Is It Worth Replacing Your Boiler With A Furnace?
Often these days, boiler heating is seen as outdated. When you think about boiler heating, you might picture old homes and creepy basements. But does this mean that you should replace your old boiler with a furnace? Not necessarily. New boilers are so much better than old ones. But at the same time, furnaces do have their advantages. Here are some pros and cons to consider before you replace your boiler with a furnace.
Pro: You won't have the risk of flooding.
Boilers can cause flooding when they break or spring a leak. And dealing with that flooding can be quite a pain. You may end up with mold if you don't remove the moisture immediately. If you have drywall in your basement and it gets wet, you may have to replace it. If you do replace your boiler with a furnace, this will no longer be a concern.
Con: You'll need to have ducts installed in your walls.
Boilers and furnaces use different equipment to deliver the heat to your rooms. Boilers send hot water through pipes. Furnaces send hot air through ducts. This means that if you decide to switch to a furnace, you'll need to have ducts run through the walls. This can mean having holes put in your walls and doing some remodeling. If you're not willing to do any remodeling, replacing your boiler with a furnace is unlikely to be a feasible choice.
Pro: You can easily have air conditioning installed along with your furnace.
With boiler heating, you can have mini split air conditioning or high-velocity air conditioning installed, but it will be an entirely separate system from your boiler heating. If you instead replace your boiler with a furnace, you can have AC installed alongside it. The two systems will use the same ducts, which will simplify your home HVAC setup. Most companies also offer discounts for homeowners who have furnaces and AC units installed at the same time.
Con: You'll need to remodel around your old radiators.
Once you have a furnace installed, you will have empty space where your radiators used to sit. There may be holes in the carpeting or unpainted spots on the walls where these radiators used to be. Remodeling around this can be a lot of work.
Consider the pros and cons above before replacing your boiler with a furnace. It's the right move for some, but not for all. Contact a local HVAC service to learn more.
