Tag: heating system

Boiler Versus Furnace: What’s the Difference?

Oct 10, 2023

Boiler Versus Furnace: What’s the Difference?

  • boilers
  • Furnaces
  • Heating
Discover the differences: Boiler vs. Furnace - Making the right choice for your home's heating. Learn more with McHales now!

When it comes to keeping your home warm and cozy during the chilly months, there are many heating systems to choose from. We’ll be focusing on the two primary heating options: boilers and furnaces. Understanding the differences between these heating systems is essential for making an informed decision about the one that’s best suited for your needs. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore how boilers and furnaces work, and the various types available. At McHales, we can help you weigh the benefits, complications, maintenance requirements, and costs associated with each. We also provide both boiler services and furnace services, contact us today to discuss your options! By the end of this article, you’ll be better equipped to choose the right heating system for your home.

Boiler Versus Furnace: The Primary Heating Options

Both boilers and furnaces are essential components of home heating systems, and they work in distinct ways to provide warmth and comfort. Other heating systems include heat pumps, electric space heaters, radiant floor heating, woodburning stoves or fireplaces, solar heating, propane heaters, radiators, and hydronic heaters. While all of these systems have their own benefits, boilers and furnaces are known for their easy maintenance, efficiency, longevity, and wide availability. That leaves us to question, what’s the better option? Read more to 

How Do Boilers Work?

Boilers are a popular choice for heating homes. They operate by heating water or a heat transfer fluid and distributing the resulting hot water or steam throughout your house via radiators, baseboard heaters, or in-floor radiant heating systems. This radiant heat warms your living spaces efficiently and evenly. There are several different types of boilers available, including:

  • Combi Boilers: These boilers provide both hot water for domestic use and space heating, making them space-saving and energy-efficient.
  • System Boilers: These boilers incorporate an expansion tank and a pump, simplifying installation.
  • Conventional Boilers: Also known as regular or traditional boilers, they require a separate hot water storage tank.

How Do Furnaces Work?

Furnaces, on the other hand, generate heat by burning fuel, typically natural gas, propane, or oil. The warm air produced is then distributed throughout your home via ductwork and vents, keeping every room toasty. Furnaces come in various types:

  • Gas Furnaces: These are the most common and efficient type of furnace, using natural gas as the fuel source.
  • Oil Furnaces: Oil furnaces are an alternative for areas without access to natural gas.
  • Electric Furnaces: These furnaces are powered by electricity and are generally less energy-efficient than gas or oil furnaces.

Boiler Versus Furnace: Comparative Analysis

Now, let’s compare boilers and furnaces based on key factors:

Benefits:

  • Boilers provide consistent, even heating with less air circulation, reducing dust and allergens.
  • Furnaces heat up quickly and can maintain higher temperatures, ideal for extremely cold climates.

Complications:

  • Boilers can be prone to freezing pipes in cold weather.
  • Furnaces require ductwork maintenance to ensure efficient airflow.

Maintenance:

  • Boilers need regular checks for leaks, pressure, and water quality.
  • Furnaces require filter changes, duct cleaning, and occasional burner maintenance.

Cost:

  • The initial cost of a boiler system can be higher due to installation complexity.
  • Furnaces are generally more affordable upfront, but operating costs may vary depending on fuel prices.

Boiler Versus Furnace: Choosing the Right System

To select the right heating system for your home, consider factors such as your climate, budget, available fuels, and existing infrastructure. Boilers are often favored for their energy efficiency and comfort benefits, while furnaces are more accessible and suitable for homes with existing ductwork. The choice really depends on your unique circumstances and preferences. Boilers offer steady, even heating, while furnaces provide quick warmth in cold snaps. Understanding the differences and weighing the pros and cons will help you make an informed decision that keeps your home warm and cozy throughout the heating season. Whether you opt for the radiant heat of a boiler or the forced air warmth of a furnace, a well-maintained system will ensure your comfort throughout the colder season. If you need help making this decision, contact us to speak with one of our experts!

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By McHales

Furnace Problems You May Experience Before Winter Ends

Jan 27, 2021

Furnace Problems You May Experience Before Winter Ends

  • Furnaces
  • Heating
furnace problems

As winter settles in Bucks County, you want to think about the health of your furnace. It is important to be on the lookout for common furnace problems before they break down your heating system entirely. Here at McHale’s, we have put together a list of common furnace problems you may experience before winter ends. 

Faulty Pilot Lights: Along with some other mechanical parts, the pilot light could be malfunctioning and causing no heat or intermittent heat. There are two parts that tend to be the culprit for faulty pilot lights: the thermocouple and the pilot tube. 

  • The thermocouple is a copper wire inside your furnace that detects the heat of your pilot light and lights the gas. It is a safety feature that ensures gas shuts off if it does not detect the pilot light. Sometimes, the thermocouple is bent out of shape or cold, causing it to mis-detect the pilot light, This can cause arbitrary pilot light outages. 
  • The pilot tube can also be dirty or clogged. When the pilot tube is clogged it can stop or inhibit the pilot light’s ability to function. 

Defective Blowers: If you have a demand for heat and the blower is not running, it is important to check the blower motor is functioning. A blower motor breakdown can be caused by old age, faulty bearings, loss of electrical power, or dirt accumulation. If you cannot see any visible dirt and debris blocking the motor function, then call a technician at McHale’s to service the motor. 

Poor Electrical Connections: With the passing of time, the vibrations that come with a running furnace can lead to internal wires becoming loose or fraying. These wires and eventually short and cause your furnace to shut off. It can take a bit of time to find the loose wire, but replacing it will fix the issue. To prevent this, schedule regular furnace maintenance to check for damaged parts and ensure the furnace is in working order before winter settles in. 

