Tips For Selecting The Right Boiler For Your Home

Even though furnaces are a more common heating source in Delaware, boilers have the potential for improved comfort and energy savings. Whether you’re replacing your old boiler or swapping out a different type of heating system, here are some important tips for selecting a boiler system that will run well all season long and for years to come.

• Efficiency: This is perhaps the most important feature to consider when selecting a boiler system. The efficiency rating, or annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE), determines how high or low your heating bills will be this winter. Upgrading your outdated boiler that’s a decade or more old could cut your heating bills significantly and reduce the pollution output by half.
• Energy Star designation: Because Wilmington has a cold winter-time climate, it makes sense to invest in the most energy-efficient system possible. Be sure to only consider those with the prestigious Energy Star label. Boilers that have earned this label are more efficient, have the best features and may even be more dependable than units without it.
• Size: Newer systems are bound to be more efficient than older boilers, but they can still be oversized. An oversized boiler is less efficient than a properly sized one. The best way to determine the correct size for your home’s boiler system is to have an HVAC contractor assess your home’s specific needs and make a recommendation.
• Fuel: Gas- and oil-fired boilers are available. Since Delaware is at the end of the country’s natural gas pipeline, prices tend to be higher for this fuel. Plus, many companies now offer biodiesel blended with heating oil to reduce dependence on foreign oil and decrease pollution. Consider these points when choosing your fuel source.
• Warranties: Extended warranties help ensure you purchase a dependable system or that if something goes wrong, you can have a replacement system installed in its place. If you’re debating between two equally priced and sized boilers, the warranty could be the tiebreaker.

For more tips on selecting a boiler system or for answers to other heating and cooling questions, please contact Sobieski Services.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Wilmington, Delaware and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC & plumbing systems).

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