How Different Types of Home Heating Systems Work

A central heating system is something to be thankful for on a chilly winter night. Having heat circulating through your house allows you and your loved ones to be comfortable, safe and avoid respiratory illness during cold weather.

If you are considering upgrading your home’s heating system, you should fundamentally understand how they work, what fuel they use and how effectively they work. Let’s review this information and the pros and cons of each option to help you make the correct choice.

What Home Heating System Options Are Available?

You can categorize heating systems based on how they distribute heat throughout a home, the fuel they use and the mechanism that provides the warmth. The most common fuel types include:

Heating oil
Propane
Electricity
Natural gas
Wood pellets

How Does a Heater Work?

Central heating systems send warm air throughout the house, usually through a series of ducts and vents. A central heating system heats your entire home to the same temperature, which you regulate with your thermostat.

Other options include space heating and supplemental systems. Space heating typically involves a portable electric heater, fireplace or gas heater. When you use a space heater, only a small area gets heated. Some people like to use space heaters to complement a central heating system, while others need them to provide heat in a single area of their home, such as a sunroom.

A mini split system has the flexibility to heat and cool an entire home, or it can provide heat to a single zone or room, but it is not the same thing as a space heater. Mini split systems have a compressor located outdoors that connects to various wall-hung or ceiling-mounted air handling units inside your house. While noisy window units have the compressor and air handler installed in each heated room, a mini split system locates the compressor outside for quiet operation. Installing a mini split lets you create different temperature zones in your house to keep everyone in your family comfortable year-round.

Types of Home Heating Systems

Let’s break down how various home heating systems work and some of the most widely used options available.

1. Furnaces

Most homes in the United States are furnace-heated. These appliances use various fuel sources, including propane, heating oil, natural gas and electricity.

Furnaces use forced air to distribute heat in every part of your home. Inside a furnace, the fuel source warms the air, and a blower pushes the warm air through a duct system and into different rooms. A separate series of return ducts carries cold air back to the furnace.

Most homes in the United States are furnace-heated. These appliances use various fuel sources, including propane, heating oil, natural gas and electricity.

Pros of a Furnace or Forced-Air Heating System

Furnaces and forced-air heating systems are widespread because they have multiple advantages.

Low cost: Though the price of a furnace can vary based on its efficiency and fuel source, they are generally less expensive than other heating systems.
Long life: A well-maintained furnace can last between 15 and 30 years.
Can also provide cooling: When you add an air conditioner or heat pump to a forced-air system, it can perform double duty and cool your house in spring and summer.
Can be very energy-efficient: An older furnace may have energy efficiency as low as 50% to 65%, but current regulations for newer models require between 80% and 99% efficiency.
Use add-ons to enhance air quality: You can add equipment to your furnace to improve your indoor air quality. For example, HEPA filters can catch pollen, soot, mold spores, pet dander and bacteria. Also, consider adding a whole-home air purifier or media air cleaner.

Cons of a Furnace or Forced-Air Heating System

There are some drawbacks of using a forced-air furnace in your home.

Noise: A furnace blower can be noisy when it is actively pushing air through the ducts. However, newer furnaces are quieter due to recent advancements in blower technology.
Requires ductwork: Forced-air heating systems require ductwork throughout a home. Installing new ductwork to replace an older house’s radiator or boiler with a forced-air system might be tricky and expensive.
Forced air can be dry: In the winter, when the air outside is cold and dry, the warm air pushed out of a furnace can lower the relative humidity, making your home uncomfortable. Use humidifiers to increase moisture and reduce static shocks.

2. Boilers

Boilers share a few qualities with furnaces and forced-air systems. Like furnaces, they can use various fuels, such as electricity, natural gas, propane or heating oil. A boiler can also be very energy-efficient, especially if it is a newer model.

A significant difference between a boiler and a furnace is how they heat. While a furnace heats air and distributes it throughout a home through a series of ducts, a boiler heats water. The heated water or steam travels through pipes and into your house through convectors, cast-iron radiators, baseboard radiators or even air handlers.

Pros of a Boiler Heating System

Like forced-air furnaces, boiler heating systems offer several benefits to homeowners.

Can be highly energy-efficient: While some older boilers are only 50% efficient, current regulatory standards require efficiency to exceed 80%. Some boilers have efficiency ratings above 95% and can also provide domestic hot water.
Long life: Like furnaces, boilers often have a life span of 15 to 30 years.
Consistent warmth: The radiators in a radiant heat system stay warm between heating cycles, so there is usually less temperature variation to make your house feel drafty.
Allows for zoned heating: With boiler heat, you may have some level of control over what areas of the home get heated when you install the proper zone controls.

Cons of a Boiler Heating System

You should be aware of these drawbacks before installing a boiler at your home.

