Design Comfort Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Heating Installation’

Eco-Friendly Options For New Heating Installations

Monday, April 10th, 2023

checklist

When it’s time for heating installation in Salt Lake City, UT, there are a lot of factors to take into consideration. If it’s been a while since you bought a heater, you might be perplexed by all the options now available. It’s no longer a question of which type of furnace to buy, but which type of heating system to buy.

If a heating system that’s energy efficient is high on your priority list, it makes the decision more challenging if you haven’t done your research. Today’s modern heating systems are designed for efficiency but there’s still a lot of variation from system to system. 

Let’s go over the options for eco-friendly heating installations so you can be an informed consumer. After all, a heating system’s energy efficiency is a great way to save money on utility bills over the lifespan of the heating system.

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How High-Efficiency Heating Systems Save Money

Monday, March 13th, 2023

green home on seesaw with money symbol

When it comes to heating installation in Salt Lake City, UT, it’s understandable that people want to spend as little money as possible. Furnaces are expensive pieces of equipment and no one looks forward to the time when their heater finally conks out and purchasing a replacement is inevitable.

However, no one wants to buy a new heater only to have issues with it soon after. Not that a brand-new system is going to break down or need repairs. We’re talking about performance here. Lower-priced heating systems are not very energy efficient which means they don’t save much on energy bills. You might not be entirely happy with your home comfort level either.

Homeowners who have a bit more to spend when it comes to upgrading their furnaces often wonder just how much more should they spend. Let’s review high-efficiency heating systems to see if one is right for you.

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What to Consider Prior to a Heating Installation

Monday, November 16th, 2015

Now that we have at least one foot firmly in the heating season, with temperatures—especially nighttime temperatures—dipping well-below comfortable levels, you need to get serious about your heating installation in Taylorsville, UT. Before you know it, temperatures are going to take a serious downfall, and they are not going to raise back up as much during the days, either. With that in mind, it is time that you give some careful consideration to your home heating options. We’ve put together a few tips to help you choose your new home heating system with the greatest of care. Whether investing in a new heater for the first time, or replacing your old system after years of quality service, we are the professionals to turn to. Read on, and call Design Comfort to schedule your heating installation. 

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Residential Heating Options to Consider

Friday, January 16th, 2015

As heating technology continues to improve, the options for home heating get more and more varied. There are so many options for homeowners these days that it can sometimes get quite overwhelming. No need to worry, though. Have a look at this short list we’ve compiled for residential heating options in Salt Lake City. Hopefully, this will be able to help you narrow down your choices for a new heating system.

Boilers

Boilers are hydronic heating systems, using water to distribute heat throughout the home. The most common form of boiler heating system is called “radiant heating.” It consists of a network of water pipes installed in the subfloor of each room. The boiler then pumps hot water through these pipes, which radiate heat through the floor and into the room itself. Radiant heating is prized for its energy efficiency, as well as its ability to evenly heat a room.

Furnaces

Furnaces are among the most popular home heating systems in the country, and for good reason. A furnace of one kind of another can operate in virtually any kind of climate. Gas furnaces are the most common, as natural gas gives off a great deal of heat per unit burned. In areas where natural gas lines are not available, however, electric furnaces can heat the home just as well. No matter what kind of heating needs you have, there is a furnace available that meets those needs.

Zone Control Systems

Zone control systems are not heating systems in and of themselves, but they are still an option of which you should be aware. They involve the installation of large dampers in the ductwork of your home, one for each room. A separate thermostat controls each damper, and each can have individual settings. When the thermostat calls for heat, the damper opens to allow warm air into the room. This allows each room to set its own climate, allowing a much finer degree of control than a normal central heating system provides.

If you’d like to know more, call Design Comfort. We provide heating installation throughout Salt Lake City.

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Stages of Installing a New Heating System

Thursday, February 6th, 2014

Having a new whole-house heater installed isn’t like putting in a window air conditioning unit or plugging in a space heater. There are many steps involved in the correct installation of a heater; we’ll go over the basic ones in this post. Each type of heating system will have its own particular steps, and some will take more time than others. If you’ve hired the right installers for the job, you should experience no troubles with your installation.

Design Comfort installs a variety of heating systems, from boilers to radiant floor heaters. We have the experience necessary to make your heating installation in Holladay, UT go as smoothly as possible.

Basic heating installation steps

  • Selecting the new system: There are many choices for heating systems available today, all with different pros and cons. However, some systems will make better fits for your home than others, so when it comes to picking out a new heater, you’ll need the advice of professionals. This is why you should have installers involved from the beginning. They can look over your home, analyze how much heat it needs, and lay out your best options. From there, you will need to look at your long term budget plans to help you make the choice that will give you the ideal performance.
  • Sizing the system: Next, the heater must be sized to find a unit with the right amount of heating power. A system cannot be too large or too small for the space it is supposed to heat; either will cause it to drain energy and end up giving the wrong level of heating. The installers will do a heat load calculation to take into account many factors about your house and then use that information to determine the right-sized heater to do the job.
  • Removing the older heating system: When the day comes to install the new heater, the first and usually most time-consuming step is to remove your current heating system.
  • Place the new system: The installers will put the new system in place where it can access the various ductwork, pipes, power supply, etc. that it needs. Usually, the system will be bolted to the floor.
  • Make the necessary connections: The installers will now make the connections between the new heater and its distributions system (ducts, pipes) and then its power supply (electricity, gas lines).
  • Test the system: The installers won’t leave your home until they are certain your new heater operates correctly and poses no safety hazards.

