What are some heating alternatives to furnaces and boilers?
The most common way to heat your home is with a furnace or boiler. But there are a variety of other technologies available. Stay informed about the choices because there may be a time that you need to replace or upgrade your existing heating system. • Active solar heating. The sun heats air or liquid enclosed in a panel. Homeowners often use solar heat as an additional heating source. Over time it can pay for itself. • Electric resistance heating. A costly way to heat your home, it converts the energy in electricity to heat. Electric heat is often more expensive than heat produced in the home using natural gas, propane, and oil furnaces. • Heat pumps. Heat pumps draw heat from a cool area to a warm area, making the cool space cooler and the warm space warmer. Because they move heat rather than generate heat, heat pumps are energy efficient. • Radiant heat. These systems heat floors or panels in the wall or ceiling of a house. They may use a variety of energy sources — electricity, boi
