Home Heaters: Best Types to Choose (Pros-Cons)

Talking about home heaters is often referred to central heating that must be powerful enough to heat the entire home. But there are also some home heating system installed and designed to heat several certain rooms in a home. Well, today we can find a lot of choices when it comes to heating. And if you are looking for home heating systems, you may find several types to choose, such as; electric central heating, oil central heating, gas central heating, and eco-friendly home heating systems. What is the best type you should choose?

Electric home heating

As the name suggests, the heating system is powered by electricity energy. Therefore, there are many homeowners who have perception that this choice is the safest ventless system (we don’t have to worry about the venting mechanism for the installation, because the system is powered by electricity or non-combustion fuel). One of popular choices for more cost-effective option is storage heaters. They use a cheaper –night-time- rate to warm up distinctive heat-retaining bricks.

Electric storage heaters will give out the slowly heat and maintain the warmth for the whole of the following day. If you want to get more energy saving, you can also use cheaper-rate of electricity to supply an amount of hot water through an immersion heater in the tank of your hot water heater.

However, there are pros and cons of electric central heating that you have to concern before making decision:

Cons:

1. The fuel (electricity) is usually priced more expensive than the gas prices. Moreover, the electricity prices are fluctuating and even it tends to rise day by day.
2. We cannot get instant control over the storage heating. You may need to wait a few minutes or more for the optimum temperature level (the system is not quick enough when heating the home).
3. Storage heaters are typically not equipped with an automatic charge control.

Pros:

1. Unlike natural gas pipelines that are not available in any areas, electricity is available in almost areas and relatively safer (it doesn’t involve the combustion process).
2. Like written before, you don’t have to consider first about the venting mechanism for the installation.
3. The system is typically designed with very few moving parts, therefore it has excellent for the maintenance (less care or less cost for the maintenance).
4. The up-front cost is cheaper than gas central heating, because there is not involved the installation of flue or pipe (pipe-work).

Home oil-central-heating

This system will be popular if in your local area is not available for the mains gas network! Oil central heating systems are typically installed in a ‘wet’ system where the boiler heats the ambient water, which will supply hot water via the taps and provide comfortable central heating through radiators.

Cons:

1. Oil prices are not too friendly at these days.
2. There is possibility to run out the fuel because oil is usually delivered by road, especially when you are waiting for the next delivery.
3. The up-front cost for the installation is also not cheap. Moreover, there is also unsightly problem of the storage tank, but it can be solved by an underground tank option.
4. The system need annually service (more cost for the maintenance).
5. The flow rate on producing an amount of hot water is lower or less powerful than a gas combi.
6. The system requires combustion process when working, so thus there is an amount of CO (carbon monoxide) that must be vented properly otherwise can lead to O2 depletion and poisoning problem.

Pros:

1. When talking about the efficient of fuel (oil) then it can be categorized into a highly efficient fuel.
2. There are now available the newest condensing boilers that can reach efficiencies of 90 percent or even more. This is nice idea for more energy savings.

Gas central heating

Gas central heating is divided into two major options, natural gas (methane) and propane (usually stored into a pressurized tank or LPG). First let’s discuss about pros and cons for natural gas home heaters.

Cons of natural gas central heating:

1. The up-front costs are expensive (the installation involves gas pipe network).
2. The natural gas prices are not cheap and also on the rise at these days!
3. The system requires annually servicing, especially for gas boilers.
4. Produce CO when working, although the amount of CO resulted is slightly lower than when we are using oil heaters, but it is still so important to make sure the venting system is correctly installed!

Pros of natural gas central heating:

1. Although the gas prices are also expensive at this time, but it is slightly cheaper than the electricity prices.
2. More powerful and more quickly on heating.
3. There is not needed the procedure to store the fuel (like in the oil central heating and propane home heating), so thus will be safer.
4. The newest condensing boiler is now available and can work more efficient.

And now for propane (LPG) central heating systems!

Cons:

1. The propane prices are also on the rise.
2. The propane is stored into pressurized tank, therefore there is possibility that we could run of the fuel. The pressurized propane gas in the pressurized tank also can lead to fire-pressure explosion, like BLEVE (Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion), therefore you must be careful more when using this central heating system.
3. The up-front costs are also expensive and you have to hire a professional contractor (the installation is too difficult to be finished on your own).
4. The boilers also require servicing annually.
5. The system must be vented properly to push out an amount of carbon monoxide (one of byproducts of the combustion process).

Pros:

1. Propane also can be categorized into a highly efficient gas fuel that will be so beneficial to get a good return on lower utility bills. It also produces lower CO than oil fuel.
2. With modern condensing boilers, the system will work more and more efficient.
3. This system is good option if you want to use combustion gas central heating but there is not available natural gas supply in your local area.

Eco-friendly home heating systems

This choice is also often referred to renewable energy option and friendlier to the environment (the biggest advantage if we choose to use this system). And according to which.co.uk, below is helpful table that describes cost of renewable energy systems:

Source: which.co.uk

Read also how does heat pump water heater work? And how do solar pool heaters work?

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