Oil Furnace vs. Boiler Heating

Learn How They Work to Heat Your Home

Do you know the difference between a boiler and a furnace? If you’ve never thought much about your heating equipment, you may use the terms “boiler” and “furnace” interchangeably. It may not seem like there’s a big difference—they both keep your home warm and toasty—but if you’re shopping for or building a new home, or if you’re looking to replace your current heating system, understanding the difference is important.

So, what’s the difference between a boiler and a furnace? The main distinction is how they distribute heat: A furnace uses a system of ducts to blow heated air throughout your home, while a boiler heats water to create steam, which then spreads heat via baseboard radiators or flooring systems.

If you’re navigating home heating equipment for the first time, here’s what you need to know:

All About Boilers

There are two types of boilers:

• Forced Hot Water Boilers: These heat water to between 170 and 200 degrees Fahrenheit, providing instant heat through pipes that run throughout the house. Vents in the baseboard then disperse the heat into each room.
• Steam Boilers: These create steam, which is sent to radiators as vapor. When the vapor cools, it returns to the boiler to become steam again. It’s important to monitor the water level in the boiler to ensure it doesn’t drop too low. Steam boilers typically have a gauge to show the water level, and if the water level gets too low, the burner won’t fire, and the boiler will stop providing heat.

Furnace Facts

A furnace uses a heat exchanger to warm air, which is then blown through ductwork to heat your home. Warm air enters your living spaces through registers in the floors or ceilings, and these feature dampers so you can control the flow of air.

• Supply Registers: These deliver warm air and are usually located under windows or in the ceiling near outside walls.
• Return Grills: These are typically located closer to the interior of the home and return air to the system. Return grills do not have dampers.

Fuel Matters

When it comes to fuel, there are plenty of options. Both furnaces and boilers can be run on oil, propane, natural gas, or electricity—though except for natural gas and propane, the equipment is not interchangeable. In the northeast, most homes use oil or gas for heat. Electric heat takes much longer to reach a comfortable temperature and maintain it, leading to higher energy usage and a larger electric bill.

Heating oil is a great option because it has a higher BTU output per gallon, meaning you use it more slowly than propane. This could result in lower overall heating costs, even if the per-gallon cost of propane is cheaper.

Today, home heating oil is ultra-low sulfur, burning much more cleanly with significantly fewer particulate emissions compared to even past decades. New heating oil boilers and furnaces now burn fuel 99.9% cleanly, according to studies from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven Laboratory.

Propane is also an excellent option. It generates more BTUs than an equivalent amount of electricity and delivers more than twice the BTUs of natural gas, so you need less propane to produce the same amount of heat or energy. Propane is versatile and can be used for a range of equipment and appliances, including cooking, heating washers and dryers, water heaters, spas, and hot tubs, as well as powering backup generators.

The Bottom Line

How you heat your home is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make, particularly here in Vermont. Whether you’re upgrading your equipment, replacing your system, or starting from scratch with a new build, the pros at Jack Corse can answer all your home-heating equipment questions.

Contact us today to get started on upgrading your home’s heating system.