Whether it’s a chilly day in the dead of winter or just looking to make your home more comfortable, heating is an essential part of home ownership. In Canada, many different heating systems are available to homeowners. These include natural gas furnaces, electric baseboards, and water heaters. However, not all homes have these options, and some homes may have limitations on which types of systems can be installed for safety reasons – so what should you do? Here we’ll discuss what each type offers so you know which is best for your needs!
Furnace
The furnace is Canada’s most common heating system and is also the most energy efficient. Furnaces provide heat to your home and hot water, but they’re not without drawbacks. The cost of a new furnace can be as high as $10,000; however, if you’ve purchased a new home recently and want to replace an old furnace with something more efficient—or if you buy a used model from someone else who has—the price may be less than half that amount.
Furnaces can be maintained by yourself or a professional service provider; either way, they’re relatively easy to maintain once installed correctly by an HVAC contractor specializing in furnaces (and other heating systems).
Heat pump
Heat pumps are an efficient and cost-effective way to heat your home or business. They’re also one of Canada’s most common heating systems, with almost half of all residential homes using a heat pump.
Heat pumps use electricity to move heat from one area—the outside air—to another inside your home, like your furnace or hot water tank. Heat pumps can be used for both heating and cooling purposes depending on how you set them up (they are often referred to as “air source” or “reverse cycle” systems).
Heat pumps can help you save money on heating costs by transferring heat between two different sources: the outdoor air and your indoor living space. Because they don’t require any fuel except electrical current, they’re more efficient than furnaces but less expensive than geothermal systems. Furthermore, they work well with different climates throughout Canada because they rely on free energy instead of fossil fuels like natural gas or propane gas.
Boiler
Boilers are used in large commercial buildings but can also be installed in homes. A boiler produces hot water and heats a home through radiators or radiators with electric heating elements. When you want to use the hot water, it takes a few minutes for the boiler to heat up, so it’s best suited for homes with many people who need to take baths or showers at different times of the day.
If you have an older model of boiler, then you may only be able to set your thermostat at one temperature—the boiler constantly runs until someone shuts off the valve from their bathtub or faucet. Newer models allow you more control over your heating system because you can program when it turns on and off depending on what kind of schedule works best for your family’s needs (e.g., setting it, so everyone has enough hot water during school hours).
Radiant heating systems
Radiant heating systems use the heat from a central source to transfer heat through metal or water pipes. The pipes are laid on your floor and spread throughout your home so that heated air flows through them when needed.
Radiant heating systems are more expensive than other types because they require extensive piping and installation costs. Additionally, radiant heating won’t work as efficiently in large homes because the temperature in the far corners of your house may not be high enough to warm you up.
These systems are best used for small spaces like bathrooms or bedrooms; however, you should consider whether or not this type of system would meet all your needs before investing!
The type of heating you should choose depends on your budget and the age and size of your home.
The type of heating system you choose should depend on your budget, the age and size of your home, and just how comfortable you want to be. If you have a large family or live in an old house that isn’t energy efficient, a space heater might be a good option because it’s cheaper to operate than other heating systems. However, if you don’t mind paying more in electricity bills but want to get the most out of your investment when purchasing new appliances, consider investing in something like a furnace that will last for years without breaking down on its own accord!
Hot water heating
- Hot water heating is the most common type of heating in homes. It is also known as hydronic heating.
- The hot water system uses pipes that deliver hot water to radiators or baseboard heaters.
- These systems are more energy efficient than forced air systems and are much more flexible because you can control the temperature in each room individually.
Electric baseboards and electric in-floor heating
Many people don’t realize this, but electric baseboards and in-floor heating are two different systems. They both use electricity as their heat source, but they’re used for different purposes. Electric baseboards heat large spaces evenly, while electric in-floor heating can also be used for radiant heat underneath flooring surfaces like tile or concrete slabs. These systems can be installed together to provide heating at once!
Electric baseboard systems are the most common type of home heating in Canada because they’re highly affordable—they only require a 240v circuit and a metal box you mount on your wall. From there, you plug your electric heater into the metal box and turn it on whenever you want to warm up a room!
Each option has its strengths, and you can use multiple options at once
It is also possible to use multiple heating methods together. For example, if you have forced-air heat but your house is still drafty, you can add a baseboard heater or another radiant heat method. It’s important to note that these methods should not be used as the only heat source in your home. If you rely on one method alone for all your heating needs, it could result in overheating or damage from overuse.
While each type has its strengths and weaknesses when used alone, combining different heating systems may give you the best results. Using more than one system together gives them strength by complementing each other—for example,
You may have noticed that there are many heating options in Canada, but there is no one-size-fits-all solution. You should always research and decide what’s best for you and your family. Contact us if you need help deciding which heating system or solution is suitable for your home! We can at Sarman Air Company advise on what type of system would work best based on factors like climate zone and size/age of the home.