Make sure you hire professionals

As these steps should make clear, heating installation is a large task that you can’t do on your own, nor should you entrust it to amateurs. For your heating installation in Holladay, UT, rely on Design Comfort. We’ve delivered quality heating since 1982.

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What to Expect with Radiant Heating Installation

Wednesday, January 22nd, 2014

Imagine walking into your home in the early evening after work, on a cold day when the snow on the ground has started to crust over and the chill is seeking any path through the gaps of your parka or woolen mittens to gnaw at your skin. You get through your front door, shut it, and as you pull off the outer layers of clothing you feel a swell of warmth, like the summer sun off a lake, comes from beneath you, starting with tickling through the soles of your shoes and then rising up all around you, leaving no single spot of icy cold anywhere in the air.

This is radiant floor heating. And if you’ve never felt it, it is amazing.

If you want to have this experience in your home, call Design Comfort today. We provide heating system installation in Salt Lake City, UT that includes up-to-date radiant floor heating.

Here’s some of what you can expect from installation.

  • It is labor and time-intensive: If you are having radiant heating installed as part of new construction, you won’t need to think about it much. But if you are retro-fitting a home for this type of heating, it will involve extensive work removing flooring in order to install the heating pipes. Make sure you plan ahead with your installers about when installation will take place.
  • It requires trained technicians: Hand-in-hand with the intensive work involved in installing radiant heating is the skill necessary. Radiant heating installation goes beyond hooking up connections to a unit once it is in place. It involves construction work that must be done with skill and attention to avoid causing damage to your home. This is not “do-it-yourself” work—believe us, you really don’t want to try this on your own.
  • It’s actually not much different from boiler installation: …outside of installing the floor pipes, at least. Radiant floor heating is a hydronic system that uses a hot water tank and water circulation systems that are very close to what you find in a boiler. The installation process is much the same, with tank placement, attachment to the gas line, and linking the pipes. It still requires a trained technician, but it is a relatively simple part of the process.

Are you ready for radiant floor heating installation?

If you are planning a new house, we think you should move radiant floor heating to the top of your list for home comfort options. If you want to retro-fit your current house for radiant heating, consult with experts about how they can do it, and if it is a wise choice.

Contact the heating team at Design Comfort to have all your questions about heating system installation in Salt Lake City, UT answered.

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How to Get the Most Out of a High-Efficiency Heating System

Monday, February 25th, 2013

Everyone likes saving money where they can. When it comes time to invest in a new home heating system in Salt Lake City, consider choosing a high-efficiency heating system. The better the efficiency rating of your heater the less energy it will require to keep your home warm and cozy. Following the purchase and installation of your high-efficiency heating system there are a more steps you can take to further benefit from its efficiency. Here are some tips from the home Salt Lake City heating experts at Design Comfort to help you get the most out of your high-efficiency heating system.

One of the most important things that you can do to keep your new heating system operating as efficiently as possible is to schedule routine heating maintenance service. Regular maintenance visits give your professional heating technician the opportunity to thoroughly inspect and tune up all of the components of your home heating system. By doing so they can help keep your heater performing at peak efficiency levels. When all of the components of your home heating system are working together properly it is easier for your heater to perform its function. The less work your heater needs to do, the less energy it will consume while doing it. It’s just that simple.

Also, make sure that you fully understand how best to use your thermostat. Thermostats have come a long way from the round, manual devices most of us grew up with. Think about upgrading to a digital or even programmable model. The more control that you have over the operation of your heater the more efficiently you will be able to use it. If you have a thermostat that you do not fully understand you cannot hope to get the best performance possible from it or your heating system.

Don’t invest in a high-efficiency heating system if you do not intend to take all the necessary steps to reap its full benefits. This eliminates the purpose. To schedule a high-efficiency heating system installation in Salt Lake City, contact Design Comfort. We’ll help you get the most out of your new high-efficiency system.

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Heating Tip: The Importance of Proper Heating Installation

Monday, December 17th, 2012

At Design Comfort we believe that everyone deserves to be comfortable in their own home, no matter what the weather is like outside. Without a proper heating installation in Salt Lake City, though, this simply is not possible. Only with a proper heating installation by a trained professional can you be sure that your home heating system is operating as efficiently and effectively as possibly. The installation of your heater is the first step in ensuring the quality of its performance, so be sure to schedule service your local heating experts. Here is some information about how a proper heating installation can benefit you.

