Electric Heating Systems

If you are thinking about heating your garage and can't determine what the best method to accomplish this is, maybe a propane garage heater would be a good choice. Let's investigate the reasons this might be the case.

Propane garage heaters are usually the simplest solution for heating a garage. Since many people use their garages year-round, heating them is usually a necessity. Garages are like homes to heat; you could use an indoor propane heater or an outdoor propane heater to heat them. Whatever type of heater you decide to use, proper insulation and ventilation is a must.

Since garages are usually not as well insulated as homes are, using an electric heater is probably going to be a waste of money. This is especially true in colder climates. If you use a wood stove, that wouldn't be very efficient plus you would have to consider the carcinogens that this would cause.

There are many brands of heaters. Some of the more common brands are Mr. Heater, ProCom and Empire. Some have their own built-in thermostats.

Since propane gas is flammable, any contact of this gas with combustible items may lead to harm to you or others. Propane heaters should be kept safely to forestall leakages and possible contact with other combustible items.

Propane garage heaters are specifically built to actually mount on a wall similarly to the way an air conditioner is. You can get bigger heaters that are suitable for heating a two or three car garage. These heaters could cost in the range of $500 or more. Although they may be higher in price, they are well worth the cost.

Generally, garage heaters are easy to operate and able to heat larger areas where other heating solutions may be impractical. Before you consider what heater to purchase, you may want to consider the following: how many BTU's of heat you will need, clearance from walls, ceiling and combustible materials and whether the circuit feeding the heater is sufficient to carry the amperage (electricity flow) the heater requires.

Along with the wall heaters, there are portable propane garage heaters. Most of these heaters have a propane tank that is attached to the heater and just like the wall heaters, require proper ventilation. The portable heaters are usually cheaper than the wall heaters.

Propane garage heaters are an excellent way to heat a cold garage in the winter months. With the proper ventilation and insulation, you should be able to use your garage in the same manner you would in the spring and summer months.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lindsay_Bourda
Brought to you by D&D Plumbing Heating and Cooling, Vacaville

Heating and cooling are 2 of the most important concepts of home ownership. In fact, heating and cooling systems are major factors for those looking to purchase homes, and are a critical part of living comfortably in a home.

You may frequently hear the term "HVAC," which is used to describe home heating and cooling systems. The acronym stands for Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning–which are the 3 primary functions of a home system. They control air temperature and humidity, and maintain the quality of the air in the home.

Central Systems
Heating and cooling systems may be classified as central or local. Central heating and cooling is the most standard method, and is defined by a system that produces warm or cool air in one central area and then distributes it throughout the home. There are many types of systems that work as central systems, from traditional split systems to packaged product systems.

Products typically used in central heating and cooling systems include:

Heat Pumps
Air Conditioners
Gas and Oil Furnaces
Fan Coils
Evaporator Coils
Single Packaged Products
Controls and Thermostats
Local heating and cooling, on the other hand, produces warm or cool air at the location where it is needed and serves small spaces. Room Air Conditioners and Duct-Free Split Systems are examples of local heating and cooling.

Heating
Heating systems keep your home warm and comfortable. If you live in a particularly cold climate, the function of your heating system is a high priority.

Most central heating and cooling systems are classified as forced air systems, because they send air through ductwork for distribution. The ductwork can contain products that filter or clean the air.

Radiant systems create heat and deliver it using components such as radiators that distribute the heat into the home. Boilers are a traditional radiant heat source.

Typical heating products include:

Heat Pumps
Gas and Oil Furnaces
Fan Coils
Boilers
Single Packaged Products
Cooling

Whole-home air conditioning systems are central systems that rely on ducts to deliver cooled air throughout the home. An air-conditioning system provides cooling, ventilation, humidity control and even heating (if using a Heat Pump) for a home. Air conditioning units cool refrigerants like Puron Refrigerant and Freon and deliver them to evaporator coils, which dissipate the refrigerant and blow cool air into ducts for delivery throughout the home.

Products such as room air conditioners are local cooling options for smaller areas within homes. Instead of delivering cooled refrigerant to a coil and then to ductwork, a room air conditioner contains all the components in a single unit and blows air directly into a room.

Air-conditioned homes often have sealed windows, because open windows would disrupt the attempts of the control system to maintain constant temperature.

Typical air conditioning products include:

Heat Pumps
Central Air Conditioners
Evaporator Coils
Single Packaged Products

Specialty Products—Duct-Free Split Systems (DFS)
As the name implies, a duct-free split system does not rely upon air ducts to route treated air through your home or office. Instead, these specialty products are added for a specific room, such as a home theatre, an exercise room, a garage, or other room where adding ducts is impractical. These comfort systems can supply heating, cooling, or both, and are a split-system in that the condensing unit sits outside your home while the indoor unit sits unbotrusively on the wall to control and direct the airflow. These Carrier systems are full-featured and couldn't be any easier to operate.

Typical Duct-Free Systems:

High-Wall Systems
Under-Ceiling Systems
In-Ceiling Systems

Thermostats
The term "thermostat" commonly refers to any unit that controls the operation of a heating and cooling system. Thermostats are used to turn on heating or cooling systems to bring the home to a set temperature. In addition to basic temperature control, programmable thermostats can be used to manage the timing of the system's functions, which can control overall energy use and costs.

Source of article: http://www.residential.carrier.com/knowledge/guides/heatingandcooling101.shtml
Source of image: http://www.chicago-heating-repair.com/blog/category/heating-cooling-equipment/