What You Need to Know about
Heating Systems
In general, heating systems can be understood as two separate systems that work together: the heat-generating component and the heat-distributing component. Let’s take a closer look:
The Heat-Generating Component creates heat from some source, most often natural gas, oil, or electricity. Oil and gas are burned; electricity is used to heat an electrical coil that creates heat.
Gas and oil heating systems must be connected to chimneys or vents that allow fumes and/or smoke to escape from the building. Electrical systems do not require venting because nothing is burned.
The Heat-Distributing Component is the system that takes the heat from wherever it is generated and transfers it to living areas throughout the house. In general, heat can be transferred in four ways:
1. By blowing hot air from a central furnace through pipes or ducts that run through the floors, walls, etc. These ducts do double duty in buildings with central air conditioning by also distributing cooled air through the building.
2. By creating steam in a boiler that is part of the furnace, then sending that steam through pipes to radiators located in living areas.
3. By pumping hot water through pipes to baseboard heaters or other devices that transfer heat from the water to the surrounding air.
4. By radiant heating, in which electrical coils or pipes run beneath floors and transfer heating through the floors into rooms. Radiant heating is a recent offering and will be found only in newer homes.
How to Spot Problems
Check hot air distribution systems for signs that they may need cleaning. They may be breeding mold. To check the distribution systems, remove one of the grates that covers a heating duct in a room. Perform a visual inspection, looking for dust. Reach in with a rag, wipe the inside wall of a duct, pull out the rag, and inspect it for dirt and signs of mildew. If mold or mildew are present, consider asking sellers to have the ducts professionally cleaned as a precondition of sale.
Check steam systems by visually inspecting all radiators and surrounding visual supply pipes, walls and floors for signs of drips, which often leave white chalky deposits after they have dried. Inspect all steam pipes that run into the boiler, again looking for any evidence of drips. Also inspect the surface of the boiler and the area under it, looking for signs of leaks. Turn the system on high, wait while steam is generated, and inspect the boiler and all radiators for leaks. Hairline cracks in boilers can sometimes be detected in this way.
Check hot water heating systems by scanning all visible pipes, baseboard heating units, and other visible components for signs of leakage. Turn the system on and perform the visual check again. While the system is running, take a close look at the water pumps that move the heated water away from the boiler/furnace to the heaters located in the house. These pumps, which are really electric motors connected to the main furnace, should run quietly and without much vibration. A shaking or banging pump or motor will need replacing soon.
Check hot-water radiant systems by visually scanning all floors or joints underneath them for any drips or signs of leakage. Example: if a radiant system is installed in the living room floor on the first floor, go to the basement underneath that room and look up, checking for leaks on the basement ceiling or in the beams that support the floor above. Radiant systems rarely leak. But when they do, repairs can be extremely costly, involving replacement of the floor that is installed above the pipes or coils. Note that electrical radiant systems cannot leak, since the heat is generated directly by electrical coils imbedded under the floor.
In all cases . . . turn the heating system on, turn the thermostat up, and watch and listen for problems.
Window Wisdom!
Unless you are buying a historical masterpiece, look for newer double-paned vinyl windows and modern all-weather storm doors. Old windows might be charming, but they waste energy.