Can be expensive: Switching to a boiler can be pricey unless you already have the piping and radiators necessary to heat your home this way.
Only provides heat: While forced-air systems can also cool a house down in the summer with the addition of a heat pump or AC, a boiler heater can only heat your home. You will need a separate cooling system.
Radiators can be an eyesore: Some people do not like the look of radiators or baseboard radiators. In some cases, the positioning of the radiators in a house can make it challenging to arrange furniture.
Reduced indoor air quality: You cannot add an air cleaner or humidifier to this type of system.

3. Heat Pumps

In winter, heat pumps work by gathering heat from outside and releasing it indoors. In summer, the process reverses. You can find two primary types of heat pumps. Air-source heat pumps transfer warmth from the outside air into the house. Ground-source or geothermal heat pumps pull warmth from the surrounding earth or an underground water source.

Air-source heat pumps are considerably more common than geothermal or ground-source heat pumps. You can install either option in a house with ductwork. Ductless or split-system heat pumps are also available.

Pros of a Heat Pump

Heat pumps offer a few advantages if you are looking to upgrade your HVAC or are weighing your options after adding to your house.

Very energy-efficient: Heat pumps redistribute warmth instead of producing it, making them considerably more efficient than other heating systems. Their energy efficiency can mean they cost about one-fourth the amount to operate than furnaces or boilers during mild heating conditions. You will need a supplemental system in colder temperatures.
Hybrid heating: Combining a heat pump with a fuel-burning supplemental furnace may provide ultimate comfort and efficiency.
Can heat and cool: A heat pump does double duty by reversing the refrigeration cycle. In heating mode, it extracts heat from the outside air and transfers it indoors. In cooling mode, it extracts heat from the indoor air and transfers it outside, providing air conditioning.
Simple installation: Switching from a furnace to a heat pump does not require too much extra effort if you already have ductwork installed inside your house. Mini split systems, which do not require ductwork, are also relatively simple to install.

Cons of a Heat Pump

Heat pumps have some drawbacks that are worth considering, especially when the temperature drops in the winter.

Do not perform as well when outdoor temperatures are freezing: Since heat pumps work by moving warm air, they struggle to keep up when it is below freezing. You may need a backup to stay comfortable in Maryland winters.
Installation can be expensive: Some heat pumps have high installation costs, but they typically offset this by using less energy than other options, helping homeowners save money over time.

4. Hybrid Pumps

The hybrid heating system combines an electric heat pump with a gas-powered furnace, giving you the best of both worlds by maximizing system performance and energy savings. The furnace complements the heat pump during extreme weather conditions, while the heat pump works at full capacity most of the time to heat the home. There is less strain in each system because they complement each other.

Pros of a Hybrid Pump

These are some of the benefits you’ll gain from a hybrid heat pump.

Efficient and reliable: The hybrid pump is more efficient than traditional heat pumps and furnaces. You can count on it to keep you warm throughout the winter.
Hands-off approach: Hybrid heat pumps can automatically determine the most cost-effective and energy-efficient heating source without requiring manual intervention. They seamlessly transition between the heat pump and furnace as needed, providing comfortable heating while optimizing efficiency.

Cons of a Hybrid Pump

Here are the limitations of a hybrid heat pump.

Less useful in freezing temperatures: Hybrid systems work best in moderate climates that don’t experience extended periods of extremely cold weather. Consider an alternative if you tend to dread winter.
May need frequent checks: The hybrid pump may require more frequent maintenance checks.

Choosing a Heating System for Your Home

You should know how different home heating systems work before investing in one for your home. Weigh the pros and cons to choose the option that best suits your needs. For example, forced air-heating systems provide more comfortable and consistent temperatures throughout winter. Alternatively, you might prefer to install a heat pump if you don’t need to heat your home in freezing temperatures for several months.

You also need to understand the maintenance required for each heating system before installing it in your home. For example, a furnace’s exhaust system and gas line need annual inspections. Boilers also require yearly service, and you should have the water tested regularly.

Other crucial factors to consider are your home’s square footage, insulation quality, layout and additional variables specific to your house that can affect specific heating systems’ ability to perform efficiently. Remember, an oversized or undersized heater can lead to inefficiency, discomfort and increased wear and tear.

What Is the Most Efficient Home Heating System?

Heating systems have made significant strides in energy efficiency. The furnaces and boilers you will likely see for sale today are considerably more efficient than models produced a decade ago.

Though today’s heating systems are much better at energy use than older models, systems still vary regarding how well they use energy. Annual fuel utilization efficiency is a metric that measures how well a model converts fuel into heat by comparing it to the amount of fuel it uses annually. Look for a boiler or furnace with an AFUE of 90% or higher.

Heat pumps use a different metric to measure efficiency — the heating seasonal performance factor. HSPF is the ratio between the amount of heat needed during a season and the total energy used during that time frame. The most efficient heat pumps have a higher HSPF, usually at least 8.5.

SMO Energy can help if it is time to replace your heating system with a newer, more energy-efficient model. Our energy consultants will listen to your needs, evaluate your home and recommend the most appropriate heating system for you. We offer free in-home consultations. Get in touch today to schedule an appointment and learn more about how to improve your home’s heating system.