Where would we be without heat? Back in the stone age, that’s where. The discovery that man could control heat – to keep everyone warm and dry and even to cook food – was one of the biggest factors in human development and ultimately led to progress in all areas including manufacturing, medicine, exploration and so on.
Heating And Hot Water In Everyday Life
Today we take heat for granted. Hot water for cleaning ourselves and our environment is available at the turn of a tap. Our homes and workplaces are kept warm by technology that for the most part, stays quietly out of sight and out of mind. So many businesses depend on heat and hot water for their very existence, too.
Someone has to install, maintain and service these heating systems and that’s where we come in.
How Many Types of Heating Systems Are There?
Lots… You have the forced air furnace, radiant in-floor heating and boilers, electric baseboard heaters and traditional hot water tanks. These hot water tank systems range from compact home units to huge industrial heat and power sources.
The Forced Air Furnace
The forced air furnace is the most common type of heating system in BC. This type of system blows air through ductwork that distributes it to rooms throughout the home. Instead of a furnace, some homes have a boiler. This type of heating system heats water instead of air, and sends it throughout the house in pipes, which are either located under the floor (in-floor radiant hydronic heating) or in radiant baseboard heaters.
If you have a boiler and want to have it maintained or repaired, it is important that you tell a service company that you have a “boiler”. Incorrectly calling it a “furnace” may result in a technician who is inexperienced in boiler servicing being sent to your home! Whether you have a furnace or a boiler, an annual pre-season heating check up is necessary to ensure proper healthy operation, and the lowest possible costs.
Scheduling an annual furnace service is a good idea, so you don’t have to worry about it dealing with an unnecessary furnace repair. Also, autumn is a busy time for heating service contractors and not having a scheduled maintenance plan means you might have to wait in line for an appointment.
Hot Water On Demand
Things have changed in the hot water industry over the years. One of the biggest changes is the increasing use of tankless water heaters. Sometimes called an on-demand water heater or instant water heaters, these high-tech devices have been common throughout Europe and Asia for decades and are becoming more popular in North America. While regular hot water tanks are still the most popular due to their lower cost, homeowners interested in saving energy and having an endless supply of hot water may still want to take a look at them.
The low cost of natural gas has decreased the popularity of electric hot water tanks recently, as they have always heated water less quickly as well. However, changing to a gas water heater is typically quite expensive, so we usually recommend larger capacity electric tanks to homeowners who have problems with hot water supply.
Residential And Commercial Boilers
Here is another system that has benefited from recent technological improvements. If you think boilers are just for large apartment and office buildings or for big industrial power sources, think again. Some homes also have an electric boiler.
Boilers are also frequently used as the heat source for radiant floor heating. The high levels of technology and materials in today’s boilers, mandated by ASME building codes around the world, have made both residential and commercial boilers very reliable.
Radiant Heat And Hot Water Service
Whatever systems you use to keep your family or co-workers warm, you need to consider regular maintenance to prevent problems and keep costs down. Water heaters of all types need to be looked after professionally on a regular basis. If you are not proficient in the technical aspects of any one of your own heating systems, call us to take care of.
If you live in the metropolitan Vancouver area, we believe you will find no better company for all your heating and hot water service needs, than Efficient Furnace. We are present in several communities and have a wealth of information we would love to share with you.
Call any time
By: Andrew Lake