The Advantages and Disadvantages of Using a Hot Water Boiler

While more and more homes have switched to hot air heating, in the last 50 years, many older homes still use a boiler system. There are two types of boiler heating , those that convey heat through steam, and those that convey heat through hot water.

The fundamental difference between steam heat systems and hot water heating systems is the temperature. The temperature of a steam heated system, by definition, must be raised to boiling point to generate steam. A hot water system, on the other hand, can utilize water heated to a variety of temperatures. The water must be drawn through the closed loop circulation via a pump, whereas steam flows by its own power once it is generated.

Because of the structural differences between hot water heating and steam heating, there are certain advantages and also disadvantages to using hot water as a medium to transmit the heat. The advantages include the following:

1) Since the hot water heater runs at lower temperatures, it is more fuel conservative than steam boilers,
2) Since the temperature of the hot water is not fixed, the heat coming out of the radiators can vary depending on the need, which is not the case with a steam heating system. When the steam flows, it is coming out at boiling point, and the house is thus subject to the extremes of too much heat when the boiler is on at night, and too little heat, when the system is off.

3) Hot water boilers can be maintained on a low flame at night, as opposed to steam boilers which must be kept at a high flame to boil the water.

4) The hot water boiler is small and more durable than a steam boiler.

5) Because they run at lower temperatures, hot water boilers are considerably safer than steam boilers

Heating systems using hot water also have some disadvantages.
1) A direct hot water heating system, provides no ventilation.
2) Because the water temperature is lower than steam , the size of the radiator is proportionally larger.
3) There is a danger of the water in the hot water system freezing, although keeping the boiler on all night can prevent that.
4) A hot water boiler requires more fittings than a steam boiler, and thus more parts that can break. These breakable parts include: a flow check valve, a circulator, an expansion tank and most importantly, a pump.
5) Additional problems, that can occur with both hot water boilers, and steam boilers include: insufficient heating surface, insufficient boiler power, and imperfect circulation.

Thanks to A-1 Plumbing of Baltimore a %LINK1% for providing this information. The licensed plumbers at A-1 repair heating plumbing problems, so if you live in the Metro Baltimore, MD. area and need help with your %LINK2%
or your steam boiler system please contact A-1.

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A-1 Plumbing of Baltimore offers plumbing in Baltimore. The company installs water heaters and combi boilers and repairs hot water heating systems

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