When it comes to heating your home, you may think that there is only one type of heating system to choose from. While furnaces might be the most popular choice in many homes, and may require a HVAC professional should anything go wrong, there are others you might want to consider. Below are the different types of home heating systems that exist.

Furnaces

As mentioned, probably the most common types of heating system is a furnace. This is often part of an HVAC system. It works by blowing heated air through air ducts. If you have registers on the floors or ceiling of your home, this is where the warm air comes through.

Boilers

For this system, water is heated to create the heat that is dispersed through the home. More often than not, each room will be equipped with a radiator that transfers the heat from the boiler. Once the water has cooled, it returns to the boiler once again be heated, and the process starts all over.

Heat Pumps

Heat pumps work by either pulling hot air out of your house or pushing it in. During the summer, when the weather is hot, it will pull the air outside. When it is cold outside, it will move warm air into your home.

There are two types of heat pumps: air-source and ground-source. For the air-source heat pumps, these use the outside air as the source of heat, while a ground-source heat pump uses the heat from the ground. If something goes wrong with this system, you may be able to call in an HVAC professional to help with the issue.

Space Heaters

In addition to HVAC and heat pump systems, you also have the option of having space heaters in your home. These are often referred to as direct heat sources, and they come in a variety of different types. You can get those that are gas-fired or electric.

Both of these can come in wall-mounted or free-standing models. They are much better at warming a single room than they are for heating an entire house. Space heaters also come in a variety of sizes and makes. They can look like fireplaces, outfitted with mantels, or they can be small and portable with just a heating unit and fan to keep the area warm.

For more information about the types of heating systems, contact Harwich Port Heating and Cooling at (508) 593-9436.