One of the most common questions we hear from homeowners is, “Should I install a boiler or a water heater?” The truth is they each do different things, but in most cases, boilers are the way to go. We’ve highlighted a few of the differences to help you make the right choice for your home.
Water Heaters
If you’re asking yourself, “Should I install a boiler or a water heater?” What you actually need to ask yourself is if you need a hot water source or a heating system. Water heaters only have the ability to heat the water you use in your home. They’re responsible for supplying rooms like your washroom, kitchen, and laundry room with hot water, but unfortunately, they aren’t able to supply your home with heat.
Boilers
The primary function of a boiler is to heat your home, but it can also be used to heat the water you use for cooking and cleaning as well. The reason so many people ask us, “Should I install a boiler or water heater?” is that the way boilers operate creates some confusion. Boilers heat water and then distribute it throughout your house through a series of pipes to heat the air inside your home. This type of heating is typically referred to as radiant heating because the heat literally radiates off of the pipes being heated by the water from the boiler. You can keep it simple and use stand-alone radiators, or for optimal home comfort, you can run a network of pipes underneath your flooring and behind your walls, which is known as hydronic heating. This heating process works by using conduction rather than the standard convection style of heating used by furnaces to produce an even, consistent warmth throughout your entire home.
There is some misconception that the same water that flows throughout your home to heat it will come out of your taps and faucets as well, but that isn’t the case. Boilers can act as water heaters, but the water that gets heated doesn’t flow with the water that is being used to generate heat. There is a separate system of plumbing connected to your faucets and drains that uses the heat generated by the hot water in your boiler to heat the water you use for cooking and cleaning.
Interested in installing a boiler in your home or upgrading an old unit? Spring Home can help!
The Spring Home team has been servicing the HVAC needs of the GTA for over 15 years. Our award-winning team of licensed technicians is committed to providing our clients with service they can trust and equipment they can rely on.
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