Central-heating boilers provide comfortable home heating by producing hot water and steam that’s circulated through radiators, under-floor heating and baseboard heating. Unlike forced-air furnaces, central-heating boilers don’t dry out the air or circulate airborne contaminants throughout your home. Keep reading to determine the best central-heating boiler for your Springfield home.
AFUE
Installing a central-heating boiler is a long-term investment. The higher efficiency system you choose, the greater energy savings and return on investment (ROI) you’ll enjoy through the years. High-efficiency boilers reach 95 AFUE, which means 95 percent of spent fuel is converted to home heating. A higher-efficiency boiler may not need to be as large as a lower efficiency model, which can save you on the purchase cost.
Sizing
If you’re somewhat familiar with sizing a heating system, you may be calculating the square footage of your home. Square footage is indeed an element of correctly sizing a heating system, such as a boiler or furnace, but the key to correct boiler sizing is calculating heat loss through windows, air leaks and your home’s insulation barrier.
The better your home is sealed and insulated with good window treatments, the smaller your system needs to be. Make sure your HVAC professional uses industry-recommended Manual J for load calculation and Manual S to select the best sized central-heating boiler for your home.
Combustion and Venting
Boiler combustion and venting must be considered when selecting your new system. Higher-efficiency boilers often feature sealed combustion, which draws and vents air only from outside your home. This design is safer by preventing backdrafting, and it’s also more efficient since there’s no redundant heating.
Sealed systems, such as a modulating or condensing furnace, may employ direct venting through a sidewall or roof. Sealed direct venting is likely an additional installation feature and expense to consider. A chimney can still be used, but substantial modifications will need to be made.
For help choosing the best central-heating boiler for your Springfield home, please contact Ace Hardware Home Services, Inc. today.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Dayton, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Gwoeii/Shutterstock”
