If you are planning to retrofit your heating system, it can be hard to know what works best in your home. Furnaces, boilers, heat pumps, and dual-fuel systems all offer their own benefits in terms of efficiency, cost savings, and heating quality. However, different houses have different needs. Our team at Weiss-Johnson can help you find the right fit for your home’s layout and size that works within your budget and meets your comfort requirements.
Below, we’ve outlined a few key points to consider when selecting a new HVAC system. Keep reading to learn why Weiss-Johnson is your go-to choice for furnace, heat pump, and boiler installation in Edmonton!
Key Considerations for a Heating System in Alberta
Your home’s size, insulation, and ductwork: Your HVAC system needs to be accurately sized for your home to ensure it can evenly distribute heat throughout each room. A system that is too small or too large can cause discomfort, increased energy consumption, heat cycling, and temperature fluctuations.
Ductwork is also one of the most overlooked factors when homeowners retrofit their HVAC systems. Edmonton boasts many older homes with outdated or undersized ductwork, which can create an issue for furnaces and heat pumps. If your ductwork is too small, the restricted airflow will create uneven heating throughout the home.
Fuel type and efficiency: In Alberta, home heating systems mainly run on gas, propane, or electricity. All heating appliances have efficiency ratings that indicate the amount of energy they need to operate. AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) is used to indicate the efficiency of oil and gas fuel systems, whereas HSPF (Heating Season Performance Factor) ratings measure the efficiency of electric heating systems.
Your HVAC specialist will help you narrow down these ratings on the unit you’re considering to determine what fits your home’s heating requirements.
Your HVAC budget: Installation and operating costs are important to consider when choosing the right HVAC system for your home. Gas systems are generally more expensive to install upfront, while electric systems have relatively lower installation costs.
When considering long-term costs, gas systems are considered less costly due to the low price of natural gas, while electric systems are often more expensive over time.
Common Heating Systems in Edmonton Homes
Let’s consider some of the most common heating systems in the Edmonton area and where they are most effective:
Furnace
Many homes in Edmonton are heated with a central furnace, which can be powered by natural gas or electricity. Most Edmonton furnaces rely on natural gas, which is generally inexpensive and has a minimal environmental impact.
Both gas and electric furnaces are ducted systems, so your home must have ductwork to accommodate one. Our HVAC specialists will assess your current ducting system to see whether it needs to be replaced to accommodate an updated furnace.
Heat Pump
In recent years, heat pumps have become a popular choice for Edmonton homeowners due to their ease of installation and cost-effectiveness. Heat pumps are electric two-way systems that siphon heat from the ground and atmosphere and pump it indoors to circulate through each room.
Standard heat pumps are installed outdoors and can be placed anywhere around the perimeter of your house. These units are energy-efficient because they transfer heat rather than generate it, requiring significantly less energy to operate than other heating systems.
If your home doesn’t have ductwork or is outdated, you can install a ductless mini split heat pump, which circulates heat through refrigerant pipes.
(If you want to combine the benefits of both a furnace and a heat pump, contact us to learn more about installing a dual-fuel system.)
Boiler
A boiler is a hydronic system that provides heat by circulating hot water through radiators. Household boilers typically run on natural gas and operate very similarly to furnaces, except that while furnaces heat and circulate air, boilers do so with water.
Boilers do not require ductwork, as they circulate heat through walls and floors rather than vents. However, boilers are generally quite large and require adequate space in your furnace room to be properly installed. If your home already has a boiler installed, our team can help you locate an updated unit that fits in your space.
What Heating System is Right for You?
Choosing between a furnace, heat pump, and boiler ultimately comes down to your home’s HVAC set-up and your personal preferences for upfront vs long-term costs. Whether you need to replace your ductwork to accommodate a new furnace, want to reduce the strain on your current furnace by installing a heat pump, or prefer the cost and installation of a boiler, our team at Weiss-Johnson is here to help you find the right HVAC system for your home!
Our expert techs will assess the condition of your current HVAC system and help you find an energy-efficient unit that is the right size to heat your home, fits in your space, and meets your HVAC budget.
Since 1977, we have provided expert HVAC and plumbing services to homeowners in Edmonton. You can trust our team to deliver a high-quality heating system retrofit that will keep your home warm, cozy, and comfortable all year long.
Contact us today to learn more about our services.
