Heating FAQs

For many, the real question is what system has the lowest operating cost. Natural gas and LP gas heating systems can be as high as 98% efficiency rated. Ground source and air source heat pumps are not measured the same way as gas furnaces. Heat pump efficiency is measures as a COP or Coefficient of Performance. Heat pump COP can be as high as 5.0 for a geothermal heating system.
With current cost for natural gas, electricity, LP gas and fuel oil, geothermal systems are hands down the most efficient and have the lowest operating cost. For those who have natural gas available a high efficiency gas furnace or boiler will be a good choice. For those homeowners who do not have natural gas available, the most common choices are LP gas, fuel oil, and electric. All electric homes with a heat pump – either air source or ground source (geothermal) will have the lowest operating cost, and will have central air conditioning as well.

You will have to consider a lot of different factors when picking out the right heating system for your home. The size and dimensions of your house will figure into the equation, as well as what types of fuel sources are available to you, what type of system you had in place before and what the particular heating needs of your family are.
This is a lot to get a handle on and can get to be pretty overwhelming, particularly if you‘ve never had to purchase a new heating system before. In this type of situation, it can be helpful to get some professional advice and guidance so that you can get a better idea of what your options really are. A heating specialist can assist you by walking you through the selection process.

If you‘ve been looking at various types of furnaces, you‘ve probably noticed that they all have what‘s referred to as an AFUE rating. This number is a reflection of the energy efficiency of the furnace, and will typically be between 80 and 98. The higher the number, the more energy efficient the furnace is.
Although you should always take the AFUE rating into account when you‘re purchasing a furnace, that doesn‘t mean that you should necessarily go with the model that has the highest efficiency rating. Depending on your heating needs, an 80 AFUE furnace may be able to get the job done just fine without forcing you to incur the greater costs that come with the higher efficiency models.

The amount of time you can expect your heating system to last will depend on what type of system it is. In general, though, it‘s safe to say that a new heating system you purchase today will last you 10 to 15 years. Some types of systems, like electric furnaces, can be expected to last a bit longer, but that will largely depend on the type and model of your system. In any case, keeping up with regular maintenance is one way to extend the life of your home heating system.

We can perform maintenance and repair services on just about any type of heating system you have. No matter who put in your existing system or how old it is, we‘ll be happy to take care of it for you.