“Do I have a furnace?”
Do I have a heat pump?”
“What kind of heating system do I have?!”
These are honest questions, and if you do not know the answers, don’t worry. Many people do not know much about their home heating systems, and frankly, aside from the thermostat itself, you probably aren’t needing to come into contact with it very often.
Heat Pump
Heat pumps are usually used in areas with less extreme highs and lows than Cincinnati, but they are certainly not uncommon in our area at all. Most move air through ducts, and are a split system – the inside portion is a cabinet, usually, and outside is a metal container. Geothermal heat pump systems use comparably little energy, and use the temperature of the ground soil to heat or cool the air.
Boiler
A boiler has a gauge on it to measure the pressure, and can work off of oil, propane, electricity, or natural gas. These systems have a water container, and heat from the furnace boils this water. The steam then moves throughout your house by way of a floor system, baseboard radiators, or a coil. These systems may also be responsible for the hot water in your house.
Package Unit
These systems are either gas or electric, and a package unit would live outside your house, often sitting on a slab next to the home or atop your roof. With a package unit, you do not need to have a separate furnace inside, and such a system handles both cooling and heating. It connects to your home’s ductwork through an outside wall or through the roof.
Furnace
Furnaces are the most common heating system in the Cincinnati area, and like the boilers, they can run on oil, propane, electricity, or natural gas. Furnaces are often called “forced air systems,” and the furnace itself is usually kept in the attic, basement, crawlspace, or closet. Gas furnaces are extremely popular in and around the Cincinnati area.
Looking for Cincinnati heating companies? For a free heating consultation about your heat pump, gas furnace or heating system in general, fill out our contact form or call the Cincinnati heating professionals of Pinnacle Air Solutions at 513.984.HEAT (4328).