Furnaces heat and distribute air; boilers heat and distribute water. Oil-fired boilers in Vermont offer several advantages over furnaces:
- Boilers provide hot water as well as space heating.
- Boilers provide very even heat.
- Thanks to new technology, homeowners with boilers can now install a central air conditioning system more easily than in the past.
In a hot water (hydronic) boiler system, heated water from the boiler is pumped by a circulator through radiators, radiant floor tubing or baseboards. Vermont homes with hot water heating are often divided into separate heating areas known as zones. This provides efficient, comfortable, trouble-free, inexpensive heating.
High efficiency, condensing oil-fired boilers are now available as well. This equipment can be up to 92% efficient, thanks to a second heat exchanger that recovers heat from flue gases.
Boiler Efficiency
Older boilers are much less efficient than newer equipment. Boilers that are 30 years old are about 65% efficient; new boilers have efficiency ratings of 80% - 92%.
Since 1980 every new boiler sold in the United States has come with an Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) rating. The AFUE rating is determined through a test from the U.S. Department of Energy and the percentage represents the amount of fuel that is actually converted into heat. This rating system precisely measures boiler performance over an entire season. Our boiler techs also test combustion efficiency during annual boiler maintenance.
Call the Energy Co-op today if you live in Vermont and you'd like to learn about the benefits of a new boiler in your home or if you need any other type repair or service performed on your existing boiler.
By Shelley Navari
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