you not only the price of the unit, but also the duct-work needed to bring the heat into the rooms it will serve. So, the closer you can keep the unit to the area you want to service, the more you will save in footage of new pipes.
As one of the possible remedies for the unwanted duct installation expense you may consider using a ductless mini-split heat pump system. They make a great add-ons to a large whole-house units and supplement well the non-ducted types of heating systems, such as radiant panels and floors, hot water and other types of space heaters. The main advantage of the mini-split heat pump systems is their size that helps keeping installation costs in check as well as flexibility in adding heating/air-conditioning zones.
Beware of installers who promise that you will be able to get a lower rate from the electric company with the installation of an electric heat pump. This is not necessarily so. Some utilities will install a second off-peak meter if you meet their requirements ( amount of usage and using appliances only in off-peak hours), but this may prove too inconvenient for you.
Another possible option is to consider installing a wood-burning stove. These cast-iron units radiate heat from the entire body and the length of pipe running from the stove itself to the point of the roof where they exit. (This point usually has to be the highest one on the roof). So the idea is to place the stove in a low room of the house (heat rises) where there is a lot of open access to other rooms of the house. A stove such as this can definitely save you money on your heating bills. But it does require regular maintenance – cleaning the pipe to avoid creosote build-up and a possible chimney fire. And try not to require a pipe which entails anything other than a straight rise from the stove body to the exit in the roof. Any type of angle or bend will be much more difficult to keep clean.
There is also the option of using or installing a fireplace. Most studies have indicated that a fireplace is more aesthetic than practical. Unless you are sitting directly in front of it, you will not experience much warmth. Most of the heat generated goes straight up the flue. You can enhance the heat output from a fireplace by installing a special blower which helps disburse the heat into the room , but this of course will also increase your expense. And like the wood-burning stove, the chimney of the fireplace requires regular maintenance and cleaning.
Finally, there is the option of a small space heater. If your room has low or normal ceilings, is relatively small and enclosed, a space heater would suffice nicely. However, if the heat it puts out has easy escape routes, you will probably not be happy. As a last resort, if you are going to be positioned in 1 place- like the bed or couch- for an extended period of time, an electric blanket could just do the trick!
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Tags: heat pump, heat pump system, heater, heating, home heating, home heating system, HVAC, split heat pump, winter
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