When heating your Nanaimo home, you have several options to choose from. These include central heating, furnaces, and fireplaces. Most homes in Canada use furnaces or boilers. There are some clear advantages to using boilers as a heating source.
How a Boiler Heating System Works
Boilers heat water in a large vessel using a fuel source like coal, gas, or oil. They turn the heated water into steam or keep it liquid based on the boiler type. The boiler sends the heated steam or water through various radiators situated throughout the home, providing indoor heating. The process of how a boiler is used for heating a home is divided into three basic steps.
Step One
The boiler heats water and then allows it to circulate through the radiator and piping circuits. Boilers utilize different fuels to perform this task with oil and gas being the most common fuels used in Canada.
Step Two
The boiler releases hot water or steam based on the type of system being used. Water pipes travel from the boiler via a network of pipes running in the home, connecting to radiators in different rooms.
Step Three
Once the water cools down or the steam condenses, it travels through the boiler water pipe system back to the heating vessel. The process starts again, providing continued heating in a home or commercial building.
A steam boiler creates a combustion reaction using electrical ignition between air and fuel. This causes tubes in the boiler, immersed in the water, to get hot. The temperature reaches around 212 degrees Fahrenheit or 100 degrees Celsius. This is the highest temperature water can reach and remain liquid under normal pressure. The water turns into steam, which then travels from the boiler to the piping radiators throughout the building to provide heating.
In a gas boiler, fuel is released through a gas valve into a sealed combustion chamber in the boiler via tiny jets. An electrical ignition causes the gas to create heat. The heat is absorbed by a connected pipe that carries cold water. The cold water heats up to around 180 degrees Fahrenheit or 82.2 degrees Celsius. The heated water is then transferred through radiators in the home to maintain the desired indoor climate.
With a hot water heater, the boiler uses gas or fuel to produce heat energy. This energy heats the boiled water to a sufficiently high temperature, powering the radiators in the building.
Advantages of a Boiler Heating System
Boiler heating systems hold several advantages, making them a popular choice in Canada. Below are the benefits and how they significantly impact home heating.
Clean Heating Without Allergens
Boiler systems offer a cleaner heating option, especially for individuals with allergies. Unlike forced-air systems that circulate heat by blowing air around the house, boilers use water to circulate heat. This eliminates the circulation of airborne allergens and contaminants through the ductwork, minimizing a person’s exposure to allergens.
Efficient Radiant Heating
Boiler heating systems use heating through radiators to warm the house. Radiant heating delivers warm air directly from a hot surface to objects and people in a space, making it more efficient than forced-air heating by eliminating duct losses. It’s particularly beneficial for homes off the grid or in areas with high electricity prices. Radiant heating provides comfortable and even heat distribution throughout the room, creating a cozy feeling.
Quiet Operation
Boilers operate quietly compared to forced-air systems, which can produce noise as air circulates through the vents. The operational noise of a boiler is confined to the inside of the boiler, making the rest of the system virtually silent.
Energy Efficiency
While boilers may have a higher initial installation cost than furnaces, they are more energy efficient in the long run. Water is more effective at transferring heat than air, allowing a boiler to heat your home more effectively and save energy and money. This efficiency can lead to considerable savings throughout the heating system’s lifespan, potentially lasting several decades with proper care.
Durability of Boilers
Boilers have fewer moving parts than forced-air systems, resulting in less strain on their functionality. With only a circulator pump as a major mechanical component, boilers can last up to 20 years. Some well-maintained boiler systems have been known to last for more than three decades due to their minimal mechanical complexity.
Minimal Maintenance Requirements
While all heating systems require maintenance, boilers typically demand less maintenance than furnaces or heat pumps. They have fewer moving parts, reducing the need for extensive upkeep and repairs. Regular maintenance by professional technicians ensures that scaling problems, especially in areas with hard water, are prevented, adding an extra layer of reliability to your boiler system.
Target Heating
One of the biggest advantages of boilers is that they allow for targeted heating. A forced-air heating system generates heat in a central location and then circulates the air throughout the home via the ductwork. The furnace may struggle to maintain a consistent temperature. This can lead to rooms that are too cold or too hot. On the other hand, boilers generate heat via small water or gas-filled tubes throughout the home. This means that you can set the boiler to heat only certain rooms of the home instead of heating the entire house to the same temperature. This also means you can control the temperature for each room, ensuring everyone in the home feels comfortable. This saves energy and money and prevents you from wasting heat in unused rooms.
Safety
Boilers are one of the safest heating options on the market. Boilers don’t produce carbon monoxide, unlike other heating systems. Carbon monoxide is an odorless and colorless gas that can kill if inhaled at high concentrations. In addition, boilers are less likely to catch fire, making them a safer choice for your home.
Space
Boilers take up considerably less space than furnaces. This makes them a great option for apartments or small homes. Boilers can be installed in various locations, providing flexibility regarding placement. However, the furnace must be placed in a centralized location, which can be challenging in smaller homes. If space is a concern, boilers are the way to go.
There are a lot of benefits to using boilers. However, that doesn’t mean that boilers will be the right option for every home or scenario. Each heating system has its benefits and drawbacks. However, boilers are typically more efficient and effective in most homes. The best way to determine if a boiler is the right option for your home is to speak to our technicians at Twin Peaks Plumbing, Heating & Gas. We would be happy to ensure your home is comfortable all winter.
Experience Customer-Focused Plumbing and HVAC Services Near Nanaimo
At Twin Peaks Plumbing, Heating & Gas, our plumbing, heating, and gas technicians are extremely knowledgeable and well-versed in various plumbing services. We work on both residential and commercial jobs. We can perform just about every service that involves piping, plumbing fixtures, and appliances on your property. We offer great warranties, stand behind our work, and have confidence in our craftsmanship. As a Better Business Bureau-accredited company, we are proud to be active in the communities that we serve.
Our services include drain cleaning, drain repair, leak detection, radiant heating, sump pumps, and general plumbing services. We offer HVAC installation repair and maintenance, including ductless mini-splits and indoor air quality. We are skilled at installing tankless water heaters and boilers. Contact Twin Peaks Plumbing, Heating & Gas today, and see what it is like to work with friendly, knowledgeable staff that puts their customers first.