One of the most important aspects of your new home heating system is the size of that system. If you wind up with a heating system that is too large for your home temperatures will be brought up too quickly, causing your heater to short cycle. This can lead to excessive wear and tear and, eventually, damage to your system. If your heater is too small then it will struggle to achieve temperature maintenance beyond its capabilities, racking up your utility bills while providing subpar heating. Working with a heating installation professional can help avoid such situations.

The safe operation of your home heating system is another major concern, and only with a proper heating installation can you be sure that your heater is operating safely. Whenever you are dealing with gas, electricity, oil or any other fuel source there is the possibility for a dangerous situation to develop. When you schedule your heating installation with a trained Salt Lake City heating professional the likelihood that your heater will operate in an unsafe or ineffective manner is greatly reduced.

If you have any further questions about the importance of a proper heating installation in Salt Lake City, contact Design Comfort today. We can put your mind at ease. Let us help you heat your home in a safer, more efficient manner.

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Heating Guide: Pros & Cons of Heat Pumps

Monday, September 24th, 2012

When deciding on any major purchase, a critical step is to weigh the pros and cons. This helps you to decide on the best option and reach the best decision for your needs and preferences.

Installing a new heating system in your Salt Lake City home is a perfect example of a situation in which you would need to weigh pros and cons. There are a lot of options, and not all of them are right for all people. Take heat pumps, for example. They are great devices and serve many people extremely well as home heating solutions, but they are not without their drawbacks. Below are some of the pros and cons of heat pumps to help you decide whether a heat pumps if the way to go for you.

Pros:

  1. Inclusive – A heat pump not only heats your home in the winter but also cools it in the summer, thanks to a reversing valve that changes the flow of the refrigerant. Having one appliance for both heating and cooling can be very convenient.
  2. Energy efficient – Heat pumps are extraordinarily efficient when it comes to energy use. Because they simply move and distribute heat, rather than producing any on their own, they use minimal electricity.
  3. Simple – Operating on the same basic principles as your refrigerator or an air conditioner, heat pumps are relatively simple. More importantly, they simplify your life by putting your heating and cooling solutions in one package and running on electricity, so you don’t need any other fuels on hand.
  4. Inexpensive to operate – In addition to being energy efficient – which lowers your monthly energy bills – many heat pumps are eligible for federal tax credit. You can save a bundle by using a heat pump.

Cons:

  1. May need supplementing in cold climates – In climates where winter temperatures stay below 30 degrees Fahrenheit for a while at a stretch, a heat pump will have trouble keeping up and need to be supplemented.
  2. Don’t work in power outage – Obviously, because they are powered by electricity, a heat pump won’t work in a power outage, unlike some other heating solutions that do not require electricity.

Although the pros clearly outweigh the cons here, the cons are important as well. Carefully consider all these factors and more while deciding whether a heat pump is the solution for your Salt Lake City home. Call Design Comfort today to learn more about installing a new heating system in your home!

 

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Heating Installation Question: What Is an Electric Furnace?

Wednesday, January 25th, 2012

There are many types of furnaces in Salt Lake City that use a variety of energy sources to operate. Gas furnaces use natural or propane gas, boilers and radiators use water, heated by electricity. And then there are electric furnaces, which may have an advantage over other energy sources based on energy costs.

Simply put, electric furnaces function through the use of electricity. They do not require the use of any type of fuel – but function through wires and chords. An electric furnace uses heating coils, sometimes referred to as “resistance calrods” to create heat directly in the air flow. Inside the furnace cabinet are controls, a blower, and the circuit breakers for the heating elements. Some furnaces have the breakers accessible from the outside of the cabinet.

Other add-on accessories may include an electronic air cleaner, air filter, humidifier, high performance media filter, and air conditioning evaporator coil.

The heating process begins with the home’s thermostat. A drop in temperature is sensed by the thermostat, which alerts the electric furnace. The coil then warms up, thanks to the electric current that passes through it. The heated coil in turn heats the temperature of the air around it, which is then blown into the house through a blower. The pressure that is exerted by the blower on the heated air, warms it further. The blower is able to overcome the resistance of the duct work and replace unheated, colder air with the heated air. In most homes there are various return air ducts that are used to bring in the colder air to the furnace. This cold air travels through the furnace, through an air filter, the blower, and finally through the heat exchanger. After this it will then be pushed back into the house as warm air.

To maintain a supply of fresh air in the house, some furnaces also suck air from the atmosphere outside. After the air in the house reaches a particular temperature, the thermostat automatically shuts off the electric furnace.

An electric furnace may be less costly to run, depending on the price of electricity versus other sources like natural gas, propane gas, or oil. Gas and oil are fossil fuels and burning them leaves a “carbon footprint” – the release of carbon compounds and gases into the atmosphere. An electric furnace does not burn fuel and thus does not leave a carbon footprint. This electric warming process results in fewer particulates and contaminants in the air, too.

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