Hot Water Heating System

Hot water heating systems have always been the most common residential heating system in New England. Hot water heating works by heating water by means of a boiler and sending the heated water through a network of pipes within the house. Home heating is accomplished by a combination of radiation and convection.

The pipes in a hot water heating system are actually “fin-tube” units that are wall-mounted around the house. The fin-like design serves to increase the surface area and allow greater dissipation of heat.
There are some disadvantages to this traditional residential heating system. Firstly, the system needs a relatively high level of maintenance as the radiation/convection units must be kept clean and dust free, and cleared from obstructions in order for them to maintain optimum performance.

The wall-mounted heating units can also present some challenges towards furniture layout and draping. Then too, this type of heating system is often marked by a slow increase in temperature. Perhaps the biggest drawback with a hot water heating system is that the pipe network of a hot water cannot be used for air conditioning or cooling systems. When time comes for air conditioning, the homeowner must install another system solely for air conditioning or use those ugly inefficient window units.