Has your house been struggling to stay warm during the colder seasons? Perhaps your boiler just isn't working like it used to or has stopped functioning entirely. Call Shaw's Heating, Air and Plumbing to make sure your boiler is running efficiently and properly, whether it's steam, gas, or oil burning.

An ill-maintained boiler can not only cost a lot more to run regularly but can be dangerous to you and your household. Trust the professionals at Shaw's Heating, Air and Plumbing to take care of your boiler repairs, replacements, maintenance, or installations, and make sure that the job is done right to save you money, and help keep your family safe and comfortable.

There are four separate fuel sources commonly used for residential space heating, fuel oil, natural gas or propane gas and electric.

There are also several styles of heat emitters to deliver the heated water. There is the most popular baseboard style followed by radiator style, in-floor radiant, convector style, fan coil style, & wall bracket styles.

Natural gas is the most efficient/ cost effective source with about 95,000 BTU's of heating per gallon. Fuel oil is the second most effective operating cost method but does not burn as efficiently as natural gas or propane but will get about 130,000 BTU's per gallon. Propane burns as efficient and effective as natural gas with similar BTU ratings but costs more per gallon. The final and least desirable as well as least used method is electric. Heating water to boiler temperatures with electric is not very common in household space heating due to the excessive operating costs.

The lower the boiler temperature regardless of the fuel source will provide operating savings to a home/business owner.

One quick and easy way to lower the boiler temperature for savings without sacrificing comfort is with what is called an outdoor temperature reset. This control is mounted by the boiler and wired into the system to lower the boiler temperature during moderate temperatures but allow for full temperature at design conditions.

Most of these are heated with a water based or steam based boiler system. The boiler can be either fossil fuel (oil, propane or natural gas) or electric.

Most of these types of heating systems in our geographic area have been in place for many years. There are very few radiant style system installed in new homes these days due to the significant upfront costs.

Radiant systems are intricate systems and should be worked on, managed and maintained by trained professionals. Each type of heat emitter potentially requires a different water temperature to heat a given area and need special attention to ensure that all components are operating properly.

Here at Shaw's we have been installing and maintaining various radiant style heating systems for over 25 years and are here to help with any needs you may have.