Heating Specialist in Chicago, Illinois
Helping You Stay Warm
At A Custom Heating and Air Conditioning we believe the heating
system that is in your Chicago home is much more than a heating system...it
is your environment.
We install and maintain many types of heating systems for all of your
residential needs. There are many ways to heat your home. This page will
cover a few of the most common types of heating units available.
Gas Burning Furnaces
Gas or fuel burning furnaces all work on the same basic principle. The
fuel is burned inside an enclosed metal container (generally referred to as
a fire box or heat exchanger). The exhaust gases (including carbon monoxide)
are vented to the exterior of the building. The burning of the fuel warms
the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger, now hot, radiates the heat into the
air in the living area. This heated air is circulated by gravity or pumped
through the living area with a fan.
Gravity Furnaces
These will usually be found in older Chicago homes. They include floor and wall furnaces and some ducted furnaces that are generally in a basement. The term gravity referrers to the fact that the furnace has no blower to move the heated air around the room. They rely on the fact that heated (less dense) air rises and the cooler (more dense) air falls to circulate the heat. This is not a very efficient way to heat a house and generally will be used as a room heater.
Electric Furnaces
Not
the best way to heat your Chicago home. Expensive to operate. They can make
your electric meter spin like a top. They work like those old bathroom
electric coil heaters except that they are enclosed in a box with a blower
forcing the cold air across them heating the air for the living area.
Radiant Heat
Radiant heating does not dehumidify the air, so in winter, room humidity is is more ideal. Unlike forced hot air, radiant heat will not dry out breathing passages or furniture. With no fans or blowers, radiant is dust-free, so it's also cleaner. Virus particles, bacteria and pet dander fall to the floor instead of circulating constantly in the air, so your family will stay healthier in winter. Because radiant heating warms the occupants rather than the room, people find they are comfortable at temperature settings several degrees lower than with conventional heating systems. Lower temperature settings mean lower fuel costs. You can learn more about floor warming and floor heating in our article center.
Boilers
Space heating energy costs account for roughly 25-30 percent of the total energy costs for a typical commercial building in the Chicago area. High-efficiency boilers can reduce heating costs by 10 percent and in many cases by as much as 20 to 30 percent.
Energy Efficiency
In fact, a boiler replacement that reduces gas consumption by 20 percent
could save about five to 10 cents per square foot annually.
Boilers are available in two efficiency ranges: around 80 percent for
standard conventional boilers, and percentages in the 90s for
energy-efficient condensing units.
The dividing line between these efficiency ranges is based on the boilers ability to withstand condensing flue gases. Condensing flue gases, which occur in high-efficiency boilers, require special design considerations to tolerate the corrosive effects of the condensate. Boiler efficiency is defined as how much of the heating value of the fuel is being converted to useful heat.
Condensing boilers absorb more heat from combustion gases, allowing the
water vapor to condense and therefore providing increased efficiency. Any
hydrocarbon fuel burned in a boiler, whether it is propane, natural gas, or
fuel oil, produces water vapor during the combustion process.
Conventional boilers are non-condensing boilers with materials that cannot
tolerate the corrosive properties of condensing flue or stack gases.
Conventional boilers operate around 80 percent efficiency, compared to over
90 percent efficiency for condensing efficient boilers. Other factors also
influence boiler efficiency, including boiler shell losses, piping losses,
and cycling losses.
Fire tube and water tube
Boilers use water to absorb heat from a burned fuel/air mixture. Boilers can produce steam or hot water. The two most common types of boilers are fire tube and water tube.
Fire tube boilers typically consist of a series of straight tubes that are housed inside a water-filled outer shell. As hot gas flows through the tubes it heats the water that surrounds the tubes.
Water tube boilers are designed to circulate hot combustion gases around the outside of a large number of water-filled tubes. Newer boilers have tubes with complex and diverse bends and fins to maximize the heat transfer area.
Because the water/steam pressure is confined inside the tubes, water tube boilers can be fabricated in larger capacities than fire tube boilers and are often preferred for higher-pressure steam applications.
Whatever your heating needs
are, from installation to service, please feel free to contact
A Custom Heating
and Air Conditioning today!
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