What is a Comfortable Temperature?
You may have wondered why most people feel comfortable when the temperature is between
70º and 74º although the normal body temperature is much warmer, 98.6º. The answer is that the
body has its own heating system, which generates more heat than we require, and the excess is
continually given off to the surrounding air.
Since our body creates its own heat, the purpose of a home heating system is simply
to control the amount of heat our bodies give off.
There are three heating systems today, which are most commonly installed in homes: forced warm air systems,
electric resistance systems, and hydronic hot water systems. Before selecting a system for your home, you should
know how each, in varying degrees, controls the loss of heat by your body, and keeps you comfortable.
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How do I know if I have a forced-air system or hydronic heating system?
A few things to check for:
Forced air systems have vents located in the floor around outside walls
and under windows, which is where the greatest heat loss would take place
in your home. In the utility area where the furnace is located, ductwork
(usually aluminum) is visible leading from the top of the furnace and
branching out to connect to other ducts that carry the heated air to the
rooms in the house. Also, when the system turns on, you will hear and
feel air moving out of the vents.
Hydronic heating systems use radiators or baseboard located,
once again, on the outside walls and under windows. A boiler used
to heat the water will be found in the utility area and instead of
large ductwork, piping will be visible leading from the boiler and
connecting to the piping that carries the hot water throughout the
system. Hydronic heating is quiet…no sound of rushing air.
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