What Is A Boiler?

From furnaces to boilers, there are a number of products on the market that will ensure your home or business stays warm in the winter months. Provided are details about boilers and how to determine if they are the right choice for your heating needs.

Types of Boilers
A boiler is used to heat a home or business using either steam or hot water. The boiler heats water and a radiant system, in turn, provides heat to every room.

Steam Boilers
Picture a boiler as a teapot. These systems boil water to make steam, which is sent to radiators. Generating more steam increases the pressure in the system and pushes the steam throughout the system. Radiators have air vents that open to let off pressure – and heat – into various rooms. The steam then cools, condenses to water, and returns to the boiler to be reheated. Steam boilers are typically powered with natural gas or propane.

Hot Water Boilers
Hot water boilers run similarly, but circulate hot water instead of steam. When heat is increased, water begins to warm, and is sent through the radiant system when it has reached a desired temperature. Water boilers can be fueled using either oil or gas, however, oil fired boilers are not traditionally utilized in the Midwest.

Benefits of Using a Boiler
Boilers are known for their virtually soundless operation. In fact, you probably won’t hear a boiler operating at all unless there’s an issue with the system. And, because radiant systems use pipes that are installed in walls or floors, boilers provide comfortable, even heat. Another benefit is that boilers don’t blow air around, helping reduce the amount of airborne allergens.

Picking the right heating system for your home or business can be a hard decision. Although they may be more expensive than furnaces, boilers offer quieter, even heating. If you’d like to find out more about the high efficiency boilers available from Keystone Heating & AC, contact us.