Damaged or Dirty Coils: The coil ensures that the right air supply is being sent through the furnace which heats your home. If for some reason these passages become clogged or damaged, the air flow will be restricted. Furnaces are set to run with a certain amount of air flow, and any disturbance to this level will decrease the efficiency of our furnace to generate heat. 

Clogged Air Filters: As a general rule. the filter in your furnace should be replaced every 3 months in order to extend both the efficiency and life of the furnace. You should change it more frequently if there are pets in the home or someone has allergies. Dirty filters reduce the flow of air and reduce air quality in the home. A dirty air filter puts strain on your furnace and makes it work harder. This reduces the efficiency of the unit and costs you money in the long run. 

Thermostat Malfunctions: The thermostat is a device that measures the temperature in your home and alerts the furnace when to turn on. If your thermostat is not functioning properly, it can cause the furnace to turn on or off at the wrong time. It may not sense that temperature has been reached and continue to run, or it may not sense the drop in temperature letting your home become frigid. If you notice inconsistent temperatures in your home, consider having your thermostat checked by a professional. 

Air Flow Problems: Most of the time, furnaces have two types of air flow. The first one is an incoming source of air. Then, there is a steady flow of air out into the home so that the heat can be evenly distributed. If either one of these airflows is restricted, the efficiency of the furnace will go down. If there are any clogs, blockages, or duct leaks, they should be dealt with quickly so as not to impact the quality of your home heat.

 Air Leaks in the Household: If you have air drafts in the household, your furnace will end up working harder to compensate for the loss of heat. Aside from putting strain the furnace, it will also cost you more on your energy bills. You should go through your home and seal any drafty windows, doors, or places you feel air escaping.

 

Call McHale’s Today to Solve Any and All Furnace Problems and Avoid Being Stuck in the Cold this Winter!

By McHales

Benefits of Replacing Your Heating System

Jan 15, 2021

Benefits of Replacing Your Heating System

  • Furnaces
  • Heating
replacing your heating system

So, you’re tired of repairing your furnace that’s been in the house ever since you signed the papers. It’s old, it’s louder than a marching band, and you feel you’re putting more money into it than the benefits you’re getting out. Well replacing your furnace might be easier, and more cost effective than you think. There are countless benefits that come with replacing your heating system. While having a quieter system would be reason enough, you’ll also save yourself the hassle and costs of constant repairs. The price of installing a new furnace is typically between $1,000 to $4,000. If you’ve had the same heating system in your home for 15-20 years, dishing out $700-$800 to fix it seems ridiculous when a new system will serve you for the same lifetime, if not longer. 

Comfortable Living

Sometimes it’s better to update than to invest in something you’ll need to replace in the long run. After considering whether the cost of replacing will outweigh the cost of repair, there are many more reasons that a new heating system will work for you. With a new and improved heating system, you will improve the airflow throughout the home, and the temperature of the home would be more consistent. A newer system will operate with more functionality as technology has grown exponentially. This means when you want your living room at 62 degrees on those hot summer days in August, it’ll stay 62 degrees.

Resale Value

This is not only a benefit for your own personal comfort, but having an updated system will increase the resale value of your home if you plan to sell. This investment could save you money for future repairs, and even make you money in the long run. A prospective homeowner will feel much more reassured buying a house that contains newer systems and appliances. They can worry much less about overhead of repairs that may tag along with the house or projects that they’ll have to spend extra time on top of other projects they already has planned for the house their moving into. Resale is not something you necessarily need to be thinking about every day, but putting some thought into it will only better prepare you for later. 

Energy Expenditure

With technology advancing and drastic changes in the weather, energy plays a large role in this endeavor as well. It’s estimated that over half of the energy used in your home is going toward heating and cooling. When it comes to comparing older systems to new and improved ones, there’s a relatively large gap in the level of efficiency. An older system might operate around 65% AFUE (annual fuel utilization efficiency), while a new system operates over 90%. You could save as much as 33% on your heating and cooling bills with an updated system. Not only are you doing a service to your wallet, but you’re helping the environment as well. 

A Clean Slate

Replacing your old system of course would also update the guaranteed life of your new heating system. That old furnace in the basement that served the home for 15 years is ready for a brand-new system to last just as long, if not longer. With a more efficient system in place, the unit doesn’t have to work so hard to maintain the temperature of the home. This leads to fewer repairs and a longer operational life. Depending on the company, you could also have a warranty on your new system from 2-10 years. The higher end your system is, the longer the warranty will be. 

Safety First

Although this is the last subject on our list, safety is always first in our mind. With a new replacement furnace comes a renewed peace of mind. As an old furnace gets older, components crack and corrode, leaks begin to pool, and ducts begin to clog. The longer these issues go unnoticed and unresolved, the more risk gets accumulated of a carbon monoxide emergency or a gas leak that is ignited by a rogue spark. Faulty electrical components may start that ignition, or ignite any other surrounding material in your home at a moment’s notice. By investing in a replacement furnace, you are guaranteeing new and fresh equipment that greatly reduces the risk of any safety concerns. A repair call will only be able to fix one problem at a time, and those costs can accumulate into much more than the cost of a replacement installation.

With the cold seasons looming, you want to ensure that your home is as prepared as it could possibly be. Worst case scenario, you wake up on a particularly frigid morning, try to increase the heat in your home, and figure out that your furnace is caput. Instead of waiting for that moment to happen and then reacting to it, get a head start by assessing the status of your furnace today. If you have a trusted HVAC or Electrical contractor, many of them will do a cheap assessment for you! It may be time to replace your fussy furnace, and see how much time and money you could save by taking the next step

If you’re thinking about replacing your heating system, then call and schedule service with McHale’s today!

By McHales