Heat production systems
You could build the most attractive home with a breathtaking view, and furnish it with the finest furniture, yet, unless the temerature and humidity are maintained properly, the would be unpleasent to live in. In homes located in an extreme climate, heating and cooling systems are probably the hardest working components of any home.
When it comes to choosing a heating system, there are some types to consider:
Forced air heating units
The supply of warm air that is forced by a fan through a duct system to different locations in the house is created by fuel burning. The furnace heats air that is drawn from the rooms in the house and then sends it back through ducts out again into the rooms. The supply ducts are doors supplying the air, and the return ducts are the enclosures that rout the air back to the furnace. The air goes through an air filter before it comes back into the furnace from the return duct, because of that, most of the fugitive air borne dirt and dust is filtered out to protect the furnace from any damage to its working parts.
The forced air systems are very versatile; through the same distribution system the air could be heated, cooled, humidified, filtered and circulated. It is also quick to respond via the thermostat to temperature changes.A forced air unit requires a very low frequency and simple maintenance. It is not expensive to install a forced air heating system. In addition to that, it doesn’t require a lot of space. However, there are some disadvantages to this system, some of the byproducts of combustion can come out through the registers. The movement of air in a room can be uncomfortable if the duct system has not been properly designed, or the blower motor is too large.
There are some very important points that you need to look at with a forced air heating unit, quiet operation, increased air circulation, more consistent house temperatures, improve indoor air quality.
Electrical heating units
A straight electrical heating system uses electricity directly as a heat source. It is a less popular heating system than forced air. Electricity is converted to heat, when it moves through conductor. The conductors become hot and give off heqt. The heat is distributed by base board heaters. It is one of the simplest and least expensive heating systems to install. Also, it has a very silent action, and is very cost efficient, no maintenance is needed. Some of the drawbacks are – in times of low humidity, humidification is usually necessary because the electric heat is a very dry heat. Also, the electrical heating parts get hot enough to create a danger to children. It really depends on the local electric rates in the area to justify the installation of an electrical heating unit.
Heat pumps
There are two basic types of heat pumps, air to air, and geothermal. They both function as central air conditioners.
Air-source heat pumps
The units use air to deliver both heat and coolness, the most popular is the split system heat pump, the major part of it is located outdoors, another fan and heat exchanger coil is located inside the house. The air source heat pump heats the home during cold times by pumping a refrigerant through piping system that absorbs heat from the outside air. During times of hot weather, the heat pump refrigerant absorbs heat from the inside air and then pumps it through the outside piping where the heat is released outside of the home.
This unit is fairly quiet, operates cleanly, and is very safe. But in extreme cold weather, supplemental heating may be needed.
Geothermal heat pumps
This unit provides very efficient heating and cooling in any season. The geothermal heat pumps, provide heat transfer solutions travelling through buried piping, use the natural thermal mass of the earth to withdraw heat in a time of cold weather, and to transfer heat into cold air during hot weather.
The geothermal heat pump does not create heat, it just moves it from inside out or outside in, in extreme climate, a backup electric resistance heating system, or a warm air furnace should be in place.
Radiant floor heating systems
The radiant floor heating is a cost-effective, quiet system which provides heat by warm water piping, or electric wiring floor panels. Typically, ceramic tile has been the floor of choice for radiant heating. The radiant floor heating is invisible, energy-efficient, and does not dry out the air, however, any maintenance on the electrical panels or piping could be very costly.
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