As magnificent as winters in Canada are, they can get harsh for those who haven’t prepared their home heating ahead of the colder months.
For residents of Canada, especially newer ones, you shouldn’t compromise on proper home heating. Getting your home heating system checked and serviced can’t be stressed enough.
If you’ve been wondering about the different types of home heating available in Canada, our well-researched guide will help. We’re going to give you a plethora of ways to keep your home warm and cozy. We’ll also help you manage home heating costs.
Different Types of Home Heating
Let us look at the most familiar heating systems out there and weigh their pros and cons.
Furnace
Furnaces function with the power of natural gas, propane, furnace oil, or electricity and are a type of widely-used home heating system. They work by heating air that is then pushed evenly into the surroundings with a blower motor's help via air ducts.
Pros:
- It’s an economical heating option
- Energy efficiency of a reliable furnace goes up to 98.5%
- It can last anywhere from 15 years to over 30 years.
Cons:
- Blower fans of the furnace can be noisy, particularly in older versions.
Boiler
Wherever you live, you’re very likely to have come across a boiler at least once. That’s how common they are.
A boiler works by boiling water to produce steam. This steaming water is circulated through the house in pipes fixed discretely in every room. These pipes lead to radiators, floor systems or coils that further help to warm up the house.
The operating mechanism of a boiler can be natural gas, propane, heating oil, or electricity.
Pros:
- It’s easy to control which rooms to heat, which helps control heating costs
- Energy efficiency of a boiler can go as high as 90%
- Boilers tend to last 15 to 30 years.
Cons:
- Installation costs can be high
- Requires a bare minimum temperature to be maintained to keep the pipes from freezing up.
Heat Pump
Heat pumps channel heat from the surrounding atmosphere to make the house warmer. In order to accomplish that, they make use of either electricity or geothermal energy.
Heat pumps can be used to condition the air even in summer, which makes the system is an all-rounder for all seasons.
Pros:
- Provides home heating as well as cooling
- Heating seasonal performance factor is 6.8 to 10
- Can last for around 15 years.
Cons:
- Installation costs for some models can be high.
Electric Heating
An electric heating system converts electricity to heat, warming up your house.
Pros:
- Energy efficiency skyrockets between 95 to 100%
- Can easily last for more than 20 years
- One of the more comparatively affordable options.
Cons:
- Can become costly if you’ re switching from a combustive heating system.
Wood Burning Appliance
Upgraded systems have quickly replaced this old-school heating system. However, it has avoided extinction as some households still use it.
As suggested by its name, this home heating system comes in the form of fireplaces, wood or pellet stoves, etc. The power source is the wood used for burning and the heat produced.
Pros:
- Burning wood has a way of creating a look that complements a cozy environment
- Can be cheap, depending on the availability of wood in your area.
Cons:
- If there isn’t a clear ‘flue’, there’s a potential hazard of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Benefits of Home Heating
We know that reliable home heating systems are the ultimate answer to ensuring a warm and comfortable winter.
Since poorly-operating home heating can increase energy costs, we advise caution when selecting one for your home.
Below are some benefits of investing in a good quality heating system.
1. Reduction in utility expenses
Energy costs make up a huge chunk of any house budget. You may get your 'energy-run' facilities to make life more content, but unpredictable costs and changing tariffs may end up making your winter both miserable and costly.
A home heating system can be a hefty expense if you don’t know your way around it. Older home heating systems end up draining a lot of fuel without offering much. Investing in a premium quality upgraded heating system promotes energy efficiency.
2. No more air leaks
Home heating systems have a habit of letting the outside air creep into your home. An upgraded heating system maintains a barrier to prevent the crossing of air and balances the air temperature to fit your needs.
Advanced heating systems are equipped with filters to refresh the circulating air for better breathing quality, creating a more ambient level of heat.
3. Work Faster
In generations past, a slow indoor warm-up on a cold day was commonplace. Think keeping your coat and scarf on inside for a long stretch of time because old-style heating systems needed hours to build-up to the right temperature. This was mainly due to the incompetent air ducts.
Installing a good quality heating system in today’s conditions in will give you no such problems. Heating your entire house is now possible within minutes.
4. Minimal maintenance
Let’s end this guide on another positive note. Advanced heating systems need little to no maintenance. The ducts and filters are equipped to work longer before requiring any cleaning. You also get more control over what the temperature inside the house should be.
