Sound Heating and Air Conditioning Inc. Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Hydronic Heating’

Should You Choose Radiant Heating?

Monday, December 12th, 2022
woman-huddled-in-blanket-drinking-out-of-mug

Radiant heat is a great option for heating homes, although it is not as popular as forced air system alternatives. Many homeowners just replace their old heaters with a new version of the same system instead of researching all of their heating options.

But hydronic heating in Federal Way, WA is gaining traction quickly because of the many benefits. The thing about heating is that there is no one best option that fits everyone’s needs. Each home and family is different. Even if a forced air system has been working for you just fine, a radiant heat system may work better.  

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Keeping Your Boiler System Functional and Safe this Winter

Monday, February 13th, 2017

boiler-system-functional-safeWe may be about halfway through the winter season, but that doesn’t mean we’re done with chilly temperatures (not by a long shot!) Therefore, if you’re using a boiler system to heat your home, now is a good time to think about just how well you are taking care of it, and if the care you are giving it is enough for it to continue functioning efficiently and safely throughout the rest of winter.

Of course, investing in professional boiler maintenance services in Puyallup, WA is the first step to take toward this effort, and hopefully you already had this service done before the heating season started. Maintenance is not only vital for boiler efficiency, but also to ensure the safety of your heating system. Although extreme boiler-caused incidents such as the scenarios found here are rare, the fact is that they do happen. In addition to scheduling a professional tune-up, the following tips will help keep your boiler running smoothly throughout the rest of winter.

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Advantages You Can Garner from Hydronic Radiant Heating

Monday, April 6th, 2015

Radiant heating is not something that is often considered when homeowners are in the market for a new heating system. This is usually because the house is already set up to accommodate a forced-air heating system. The temptation to make the process easier by sticking with a similar type of heating system to the last one is also a factor. However, radiant hydronic heating actually has quite a bit to recommend it. Let’s take a look at some of the advantages that you can garner from installing a hydronic radiant heating system in your home.

Energy Efficiency

Hydronic radiant heating is a boiler-based system that heats the house by distributing hot water through it. The water flows through a network of pipes installed in the walls or subfloors of each room. As the water flows through the pipes, it transmits heat through them and into the room. This style of heating is much more energy efficient than forced-air systems. For one thing, water is a much better thermal conductor than air is. It heats up faster, and retains that heat for longer. For another, forced-air systems have to deal with duct leaks.

The US Department of Energy has estimated that the average forced air system loses as much as 20-30% of its output to duct leaks. A radiant heating system doesn’t use ducts, which allows it to deliver much more of its heat to the intended destination.

Comfort

When warm air is pumped into a room, it will immediately rise to the ceiling and then lower as it cools. This not only makes it take longer for a room to warm up, but creates an uneven heating effect. Hot and cold spots are quite common in rooms heated by forced-air systems. Radiant heating warms a room much more evenly, with most of the heat staying near the floor where it is of greater benefit to the occupants.

If you’d like to know more about the benefits of hydronic radiant heating, call Sound Heating. We provide heating services throughout Tacoma, WA.

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Heating FAQ: What are the most efficient heating options?

Tuesday, March 5th, 2013

Energy prices never seem to go down which is why many homeowners are looking for new and creative ways to reduce the amount energy that they use in their homes. Getting a new heating system is a great way to potentially reduce your heating bills because new systems are typically much more efficient than older ones. Contact the Olympia WA heating experts at Sound Heating if you’re interested in getting a new heating system. We thought it would be helpful if we put together a quick list of some of the most efficient heating systems on the market.

Forced Air Heating Systems

Forced-air systems like furnaces and heat pumps are extremely popular across the country. They are able to provide very efficient and comfortable heating. Furnaces are given an Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) rating that describes how much of the fuel they consume is actually turned into heat. Many older furnaces had an AFUE rating of about 60%, meaning that they wasted the other 40%. New furnaces can have up to 98% AFUE ratings which is a huge improvement. Heat pumps, on the other hand are normally even more efficient than furnaces because they don’t actually burn fuel to create heat. Instead, they just move heat from one place to another. Their heating mode has an efficiency rating called a Heating Seasonal Performance Factor (HSPF) that describes how much heat they produce over a season divided by the energy that they consume. Heat pumps also include geothermal heat pumps which use the energy of the ground or the water to provide heating and cooling as well. These systems are even more efficient than standard air-source heat pumps.

Hydronic Heating Systems

Unlike forced-air systems, hydronic heating systems like boilers use heated water to provide heat to your home. They typically use a series of pipes in the floor, walls or baseboards to produce heat. This kind of heat is also called radiant heat. Many homeowners have reported that radiant heat is actually more comfortable than forced-air heat. Because of how radiant works, homeowners can typically set their thermostats a few degrees lower to remain comfortable. This could potentially reduce the amount of energy that you use in your home for heating.

For all your Olympia, WA heating repair and installation needs, contact Sound Heating today.

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