Choosing the Right Assisted Living Facility

Posted on: 28 January 2016

When temperatures drop below freezing, there's nothing better than feeling the warmth and comfort of your own home. The heart of a warm home is typically in the form of a furnace. Not all furnaces are created equal and that's why it's important to choose a furnace that can get you through the harsh winter months. Each of the following four furnace features has different benefits for dealing with the bitter cold and ensuring that you have efficient heat through the winter months.

Variable Speed Furnace

Older furnace installations used a blower that would spread hot air by using just one speed. This lacked proper efficiency, especially during cold months where homes really need a good heating output. One of the best replacements for these types of furnaces is a variable speed furnace. With a computer-controlled thermostat and blower, the fans can operate and adjust at different speeds automatically. This allows your home to stay evenly heated during the winter months. This means that, instead of your home getting cold, then warm, the blower will gradually increase and decrease speed to keep an even temperature in your home. You can relax without the need for extra blankets or space heaters.

Hybrid Furnace

Furnaces that run on propane can cost a lot of money to provide heat during the year. Depending on the size of your home, the annual cost can range from $2,000 to $3,000 dollars. A propane furnace works better than electric options when temperatures drop below 40 degrees and it can provide quick heating options for your home. Instead of wasting gas for the rest of the year, you can choose a hybrid furnace that operates on electricity and propane. During more mild weather in autumn and spring, the electric heating elements can provide proper heat for your home.

Thermostat technology that is built into the hybrid design can automatically switch to the propane when temperatures reach a specific degree. If your home operates on a renewable energy source like solar panels, the hybrid technology can save you money through the warmer months while supplying you with proper heat through a harsh winter.

Geothermal Furnaces

The surface of the ground outside may be frozen and hard during the winter months, but deep underneath the ground is warmth that can be accessed through a geothermal furnace. These furnaces run pipes with water deep into the ground. The warmth in the ground heats the water in the pipe and the water gets carried up through pipes in the home. This is a highly efficient way to get heat during the cold winter months. The cycle of warm and cold water can create a constant heat source that provides your home with an environmentally friendly heating option that eliminates a lot of emissions.

Along with harsh winters, the geothermal system can help during the summer. The reverse process is used as warm water is pumped from your home and the ground cools the water off to provide some relief.

Condensing Furnace

When furnaces burn oil, a water vapor is produced that is sent through a chimney. A lot of that vapor results in lost heating options. Get every little bit of extra heat during a cold winter by choosing a condensing furnace for your home. Condensing furnaces add a second heat exchanger that is built to capture the water vapor from the first heat exchanger. This process helps create and distribute extra heat for your home.

When working with a furnace contractor, you can have the second heater distribute the extra heat to specific areas of your home. This includes colder areas in the winter, like your basement or a garage. The extra heat in these areas can make it easy to spend time in them during colder months. For example, if you park in your garage, it will feel nice to get out of the car and into a heated area without being exposed to the cold.

Not only will a number of these heating options help during the cold winter, but they all provide ways to save extra on your heating bills.