Are you facing problems with your home heating system? Are you ready to replace the old, slow-to-heat model with something more efficient?
Bird Fuels offers some of the most premium heating system options, best suited to make your home feel the way you want it to during winter.
Home Heating – What Bird Fuels Offers
There’s a whole lot that Bird Fuels offers when it comes to ensuring proper heating throughout a living space.
Oil Furnaces
Are you tired of managing your slack home heating system? Bird Fuels might be your utility knight in shining armour. The company not only sells advanced oil furnaces and accessories but also takes the responsibility of maintaining the heating system for you.
The units can be integrated with any other heating appliances around the house. Whether you want a better furnace or are relocating to a different house, all your needs can be met.
Natural Gas and Propane Furnaces
The Gas/Propane furnace models happen to be a popular choice for many modern homes featuring central heating as well as air conditioning. Such furnaces guarantee warmer homes, lower energy costs, and reliability. Of course, Bird Fuels offers full-service heating solutions if you’re interested.
Fireplaces
Nothing can beat the comforting aura around a fireplace. The crackling of burning wood while you sip hot chocolate is what winter warming is all about.
Bird Fuels allows you to live this traditional way with its Continental Fireplaces. You get to choose from a spectacular range of gas fireplaces, gas inserts, gas stoves and accessories to give your home that “right-out-of-a-magazine” look.
Bulk Fuel Delivery Service
No matter what heating system you own, getting fuel can be a hassle, especially when there is an emergency. For Ontarians, Bird Fuels is a blessing; it’s a local company offering bulk fuel delivery service.
Bird Fuels has a spectrum of fuels ready to be delivered to your tanks or your equipment: heating oil, propane, diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), dyed diesel, clear diesel, and gasoline.
And in addition to all of that, Bird Fuels gives you the option of delivering Petro Canada oils and lubricants right at your doorstep.
Propane Delivery Service
If you have a propane gas-powered heating system operating at your home, propane storage is definitely a concern. With top-notch customer service, Bird Fuels promises competence and safety involving propane delivery to your doorstep.
Top 5 Home Heating Tune-Up Tips
When the temperatures start dropping, it’s time to crank up your home heating. As we’ve already mentioned, the heating system takes up a good portion of a home’s energy consumption. We appreciate you want your own system to work efficiently, so you can make wise decisions on keeping home warm while those energy costs are in check.
Don’t Let the Air Out
There can be leaks in your home's thermal envelope, for example, the construction that keeps the air trapped to keep the cool air in during summers and warm air during winters. If these leaks are not taken care of, your home heating system will overwork itself to compensate for the lack of insulation or windows that let the warmth escape.
It would be best if you sealed these leaks. You can do this via insulation, caulking, or draft-proofing.
Wipe off That Dust
To make sure a home heating system is delivering the best, get system thoroughly cleaned at least once every two years, if not more.
You can also do a bit of maintenance yourself if you are DIY savvy. Here’s how .
- Switch off your home heating system
- Remove the coverings of the air ducts fixed on the walls, floors, and ceilings
- Use a firm brush to clean the grates of any debris or dirt
- With the help of a vacuum hose, suck all the dust for clear ducts.
Get your Filters Changed
If you don’t replace filters, you’re not only hindering a heating system from working at its true capability but are compromising on the quality of the air you’re breathing. Old filters tend to drain more energy than is required. This can result in hiked-up bills.
To avoid such problems, check filters every month. If they’re permanent filters, give them a thorough clean-up every 90 days, if not more.
Keep your Ears Open
If you hear any clanks, thumps, or snapping sounds from your system, it’s likely that your system is wearing or some of the parts are deteriorating. As soon as you hear odd sounds from the ducts, call up for some advice or repairs.
Remember, Bird Fuels technicians are always at your service to give your home heating system a thorough inspection and make quick (lasting) fixes.
Follow-ups
Book a tune-up once a year from an expert. What’s better than getting a problem fixed before it even pops up, right? It’s always better to be safe than sorry during winter.
Bird Fuels’ experts are only a call away to inspect your home heating system and make sure you always go to bed warm and cozy.
You can call the company immediately at 1-888-297-6990. Bird Fuels’ 24hr on-call emergency service is available for all Bird Fuels customers, oil & propane customers and service accounts.
