You want to consider what is your home’s square footage? What’s your ideal home temperature? Which fuel is inexpensive and readily available where you live? The different types of heating units can use different fuels to heat your home.
Furnaces can run on natural gas or oil, and heat pumps run on electricity. Boilers though might run on natural gas or liquid propane, and some models can run on either one, letting you choose the best fuel for your locale. Boilers are also common in radiant heating systems, which directly heat actual parts of the home (like the floor or walls) to then heat the air, rather than pushing hot air through the house to heat the air.
The Condendsing Wallhung Boiler
Most modern boilers are condensing boilers, which produce water vapour, then condense that vapour back into liquid to gather the heat from that, as well. The re-condensed water ends up acidic, with a pH that ranges between 3 and 5. That’s the same or less than the acidity of soda. This extra heat-gathering step makes boilers particularly efficient. The modern condensing boiler doesn’t sacrifice any of its reliability to get that added efficiency. (Note that if you have an older type of boiler, you may be able to upgrade your unit to make it a condensing boiler.)
There are two other questions you want to ask yourself when you’re looking at heating units. What size unit can fit in your home? And where can you fit that unit?
Getting Space with Your Wallhung Boiler
This is another benefit to boilers: some models can be mounted to the wall. Floor space in your home has limits. Your oven, your refrigerator, and your furniture all take up space — and then you need room to walk through, so you can actually get to everything. When you tally up the amount of floor space taken up by necessities like your heater and water heater, it can get downright depressing to see how much of your house is wasted by necessary monstrosities.
But you don’t have to lose all that floor space when you use your wall. Boilers have compact wall models that can free up some of your house’s floor space. Companies saw the possibilities and began developing condensing boilers for the wall more than a decade ago. If necessary, many companies that offer wall-mounted boilers can reinforce the wall while installing the wall boiler.
Wall-hung boilers come in a variety of widths, heights, and depths, enabling you to pick the best one for where you want to put it. The special compact design of a wall-mounted boiler means that not only does it take up less floor space of your home, but it takes up less space altogether. Many wall-hung boilers were first designed in Europe, where space is at a premium, so companies sought to make their units able to fit in a closet. Some companies make wall-hung boiler models that are as few as 6 inches deep.
Efficiency with Your Wallhungboiler
Fuel is also limited in Europe. Modern boilers — including wall-hung boilers — are particularly fuel efficient. With usual efficiencies of 90% and higher (which means 90% of the used fuel is converted into heat), most wall-hung boilers qualify for special government incentives that are offered to people who make their homes more environmentally friendly.
EcoEnergy Grants and WallHung Boilers
In Canada, most boilers qualify for the EcoEnergy Home Retrofit Program, as well as some of the further incentives and rebates some provinces are offering to encourage constituents to make their homes more efficient and environmentally friendly. With an efficient wall-mounted boiler, you can save space in your home and get money for it from the government.
If your home too big for a boiler’s heating capacity, or if you need heating for your business, many models are designed so multiple units can work together in a modular heating system. This lets you get the efficiency and size benefits of smaller units, while providing the energy to heat a far larger area.
Diversity and the Wallhung Boiler
Moreover, some wall-hung boilers can double as water heaters, letting you save even more space in your home by heating your home and your water with one compact unit. Certain models let you schedule particular time periods when you want your water heated to a higher temperature, so you can adjust your hot water to suit your schedule.
A few companies even offer their wall boilers in more than one colour, so you can match your new boiler to its surroundings.
One detail that needs to be considered while evaluating boilers is their exhaust: they need good ventilation for the gases that come out of the flue. Some companies design their wall-hung boilers so they vent into a chimney or directly outside, for air collection and for releasing the final gases. The contractor you hire for installing your wall-hung boiler will know the ventilation options and be able to advise you on the best one for your home, like the HVAC specialists of Gasfitter.ca.
If you’re low on floor space or just want to make the most efficient use of your home’s square footage, consider a wall boiler. Such boilers make good use of fuel, making them good for the environment.
Don’t just stick to a buying a new heat pump or oil furnace because that’s what you already have. Consider your options. Look into getting a wall-hung boiler. It might be exactly the money saver your wallet’s been looking for — and you’ll get to save your floor space switching to a condensing boiler.