When the heat goes off in your home what do you call to have fixed: your boiler or your furnace? Many people think these terms are synonyms, but they refer to two very different heating systems. Whether you’re building, buying or looking to get your heating fixed, it’s important to understand the differences between these two systems.
The Major Difference Between Boilers and Furnaces
Homes are generally heated in two different ways: using hot air or hot water.
A home that has a boiler uses hot water to heat the home through heaters or radiators. An easy way to remember this is “water boils.”
A home that has a furnace uses air to heat the home. The air is blown through ducts and vents.
Both systems use electricity, gas, oil or pellets.
A boiler heats water and then either that water, or steam from it, circulates through a system of radiators or heaters. Radiant heating, located in floors, is powered this way. These systems have a vent to the outdoors to keep pressure in the boiler stable.
These systems keep humidity in the house level.
A furnace burns fuel or uses electricity, to heat air which is then blown through a system of ducts. The ducts are often in walls and ceilings with just vents into rooms. Some spaces have exposed ductwork, especially those that are industrial or going for an industrial aesthetic.
These systems, when a home has access to gas, can be some of the most cost-effective.
Pros and Cons of Boilers and Furnaces
Both systems have benefits and drawbacks.
The high points of boilers include:
- Rooms feel warmer more consistently. Radiators and heaters retain heat even when they are not running. This means the boiler has to run less frequently but the house will stay warmer.
- Better for allergy sufferers. Forced-air (furnace-based) systems blow air through the home and use filters. This contributes to dust and allergens circulating, especially if filters are not maintained as much as they should be.
- Quiet. Boilers are essentially noise-free.
Of course, there’s always a downside:
- Expensive to install. There’s a heavy price tag that comes with adding boilers to a home; this is also why you’ll find forced-air systems in many new builds, especially in subdivisions.
- It’s just heat. While central air conditioning systems share the ducts and vents with forced-air heating systems, boilers and air conditioners cannot do the same.
- Furniture. Furniture placement must take into consideration radiators for both comfort and safety reasons.
Furnaces and forced-air heating have their highlights too:
- Generally less expensive: From installing to maintaining these systems are generally cheaper over the lifetime of a home.
- Heat up more quickly. These systems heat a home more quickly.
- Unobtrusive. Vents are located off the floor allowing for furniture to be placed wherever you want and there are no radiators for little hands to burn themselves on.
The negatives of furnaces include:
- Drafts. When off, there can be drafts through the ducts and when the system kicks on the first air out will be cold.
- Noisy. Furnaces can be noisy when they turn on, especially the first time in the season.
- Air quality. These systems are very drying and also circulate dust and other allergens.