What Is Gas Heating?

Electric Heating

Electric heaters are cheaper and easier to install than gas ones. Gas heating is cheaper than electricity and gas is better at warming up larger spaces. Electric heaters may be more economical in small rooms.

A chimney is needed to send out emissions from a gas furnace. Installation usually requires air ducts and vent in the house. The large heater needs professional installation.

Electric and gas heaters produce the same amount of heat. A gas heater has a lower operating cost than electricity. When a small space is to be heated at a lower temperature, electric space heaters are more expensive.

Electric heating is more suited for smaller households because it is slower than gas heating. The storage tank capacity is usually enough for a couple of people. Electric heaters can work for them.

The Role of Gas Heating in the Maintenance and Repairs Of A Home

Trained and qualified gasfitters are needed to install and service gas heaters. A house fire can be caused by an unsafe heater. A faulty gas heater can cause serious health problems.

Carbon monoxide from a faulty gas heater may cause health problems that seem to be worse when the heating is on. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are not specific and can be mistaken for a flu-like illness. Carbon monoxide can cause death and loss of consciousness.

If you are renting a home, the rental provider must make sure that a gas safety check is done every 2 years by a licensed or registered gasfitter. They must give the renter the date of the most recent safety check in writing. CO alarm manufacturers suggest that you install CO alarms in every room that has a gas heating appliance.

Make sure the alarm is audible from all sleeping areas when selecting installation locations. Current emission standards may not allow for old unflued gas heaters in the home. The fumes from the gas heaters can cause serious health problems, including death, by returning to the same space where the heater is located.

Natural Gas Heat: A New Heating System for Hydronic Baseboard Systems

Natural gas heat is comfortable, convenient, reliable and efficient, which is why consumers prefer it. Today's heating systems offer a wide range of choices, from top-of-the-line furnaces that achieve efficiency levels of more than 90 percent, to moderately priced units that meet or slightly exceed the minimum efficiency standard of 78 percent, so that customers don't have to. Natural gas heat is warmer than electric heat pump heat.

Natural gas heat is delivered from forced-air systems. The air from an electric heat pump is warm enough to heat a room, but cooler than the average human skin temperature. Forced-air central heating systems use a natural gas burner to heat the air.

Cool air is drawn into the system and moved into a heat exchanger where it is warmed by the gas burner and then spread through the ductwork. A forced air system can include things such as electronic air filters. The combination systems are designed for use as a forced air heating system but can also be adapted for some hydronic baseboard systems.

A natural gas burner is similar to a water heater, it heats water to be used and stores it in a tank. A metal coil is heated by a pump to provide space heating. A fan blows air over the coil.

Builders and consumers should compare the initial cost to buy and install the system and its average annual operating costs to determine which model is most appropriate. Natural gas heating systems are more expensive than electric systems, but they are often less expensive to operate. In 2001, it cost less to operate a low-efficiency natural gas furnace than it did to operate an electric heat pump, and nearly three times as much to heat a home with an electric-resistance furnace.

Central Heating Systems

A central heating system can warm a building and also heat domestic hot water from one main source of heat, unlike heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems which can cool and warm interior spaces. The energy source chosen for a central heating system is different in each region. The primary energy source is chosen based on a number of factors.

The energy cost of heating is one of the main costs of operating a building. Some central heating plants can switch fuels for a variety of reasons, for example, a home owner may install a wood-fired furnace with electrical backup for occasional unattended operation. Solid fuels such as wood, peat or coal can be stored at the point of use, but are inconvenient to handle and difficult to control.

The people in the building don't mind the work of hauling in fuel, removing ashes, and tending the fire because it's still wood fuel. Manual removal of ash is still needed for pellet fuel systems to stoke the fire. Coal was once an important heating fuel but it is no longer used and smokeless fuel is preferred.

Natural gas is a common heating fuel in North Americand northern Europe. Ash removal and little maintenance are required for gas burners. Not all areas have access to a natural gas distribution system.

A mobile tank can be used to replenish propane or gas at the point of use. Electric heating is practical in some areas because of low cost electric power. Electric heating can be used to take advantage of low-grade heat in the air or ground, or it can be used as a purely resistance-type heating.

Amana: Providing High-Performance Gas Furnace Systems for Home and Commercial Buildings

The worldwide heating and cooling sector has a leading name in the branch of Ingersoll-Rand called Trane. The company has been in the business of producing high-end heating solutions for over a century. There are a variety of single-stage, two-stage, and modulating gas heating systems by Trane.

Daikin Industries limited, which is based in Japan, has expanded its product line to include furnaces, heat pumps, and air conditioners for use in residential and commercial buildings. The gas furnace line is deep and wide, with a wide range of furnace models that allow the corporation to compete favorably in the mid-range priced high-tech furnaces. Daikin furnaces have the highest efficiency rating of 98%.

A company with a strong history of manufacturing reliable heating and cooling products, Amana is a mid-range brand of high-performing, standard-efficiency gas furnaces. The ComnfortNet Control System with a smart full-color thermostat is used to control the gas furnace and other devices around the homestead. Basic heating options for home users are provided by Ducane.

Ducane furnaces are perfect for those looking for a short-term solution, as opposed to a long-term investment. Buying a new furnace for your home heating system is a decision that will last a long time. Variable heat output, air filters, efficient ignition system, and sophisticated zoned heating are some of the features that a gas furnace must provide.

Natural Gas and the Energy Cost of Heating Oil

Statistics show that heating oil was less expensive than natural gas in most of the last 3 decades. Home heating oil is an economical option when you consider the high cost of converting a heating system to natural gas and the 15%- 25% increase in the price of a natural gas furnace. The latest oil system technologies'reburn' fuel, lowers emissions even further.

Lower sulfur oil blends are being embraced by developing technologies that will create an even cleaner heating oil option. If a heating oil system is maintained, it burns cleanly. The soot that it creates is inside the tank.

Natural gas system losses account for 18% of global methane emissions, a powerful contributor to global warming and climate change. If the appliance is properly maintained, it will last 30 or more years. Natural gas furnaces have a life expectancy of only 14 years.

The efficiency ratings of new heating oil systems range from 83% to 95%. With natural gas consumption increasing, there are concerns that domestic production will not keep up. Natural gas isn't renewable and most of the world's natural gas reserves are outside the US, so relying on imports is a real possibility in the future.

Although natural gas is cheaper than other fossil fuels, it is not renewable and could lead to a competitive global supply and demand market. Natural gas systems can vary in efficiency. A high-quality natural gas system can be more efficient.