The heating system in your home is among your largest energy consumers in winterand has an enormous impact on your living space. If you’re looking to upgrade your heating system It’s worth taking a look at all options before you decide.
Hydro-air systems, although fairly uncommon, are beginning to gain acceptance due to their flexibility and dependability. They combine two tried and true heating techniques to offer you the most efficient of both.
What is the process? Hydro-Air Heating Works
The hydro-air system is hydronic (water) and also of forced air (ducted). instead of installing a fire in the air handler like the conventional furnace would it, it heats the air using hot water.
The heating for the system comes from a boiler powered by natural propane, gas or oil. The boiler is used to heat water. It’s then circulated through a tube into an air handler that is similar as the one in a conventional forced-air furnace.
The air handler is comprised of the following components: a pump, hot-water coil as well as a blower fan, and in the majority of systems it has an AC coil. The hot water is heated up by the heating coil and the blower fan is able to send the cold, chilly air of your room to the coil that is hot. The air is able to absorb the heat generated by the coil and then the blower fan pushes air through the duct system that will distribute it to your rooms.
The same boiler could serve as a water heater used for household usage, like in your shower or washing machine, meaning there is no need for an additional water heater. If you’d like to have air conditioning the cooling coil of an air conditioner is able to be installed inside the air handler and work together with the outdoor unit for condensing.
It is also possible to set up an hydro-air system which utilizes tanks as water heaters rather than a boiler, however they are more complicated in terms of design. Tankless heaters need minimum flow of water to turn on, and take time to warm up the water. So, you’ll need an additional storage tank in order to provide hot water if the tankless system isn’t.
The Benefits of Heating with Hydro-Air
Hydro-air heating allows you the ability to heat any aspect of your home what you need to by utilizing a single, reliable efficient, space-saving and energy-efficient system.
Zoning Options and Flexibility
With a hydro-air heating unit it is possible to make use for mixing or matching the heat emitters. There could be the radiant heating of hydronic in your bathroom and kitchen, as well as hydronic radiators or baseboard heaters in the living room and forced-air heating in the rest of the house. You could even include little luxury items like hydronic heated towels. Or, you could stick to forced air on its own.
There’s also an easy option to extend the heating system to an extension, finished attic or garage, basement or pool. By extending your heating system in will save space since there won’t be any need to run conduits through the floor or ceiling to access additional wings or stories of your house.
The process of zoning is much easier with hydro-air as well. You can have a separate air-handler in each zone, as well, and, should you decide to use several emitters from different areas of your home to precisely adjust the amount and intensity of warmth for each space.
If you make use of the boiler to heat your household hot water, you’ll clear space that could otherwise be used by an electric heated water tank.
Efficiency and Reliability
Hydro-air systems are just as or even more efficient than traditional forced-air furnaces. If your house is using an old forced-air furnace as well as a water heater, switching to a hydro-air unit allows you to change both appliances to an efficient, single system. It could also make you qualified for rebates that are based on energy efficiency and also reduce your monthly energy costs.
For the best efficiency, select an adjustable boiler for maximum efficiency. The boilers can alter their energy consumption depending on the quantity of hot water you require currently.
If you only have one hot water tap the system, it will operate at a lower speed. Switch on the dishwasher, shower, or heating system the boiler ramps higher to accommodate the demand. Heating systems based off these boilers will use hot water for the faucets and appliances, meaning you don’t have to fret about having cold water in the shower once the heating turns off.
If you’re looking for eco-friendly heating techniques, but do not have the space or budget to set up an geothermal system the hydro-air system is an option.
What to keep in mind
In order to run a hydro-air unit is a necessity for gas lines large enough to power your boiler as well as an electrical power source to supply the boiler’s ignition as well as controls, as well as space to exhaust the boiler into the outdoor. If you have a condensing boiler you’ll require either an floor drain or a condensate pump.
Installing a system that uses hydro-air is the most economical option if you already have a boiler. In other cases, a new forced air system is likely to cost less than a brand new boiler and a hydro-air air handler. If you’re building a brand new home the hydro-air system that is paired coupled with a standard air conditioning system will cost less than radiant flooring paired with a ductless air conditioning system.
These systems are perfect for smaller to mid-sized houses equipped with effective weatherization options like air sealing that is tight and adequate insulation. For large, drafty houses However, they may struggle to keep warm enough.
While hydro-air heating systems haven’t been widely popular yet but they’re a viable option for those who are living in a house that is energy efficient and are looking for an heating system that’s robust and highly adaptable.
