What is a boiler?

January 20, 2015

The chilliest months of winter Pella generally find us with more service and repair calls, some of which result in homeowners discovering they need new heating systems. You can find a variety of home heating products on the market, from furnaces to boilers. Many people don’t know a lot about boilers. If you’re one of them, we can tell you what you need to know.

Types of boilers

Boilers come in both steam and hot water models. Both supply heat throughout a home using either a radiant system that uses a boiler to heat water, or through forced air heating systems.

Steam boilers

Steam boilers are kind of like big kettles. They boil water until the steam accumulates to create enough pressure to push heat to radiators across your home. The heat is emitted into your rooms by air moving across the radiators. The cycle continues when the steam then cools and condenses to water, which then is sent back to the boiler to be reheated. Steam boilers are typically powered with natural gas or propane.

Hot water boilers

Like steam boilers, hot water boilers move warmth around your home, but with hot water rather than steam. When the water rasies to your desired temperature, it is forced through the radiant system. Gas is usually used to power water boilers, however, you will discover oil-fired boilers in New England and the Northeast United States.

Benefits of boilers for home heating

Quite a few people appreciate boilers because of their exceptionally quiet operation. In fact, it’s difficult to hear a boiler operating at all unless it’s broken. They are also known for supplying comfortable and even heat thanks to the design of the system with pipes installed behind the walls or under the floors. Boilers can also be helpful, in non-forced air heating systems, to allergy suffers because they don’t blow air around and spread allergens.

Even though they can be pricier than furnaces, many people find that boilers are the perfect heating system for them. If you want more information about high-efficiency boilers in Pella, look to Van Haaften Plumbing & Heating. Call us at 641-628-3621 or schedule an appointment with us online.