One natural advantage of Texas that draws people from around the country is our notoriously mild winter. Living in Texas means you probably won’t spend your winters huddled by the fireplace while several feet of snow fall outside. However, that does not mean you can ignore your home heating. At On The Double! Heating & Cooling, a trusted source of heating and cooling services in Lubbock, TX, we want our fellow Texans to be familiar with the options for heating a home so they can make informed choices.
Living in Texas means we have more options than someone living in a colder climate. Rather than needing a heat system for extended subzero temperatures, here in Texas, we can save money and conserve fuel by tailoring a heating system to fit our more modest home heating needs.
1. Furnaces
Furnaces are common solutions for home heating in Texas. Furnaces work by heating air to the desired temperature and circulating it through your house via ductwork.
One potential drawback to using a furnace for home heating in Texas is that furnaces can be inefficient in mild weather. They use considerable energy when they turn on at the start of their cycles, only to shut off soon because your desired indoor temperature may not be much lower than the temperature outside. Rapidly cycling off and on can put stress on a furnace.
Many homeowners in Texas opt for a two-stage furnace that produces less heat when the weather is mild and switches to full-strength operation when the temperature gets cold.
If you choose a furnace, the next step is to consider the source. The different varieties of furnaces provide many options for heating a home.
Natural Gas
Natural gas is a common heating fuel for home furnaces. It generates energy efficiently at a low cost. However, natural gas is flammable and toxic, so it is crucial to keep your natural gas furnace in good condition.
Propane Heating
Propane, like natural gas, is a combustible energy source that can heat your home. It tends to cost more than natural gas, but a given volume of propane provides more heating power than the same volume of natural gas.
Fuel Oil
Every Texan knows the power of oil as an energy source. Although not as common as natural gas furnaces nowadays because of noise, maintenance requirements, and other factors, oil furnaces are time-tested technology.
Oil furnaces typically cost less than natural gas furnaces to install. Don’t overlook oil furnaces as options for heating a home.
Electric Heating
An electric furnace uses heating elements to provide heat. These furnaces are forward-looking options for heating a home. They are safer and easier to maintain than other furnaces, although they are currently more expensive than the alternatives and also vulnerable to power outages.
2. Boilers
Although not as common as furnaces in Texas, boilers are certainly a home heating option. Like furnaces, they can use natural gas, electricity, and other fuel sources to create heat. However, boilers generate steam that travels throughout the house in pipes and radiates through the air or floorboards to heat the home.
3. Heat Pumps
Heat pumps move heat into and out of the home rather than generating heat. In the summer, they act like a typical air conditioner, using a refrigerant to draw heat from the air in your home and release it outside.
In the winter, as long as the temperature is above 40 degrees Fahrenheit, the heat pump works like an air conditioner in reverse. It draws heat from the air outside and uses it to heat your home. Geothermal heat pumps pull heat from the ground to heat the home.
4. Hybrid Heat Systems
One way to get high efficiency and performance from your home heating system is to use a hybrid of a furnace and a heat pump. The furnace excels at providing large amounts of heat on cold days, while the heat pump heats your home efficiently when the weather is mild.
5. Space Heaters
Central heating is not economical for some spaces, such as garages or outdoor gathering spits. While space heaters are not practical options for heating a home by themselves, they can supplement your primary heating system.
Heating Installation, Repair, and Maintenance From Us at On The Double! Heating & Cooling
Call our team at On The Double! Heating & Cooling to discuss your options for heating a home. We have experience installing gas furnaces, geothermal heat pumps, hybrid systems, and radiant floor heating. Learn more about our AC installation services, too. Call 806-549-5973 for a consultation and an estimate today.