It’s cold again in Oxford. The iciest months of winter can bring about more service and repair calls, which sometimes results in the need for new heating systems. From furnaces to boilers, there are various products on the market that will heat your home. What’s a boiler you ask? Let’s take a look.

Types of Boilers

A boiler is a type of HVAC equipment used to heat your home, and it uses either steam or hot water to do so. Both use a boiler to heat the water and a radiant system to provide heat to each room in a home.

Steam Boilers

Think of boilers as a teapot. These systems boil water to generate steam, which is sent to radiators throughout your home. Creating more steam heightens the pressure in the system and pushes the steam throughout the system. Radiators have air vents that open to let off the pressure – and the heat – into your rooms. The steam then cools, condenses to water and heads back to the boiler to be reheated. Steam boilers are primarily powered with natural gas or propane.

Hot Water Boilers

Hot water boilers work similarly but circulate hot water all over your home instead of steam. When you turn up the heat, water begins to warm up and is transported through the radiant system when it has reached your perfect temperature. Water boilers are able to be fueled using either oil or gas, however, oil-fired boilers are not traditionally used outside of New England and the Northeast U.S.

Benefits of Getting Heat from a Boiler

Boilers are known for their virtually soundless operation. In fact, you probably won’t hear a boiler operating at all unless there’s a problem with the system. And, because radiant systems use pipes that are installed in the walls or floor, boilers can give you a more comfortable and even heat. Another perk is that boilers don’t blow air around, helping reduce the allergens in the air.

Choosing the right heating system for your home can be a hard decision. Although they may be more expensive than furnaces, boilers offer quieter and more even heating for your home. If you’d like to hear more about the high-efficiency boilers available in Oxford, give Franklin's Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc a call at 662-281-1231.