So far the weather has been warm for December but we still need to heat our houses. In Minnesota the type of heat and how much it will cost to heat a home each month is important information. Heating costs can be lowered by adding insulation and by having better windows and doors installed and by turning thermostat down. The type of heating unit is important too.
In our MLS – Multiple Listing Service – or database of homes for sale there are 15 types of heating and we can search for a home based on heating type. The infographic shows each type of heating and the percentage of homes currently listed that have it. I know here in the city forced air and natural gas are the most common combination. I have had clients who wanted me to search for homes based on the heating type. The most common requests are for hot water or forced air. People also look for houses with or without fireplaces but not as a primary heat source.
What is the difference between “Hot Water” and “Boiler”? “Radiant” sounds like the same thing too…
The boiler is the equipment that heats the water for the hot water heat. Usually the hot water goes to a radiator where it produces radiant heat. it is possible to have hot water heat without radiators and there are now tankless water heaters that work with hot water heating systems so that no boiler is required. There are also electrical heating systems that produce radiant heat without water. It is true that all three items are often part of the same heating system but they are not the same thing.