| It is always a good idea to have your heating | | | | areas at a time. Heating individual areas, |
| system checked by a professional before | | | | is called zoning, meaning that you are |
| starting it up. This can help to avoid a cold | | | | heating specific areas, saving energy and |
| morning and depending on your system a cold | | | | money? You also need to make sure that the |
| shower. Many companies provide this service | | | | heater is the right size for the space. If |
| through their service contract so that there | | | | the heater is too big, it will be more |
| is no additional cost to you. Take advantage | | | | expensive, not operate efficiently, and may |
| of it you system life span can increase with | | | | even be uncomfortable. A heater that is too |
| these periodic check-ups. | | | | small will not heat the area adequately and |
| | | | will have to work harder by running longer |
| Know the Type of System You Have Is it hot | | | | and inefficiently. Once you have worked |
| air, steam or hot water system? • The | | | | through the first two considerations, you |
| Hot Forced Air System uses a duct system to | | | | will need to work out exactly what type of |
| push warm air in and around the rooms in your | | | | heater you require. This depends on such |
| home. • A Steam System heats the water | | | | things as your budget, the size of your home, |
| to the point where it rises into radiators | | | | availability of fuel, and how you wish to |
| that radiate heat and allow the condensate | | | | heat your home. |
| water to circulate back the heating source. | | | | |
| • Hot Water Boilers will heat water, | | | | Other Types of Heat Sources: • Wood |
| which will circulate through the house, | | | | Pellet Stoves • Fireplaces - |
| heating the copper tubing and the elements | | | | supplementary • Coal Stoves • |
| (fins) that emit the heat. These are just a | | | | Wood Burning stoves • Electric Heating |
| few ways you can heat your home. There are | | | | Systems • Solar Panel Systems - |
| many to choose from so have a qualified | | | | expensive at first, but cheaper in the end. |
| heating contractor evaluate the best way to | | | | It can be used as supplementary heat. |
| heat your individual home. | | | | |
| | | | Hector Seda is author of 'What Your Parents |
| What Do You Mean By Zones? • Having | | | | Never Told You About Owning A Home'. For a |
| different zones in your home allows you to | | | | copy of the book go to: |
| heat it more efficiently. • To have | | | | |
| heat when and where you need it. • To | | | | Hector's next book, Repair For Resale |
| minimize the amount at a specific time and | | | | published by Adams Media Publishing Group, |
| increase it when the temperature in the room | | | | Inc. is to be released in the spring of 2008. |
| calls for it. The type of thermostat you | | | | |
| use has a great deal to do with efficiency | | | | Hector Seda is a correspondent and subject |
| and the regulation of the zones in your home. | | | | matter expert for Comcast's CN8, |
| | | | Philadelphia's "Your Morning" Show; which is |
| \What to Consider When Buying Heating Systems | | | | seen in over 14 million homes from Virginia |
| • The size of your home - An oversized | | | | to Maine. Locally it can be viewed on |
| unit will be inefficient and costly to | | | | Cablevision's channel 64. |
| operate. • An undersized unit will not | | | | |
| heat you home well enough and may run more | | | | KINDLY NOTE: We are looking for people that |
| than necessary costing you more in fuel | | | | have been the recipient(s) of unfair play by |
| bills. • Should you use oil, natural | | | | a contractor. If you have been a victim visit |
| gas (proffered because it runs cleaner), or | | | | my website and tell me your story or send a |
| LPG (liquid propane gas)? You need to do a | | | | letter to Ask Hector P.O. Box 254 Pompton |
| little research to find out if you have gas | | | | Lakes, New Jersey 07442. |
| in the street. Do you want an oil or propane | | | | |
| tank exposed in your yard? You may not have a | | | | With the cold and flue season approaching, |
| choice. • Do you want your boiler to | | | | find out how simple it is to regulate the air |
| heat the domestic hot water in your house? I | | | | throughout your home and university tests |
| myself do not recommend this. If your boiler | | | | show that it eliminates up to 99.99% of the |
| is down then you have no hot water. I would | | | | bacteria living there, including MRSA! |
| want at least one or the other working. | | | | |
| | | | Go To |
| When purchasing a heating system for your | | | | |
| home, some things will need to be considered. | | | | The solution is simpler than you think and, |
| For instance, you need to work out if you | | | | so should your decision. |
| wish to heat the whole home or just certain | | | | |