It’s that time of year again in Manassas. The iciest months of winter can bring about more service and repair calls, which sometimes results in the need for new heating systems. From furnaces to boilers, there are a variety of products on the market that will heat your home. What’s a boiler you ask? Let’s get a closer look.

There Are Different Kinds of Boilers

A boiler is a type of HVAC equipment used to heat your home, and it utilizes either steam or hot water to do so. Both use a boiler to heat the water and a radiant system to provide heat to each room in a home.

Steam Boilers

Picture a boiler as a teapot. These systems boil water to make steam, which is transported to radiators all over your home. Producing more steam heightens the pressure in the system and pushes the steam throughout the system. Radiators have air vents that open to let off the pressure – and the heat – into your rooms. The steam then cools, condenses to water and returns to the boiler to be reheated. Steam boilers are primarily powered with natural gas or propane.

Hot Water Boilers

Hot water boilers operate similarly but circulate hot water all over your home instead of steam. When you boost the heat, water begins to warm up and is transported through the radiant system when it has achieved your perfect temperature. Water boilers can be fueled using either oil or gas, however, oil-fired boilers are not traditionally utilized outside of New England and the Northeast U.S.

Benefits of Getting Heat from a Boiler

Boilers are known for their almost soundless operation. In fact, you more than likely won’t hear a boiler operating at all unless there’s something wrong with the system. And, because radiant systems use pipes that are installed in the walls or floor, boilers can give you a more comfortable and even heat. Another bonus is that boilers don’t blow air around, helping decrease the allergens in the air.

Selecting the right heating system for your home can be a hard decision. Although they can be more expensive than furnaces, boilers offer quieter and more even heating for your home. If you’d like to find out more about the high-efficiency boilers available in Manassas, give Woody's Sudden Service a call at 703-278-2036.