Winter is right around the corner and if you’ve been here for even one season in Idaho, you know they are nothing to mess with. Sunny cool days can quickly switch places with wind and snowfall. Whether the sun is out or the snow is piling up, you will want to make sure that you can keep your home warm when you need it the most.
Choosing a good heater for your house is going to make all the difference in maintaining a comfortable indoor environment. But there is more than one type of heater out there for you. Let us give you some extra information on what differentiates radiant heating in Sandpoint, ID, and forced-air heating—and what makes both of them great options.
The Two Main “Types” of Heaters
Yes, you have more than one heating system to choose from around here, but these systems will all fall into two key categories: radiant heaters or forced-air heaters. While the job that these systems do is the same (keeping your home warm), the way that they accomplish that end goal is different. Here is a quick crash-course on what differentiates these two kinds of heating system options:
- Radiant heat: Have you ever walked outside on a warm day and felt the heat of the sun on your skin? That’s radiant heat. Radiant heat gets its name because it radiates warmth rather than blowing it. Unsurprisingly, people with radiant heaters often describe the comfort they provide as feeling similar to sunlight. Radiant heaters can include boiler or electric heaters that use radiators or even heated baseboards to warm your home.
- Forced-air: Forced-air heating systems blow heated air through your home, rather than radiating it from a specific point. These systems use natural gas or electrical resistance to create heat, or they transfer heat into your home from outside and then blow that heat into your home through ductwork and vents or air handlers. These systems include furnaces, heat pumps, and ductless heat pumps. The comfort offered by a forced-air heater can often be compared to enjoying a warm breeze in the house.
Which One Is Better?
We often get asked which type of heating system is better: radiant or forced-air. The answer is dependant entirely on your heating needs and preferences.
Have cold floors made with tile? Not a fan of feeling warm air blowing through your home? A radiant heating system might be ideal.
Have carpet and an already-established ductwork system? Want to avoid keeping up a boiler? You might want a forced-air heater.
Whichever heating system you choose, you’ll want the help of our team of trained pros to get the installation and upkeep done right. We install a variety of heating systems from dealers like Lennox, Trane, and Daikin. We make sure to offer some of the best products around so you can have the most reliable comfort possible.
Contact us today to learn more. ACI Northwest is here to help with your home comfort needs or concerns. Please do not hesitate to contact us for helpful advice.