What Is a Boilers?

It’s that time of year again in Alice. The iciest months of winter tend to bring about more service and repair calls, which sometimes results in the need for new heating systems. From furnaces to boilers, there are various products on the market that will heat your home. What’s a boiler you ask? Let’s take a look.

Different Designs of Boilers

A boiler is a type of HVAC equipment used to heat your home, and it uses either steam or hot water to do so. Both use a boiler to heat the water and a radiant system to provide heat to every room in a home.

Steam Boilers

You could compare steam boilers to a teapot. These systems boil water to make steam, which is directed to radiators around your home. Creating more steam increases the pressure in the system and pushes the steam throughout the system. Radiators have air vents that open to let off the pressure – and the heat – into your rooms. The steam then cools, condenses to water and returns to the boiler to be reheated. Steam boilers are primarily powered with natural gas or propane.

Hot Water Boilers

Hot water boilers run similarly but circulate hot water throughout your home instead of steam. When you turn up the heat, water begins to warm up and is pumped through the radiant system when it has achieved your chosen temperature. Water boilers may be fueled using either oil or gas, however, oil-fired boilers are not usually utilized outside of New England and the Northeast U.S.

Benefits of Using a Boiler

Boilers are known for their nearly soundless operation. In fact, you probably won’t hear a boiler working at all unless there’s a problem with the system. And, because radiant systems use pipes that are installed in the walls or floor, boilers can give you a more comfortable and even heat. Another perk is that boilers don’t blow air around, helping lessen the allergens in the air.

Selecting the right heating system for your home can be a difficult decision. Although they may be more expensive than furnaces, boilers offer quieter and more even heating for your home. If you’d like to hear more about the high-efficiency boilers available in Alice, give Rescue Heating & Air a call at 361-265-4371.