The Top 5 Benefits of Using Propane Heating at Home
Wondering how much money American families spend on home heating each year? This map might surprise you.
But there are ways to save money by upgrading your home heating system. If you’ve been heating your house the same way for years, you might not have considered the possible alternatives. Do you know the benefits of propane heating for your home?
There’s a reason propane has been used as a heating method for so many years. Not sure if it’s better than your current system? We’ll break down what you need to know in this guide — keep reading to find out more about heating with propane.
What is Propane?
Propane, less commonly known as LPG or liquified petroleum gas, is a gas that’s most often stored as a liquid. That’s why homes with propane heating systems typically have propane tanks for storage.
Propane has no scent or color, and it’s nontoxic. To make propane leaks obvious, scent is added, but the gas doesn’t naturally have a smell. Propane is one of the safest and most reliable natural gas home heating options. It’s also quite affordable compared to other heating methods.
This fuel comes from carbon, and is produced as a byproduct of the natural gas and crude oil industries. This helps keep the cost of propane down. It’s not manufactured or extracted on its own, but comes as a natural side effect of other industries. When gas and oil gets refined, propane must get extracted, and then it can be sold for heating and other purposes.
Types of Propane Home Heaters
Propane can be used to heat both air and water. This means that there are a few different ways to use propane heating in your home.
Propane Fireplace
Propane makes an excellent fuel source for a gas-powered fireplace. Although a fireplace can’t effectively heat your entire home (with the exception of some specialty types of fireplaces), this is a classier way to heat a single room than a space heater.
Some fireplaces don’t use heat efficiently, but it’s all about how they’re designed. The best way to make a fireplace efficient is to add a sealed glass door, and a chimney damper to help keep heat from escaping.
Propane Space Heater
If your home doesn’t have the fireplace option, you can use propane-fueled space heaters to add heat right where you need it. Space heaters come in different types, including wall-mounted and free-standing, to meet your heating needs.
Boiler
If your home uses hot water as a source of heat, you’ll need a way to heat the water. Propane is a safe, efficient way to do it. Radiators and other devices can be used to distribute the heat via warm water in your home.
Some boilers use steam, but hot water is the most common way to transmit heat from the boiler to your home. A pump will circulate the hot water throughout the home. Unlike the focused methods above, this is a type of central heat that will heat the entire home efficiently.
Furnace
Another common type of propane-powered central heat is the furnace. Furnaces are the most popular home heating method in North America.
Furnaces blow hot air through air ducts to heat the entire home. They’re also very efficient, making the propane furnace a cost-effective way to heat your entire home.
Propane Heating Benefits
In addition to efficiency and versatility, what are the benefits of using propane to heat your home? Let’s take a look at some of the top ways propane heating is a great choice.
1. Environmentally Friendly
When you hear about carbon-based fuels, you often don’t think of them as being good for the environment. But propane is actually a great choice if you care about your home’s environmental impact.
It’s been listed as a clean fuel by the EPA and the Clean Air Act. Propane is actually the cleanest-burning of all the fossil fuels. It’s nontoxic, so it doesn’t contaminate the soil or groundwater. And since it’s a byproduct of other processes, sourcing it doesn’t create more pollution.
2. Low Cost
Heating your home can become a serious expense. Your bills might stay relatively low during the warm months, but skyrocket in the winter. Switching to propane can help even things out.
Propane is one of the most cost-effective fuel sources. Since it burns efficiently, you don’t need to use as much to get the same amount of heat as with other methods. It’s also easy to measure how much you’re spending, since propane is measured in gallons.
3. Safe
Safe heating ranks high on the list of importance for many homeowners.
The propane industry uses many strict regulations and codes to make propane use incredibly safe. Propane heating methods also have built-in safety designs. For example, combining it with air won’t cause it to ignite, except at extremely high temperatures.
4. Always Works
In an emergency power outage, your propane heat will still work. It doesn’t rely on electricity to function.
This means you won’t get stranded without heat in the worst of winter storms. As long as your propane tank is filled and properly maintained, it will keep heating your homes through all kinds of emergencies.
That said, you should avoid filling your propane tank all the way up, since it expands when heated. Propane tanks should be kept filled to 80 percent capacity.
5. Easy to Get
The propane supply isn’t going to run out anytime soon. This means you don’t need to worry about shortages or rising prices. Companies like ThinkHeat make it easy to source propane for your home.
Making the Change to a Propane House
If your home doesn’t have propane heating installed, the upfront cost of installing a new heating system can be high. But the money you’ll save over the years with propane home heaters is worth it.
Looking for more ways to make your home more energy efficient so you can save money? Don’t miss this guide.