What is the Best Heating System for New Home Construction?

The latest figures from the United States Department of Energy indicate that the average American household spends more than $100 a month on heating and cooling. Given that this expense is unavoidable, it is certainly important to choose a method of heating what is efficient and gives you maximum value for your money. In this article, we will take you through some of the criteria you should consider before deciding on the best heating system for your house.

Insulating Your House

When talking about new home construction, there are certain ways to guarantee that your home is energy efficient. The primary method of improving home energy efficiency is by ensuring that it is well insulated. Engaging the services of a home insulation contractor will reduce the amount of energy used to warm up your house during cold weather. This is because the insulation prevents heat from leaking outside of your home. The main areas of heat loss in your home are the walls, the floor, windows and doors, walls, attic, and ceiling. The largest area of heat loss is the attic and ceiling. It is advisable to ensure that insulation is very well done in this area.

Types of Heating Systems Available

When it comes to heating systems available for the new home you can choose from a furnace or baseboard heating. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of each of these systems.

Furnaces

A furnace generates heat in a central location and uses the heat to warm up air. The warm air is transported through ducts or pipes located throughout the home. There are various categories of finance as listed below.

• Gas furnace
• Electric furnace
• Oil furnace

If we were to rank these three furnaces in terms of efficiency, the most efficient is the gas furnace followed by the oil furnace then the electric furnace. This means that for every $1 of energy, the gas furnace gives you the most value for your money. However, if the location of your home does not have access to natural gas lines, this rules out the gas furnace and leaves you with the option of an electric furnace. Unfortunately, electric furnaces have higher operating costs than gas furnaces However, if you do have access to natural gas lines and if you reside in a cold climate area, a gas furnace is the most advisable option for you.

Overview of a Gas Furnace

A gas furnace heating system is made up of the central heater, a furnace control system, and a network of ducts for distributing the heated air. If you are looking to purchase a gas furnace you should follow these tips:

• Do your research on the reputability of the brand you want to acquire.

• Carry out your due diligence before engaging a contractor in installing your gas furnace.

• Seek out multiple quotes from different contractors to ensure you have a ballpark figure of the going rates for a gas furnace installation.

• Examine the warranty contract that comes with your prospective buys.

• Ensure that the warranty covers the costs of parts to be replaced if the gas furnace were to require repair within the warranty period.

Alternatives to Furnace Heating

While gas furnaces are the most effective way to heat your home, a furnace is not your only heating option.

Electric Baseboard Heating

This type of heater heats the air in the room by passing electricity through an element. It is usually a mobile unit that can be moved from room to room. Unlike a central heating system such as a gas furnace, you can move a baseboard heater to specific rooms where heat is required. On the surface, electric baseboard heating may seem to have an advantage over central heating systems because you can cherry-pick the rooms you want to warm up. However, during frigid weather, the heat from the warm rooms still transfers to the cold rooms. The net effect of this is that you still inadvertently warm up the entire house leading to large utility bills during the winter. For this reason, a central heating system is still cheaper.

Selecting Where to Buy Your Gas Furnace

If you choose to buy a furnace online, the quality of the website you're purchasing from is a good indicator of the quality of the products they sell. Additionally, it is a good idea to take some time to go through customer reviews of the products.