Considerations for Heating Your Home
Courtesy of the Home Building Suite
Electric, Oil, Propane or Natural Gas?
Whether you are building a new home or have an existing home that needs a new furnace, the issues are the same when it comes to deciding what kind of heating system you should choose for your home.
When building a new home, the amount of input you will have in the selection of a heating system will depend upon the circumstances of your project. If you are buying a production builder home, you may be limited in your choices and your amount of input. However, if you are building a custom or semi-custom home you should have significant input and control over this decision.
There are many choices, features, and prices to consider when selecting a furnace. Each consumer must evaluate what is best for them, for their region, and for their particular needs.
Some major variables to take into account:
Electric, Oil, Propane or Natural Gas.
Combination furnaces.
Furnace efficiency ratings (low, mid, high efficiency).
Forced air or water heating distribution systems.
Availability of providers eg Oil, Propane or Natural Gas.
Size of home to be heated.
Current fuel price comparison.
Current fuel delivery charges and connection fee’s.
Projected heating costs for home.
Projected price inflation for your area.
Air conditioning requirements.
Price and installation charges.
Evaluate the service reputation of the HVAC contractor.
Consider the following items when selecting a furnace:
Contact your local fuel providers and request estimates for your home. The contractor should take into account the size of your home, number of windows, location, climate, insulation levels and air tightness of the home.
Review the literature and decide what is right for you in terms of regular, mid and high efficiency furnaces. Usually this will be based on three major factors – Initial price of the furnace, ongoing operating costs and furnace maintenance requirements in later years.
Decide if air conditioning is also required and if it will be integrated with the forced air system.
Evaluate the short term, as well as the long term direction of fuel costs in your area. Many regions vary a great deal due to distribution costs and other factors.
Finally, your decision on how to heat your home will be primarily based on the following factors:
1) Initial capital costs.2) Ongoing operating costs.3) Annual maintenance costs.Create a table comparing your options and choices to help you decide on the best method of heating your home.
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