As the winter season begins, Northern Virginians heavily depend on their heating systems, as the weather quickly falls into freezing temperatures. Before it does, you should make sure that your home has a heating system that will keep it warm and toasty throughout the cold winter months, while ensuring it’s also durable and energy efficient.

Before this year’s transition into the cold seasons, call R.A. Dobson to discuss getting a reliable furnace installation  in Northern Virginia. Through our sources, we provide you with affordable heating, cooling, and plumbing appliances and fixtures. We offer our knowledge on which type or model would be appropriate for your household. We have been a responsible and trustworthy company to homeowners in Northern VA for over 40 years, so you can rely on us for your next service. Here is a list of the different kinds of heating systems available to you:

1. Furnaces

A central furnace provides heat by blowing heated air through the ducts into the rest of your house. It can be powered by either electricity, natural gas, or oil. Your thermostat activates the system and controls it so your home is kept at a comfortable temperature. When you’re looking for a certain type of heater make sure to do your research on various furnaces that you may want to install or replace in your home.

Look for furnaces with higher AFUE ratings. AFUE stands for Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency. The higher it is, the better fuel efficiency it has. For example, an 80% AFUE rating on a furnace means that 80% of that warm air will be used directly to heat your house. The remaining 20% will likely be wasted out the flue.

You’ll also need to decide if you’d like to have a single or two-stage furnace. If you feel that your home needs to adjust to a colder environment, then you may want a two-stage furnace, as the second stage will turn on once the temperature falls below a certain degree, getting the furnace operating more efficiently and making your house warmer.

2. Boilers

Boilers are considered special-purpose water heaters, using hot water instead of air to create heat. Using pumps, a boiler circulates hot water through pipes within your home and then into a radiator, where heat is then released. Steam boilers are less common in homes today, but if you have recently bought an older house, then you may have one. They carry heat through the rest of the house as the water is condensed.

Installing a boiler is a great alternative for homeowners with allergies because they do not transfer heat by blowing air  through ducts within your home, allowing for sending all sorts of allergenic pollutants along with it. Boilers also have better temperature consistency and are satisfyingly quiet as well. Another benefit is that since they are great at converting fuel into usable heat, significantly decreasing your heating costs.

3. Heat Pumps

Heat pumps act more like two-way, heated air conditioners. In the winter, the heat pump works by taking air from the cold outdoors, then it adds heat to the air as it enters into your house with the help of your electrical system. On the other hand, ground-source heat pumps get their heat from the ground beneath your home, where the temperatures are more or less stable year-round. Heat pumps work best through a ground-source system,they are more sustainable and efficient.

4. Space Heaters

You have most likely seen or even used one of these appliances, as they are quite popular to use during the winter. They’re small and portable, which makes them great for warming one area or room of the house. They do tend to use a lot of electricity to run them, so they may not be an ideal heat source. However, if you’d like a little extra heat in your drafty living room or bedroom, a space heater is your best choice.

5. Wood-Burning Stoves & Fireplaces

If your house has a wood-burning stove or fireplace, then you have a great way for you to heat your home without any added expenses. Fireplaces are also appealing to potential homebuyers, as it creates a rustic style that has become appealing to many enthusiastic about their home’s interior design. Purchasing wood is relatively cheap, as well as it’s more sustainable than other fuel sources. If you are able to produce and chop your own wood, you will essentially have your own self-sustained heating system.

6. Radiant Floor Heating

Radiant heating systems involve tubes or pipes beneath the floor of your house filling up with hot water, producing heat that emits through the floor, warming you from toe to head. Radiant floor heating is often an  excellent addition for bathrooms, as most come with tiled floors, which are really good at conducting heat.

R.A. Dobson: Professional Furnace Installation in Northern Virginia

No matter what type of home heating system you choose, R.A. Dobson can install it in your home quickly and with little hassle. We aim to provide the best for our clients by ensuring that we offer the best appliance prices and rates for services, such as our expert furnace installations throughout Northern Virginia. We’ll help you with any HVAC, plumbing or heating service you need, and communicate with you at every to ensure you satisfaction. Contact us at 703-481-3700 today and schedule an appointment with one of our professional technicians.