Hydrotherm Boilers

Furnaces and boilers are the two primary means of heating system to keep your homes warm throughout the winter. Boilers heat hot water or steam and distribute it through the home in pipes and radiators, while furnaces heat the air and distribute it through the home via air ducts and vents.

A number of changes have been made in oil and natural gas boilers in recent years to make them more efficient. Changes such as using electric ignition, new combustion technologies, and sealed combustion chamber which made boilers cost efficient and safer to use. To be able to qualify for an Energy Star rating a boiler must have annual fuel utilization efficiency Annualized Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) rating of 85% or greater—(AFUE) is the system of measuring the energy efficiency of boilers and furnaces. The higher the rating the more efficient the boiler is.
In selecting a boiler one of the first decisions you must make is what type of fuel you are going to use. This is a crucial decision given that boilers last for a very long time and once you have committed to a particular fuel source you will have to stick with it. There are two types of fuel to consider using, either natural gas or wood pellet fuel. Wood pellets are renewable resource which does not contribute to global warming unlike oil or natural gas. As alternative or if you do not access to natural gas or wood pellets, another option is an electric boilers—though not cheap, could end up being a better alternative.
If you are replacing an old boiler don’t just assume that the boiler capacity you currently have is correct. Better yet, have a professional contractor do an analysis to determine your actual requirements. But sometimes finding a heating and air conditioning contractor who really understands energy considerations is difficult. That’s why knowing how to select energy efficient boilers is important and may save you time and money.