Goettl Technician replacing duct filter

Radiant vs. Forced Air Heating

radiant-heatingFor most people in our area, keeping one’s home comfortable generally means running the air conditioner. While the heat of our summer seasons certainly outweighs the chill of winter nights, it is important to remember the role that your heater plays, as well. It gets more than cold enough to cause discomfort around here in the winter, and your heater in Rancho Cucamonga, CA needs to be up to the task of heating your home in an effective and reliable manner.

If you have a new home being built, or if the time has come to replace your heating system in your existing home, then we strongly recommend that you consider your heating options carefully. Remember, you don’t always have to stick with what you’ve been using. There are a lot of different types of heating systems to consider,  and they work in different ways. Today, we are going to look at some pros and cons of forced air and radiant heating systems.

Forced Air Heating Systems

A forced air heating system, such as a heat pump or a furnace, is one that uses air ducts in order to distribute heated air throughout the house—or, in the case of the heat pump, heated or cooled air. That distinction is a topic for another post, though. Today, we’re just looking at the fundamentals of forced air heating.

Once air is heated, the fan in the system forces (hence the name) that air through the air ducts. The pros here are that this allows for very prompt and effective heating of the entire house, provided that the air ducts are properly installed and that the ductwork is well-designed for the home in question. There are some cons to consider too, though.

Hot air can rise up and get stuck at the ceiling, where it is not really doing anyone any good. This is particularly problematic in homes with high ceilings. Also, leaky ductwork is a very common issue that homeowners may not catch onto right away. Just because you don’t notice it right away doesn’t mean that you are not wasting money and enjoying less comfort right away, though.

Radiant Heating Systems

Radiant heating systems don’t use ductwork because they don’t heat air. Instead, these systems apply heat directly to surfaces in the home, most commonly the floors. Typically this is accomplished with the use of an in-floor hydronic heating system, meaning that water heated by the boiler is piped throughout the house via a system of tubes.

Water retains heat much better than air, and you don’t have to worry about leaks in ductwork, so radiant heating is quite efficient. It also tends to keep heat down in the living space where it belongs better than forced air heating does, as the heat radiates up from the ground to objects and people in the rooms.

Installing this type of system is a pretty big job, though, particularly in existing properties, so it’s best to do it at the time of construction or when remodeling your home. Radiant heating systems last a long time, but they also tend to cost more upfront than forced air systems. They also cannot share existing ductwork with your AC as the furnace can. If you have any questions about these heating methods, just give the pros at Goettl Air Conditioning SoCal a call.

G–O–E–T–T–L–it’ll keep you cool but it’s hard to spell.

Testimonials

What Our Customers Say About Us

Veronica CernaVeronica Cerna
17:32 21 Mar 24
Our experience with Goettl and in particular their Inspector Nacho has exceeded our expectations. His inspection was thorough. We felt comfortable expressing our concerns and his positive response put our mind at ease. We thank him and the Goettl crew for taking care of our AC plumbing and repair needs and their support to us as customers.
Amanda RehmannAmanda Rehmann
17:23 21 Mar 24
Rudy and Chris came out and were SO helpful. They went above and beyond to help me with water damage and working with my insurance. Highly recommend!
jaime enriquejaime enrique
16:46 21 Mar 24
Robert BaylorRobert Baylor
16:42 21 Mar 24
Val CastanedaVal Castaneda
15:57 21 Mar 24
We had a stubborn clog in our shower that we were at our wits end about. Decided on calling Goettl and we’re very pleased at the service from beginning to end. Very prompt and professional. Andrew was great and explained everything and our options very clearly. We were very pleased with service today. Thank you so much!
Gerald WiestGerald Wiest
16:49 19 Mar 24
The water softener (which is outside) was ruined by the recent weather. Rudy and Chris were able to diagnose the problem and replaced the softener on same day. This was critical to avoid any plumbing problems in the house. We appreciate their professionalism and attention email to detail.
Mr crab son wakandaMr crab son wakanda
16:31 19 Mar 24
Abdiel did a very good job
Keith RobbinsKeith Robbins
16:24 19 Mar 24
Thank you Jason Cruz very professional and I sighed up for the monthly plan at just $14.95 a great value I learned so much from your vist. Saved me $130.00 yessssssss
Robert PenaRobert Pena
16:16 19 Mar 24
C J (CJ)C J (CJ)
17:42 11 Mar 24
I got a quote for over $3,000 for the last expensive water heater replacement. Way over priced. Will not be using you guys, nor recommending you either.
Gray Garland JamesGray Garland James
17:33 11 Mar 24
Roy is outstanding: professional, thorough, friendly! He understood our HVAC ducting issues and devised the appropriate solution. He was very personable and it was an absolute pleasure to work with him!
Heather HassellHeather Hassell
17:31 11 Mar 24
Chuy Flores with Goettl plumbing and Air, is an absolutely awesome professional plumbing !! If i could give him more than 5 stars i definitely would!!! Chuy is very respectable and knowledgeable in the HVAC industry and gets the job done the right way!! !!!
Desiree FraireDesiree Fraire
17:28 11 Mar 24
Jehad came to my home today and helped me to get a great system in place for my old home. We are getting an upgrade at a good price. He is a great tech.
Marilyn AndersonMarilyn Anderson
17:23 11 Mar 24
Roy was professional and knowledgeable about what needed to be done. Service was performed quickly and efficiently with no surprises.
Ashley RogersAshley Rogers
23:25 08 Mar 24
We had Goettl come out and service our ac units.The Billy McDermott, the technician. Was great. He explained the process and then did the work. I would recommend Goettl and Billy!
Angelia HahnAngelia Hahn
17:58 08 Mar 24
Peter was awesome and explain everything very well.
Thomas FraustoThomas Frausto
16:03 08 Mar 24
Ruby and Chris were very professional and thoroughly explained what they were doing. They left the area just as they found. Excellent service!
Allison De PaoliAllison De Paoli
23:40 07 Mar 24
Very knowledgeable
mark rodriguezmark rodriguez
23:17 07 Mar 24
Carlos,was absolutely the best. Professional to the max, honest and respectful. Answered all my questions.
Lynnie MichelleLynnie Michelle
17:38 01 Mar 24
Great service from Rudy and Chris
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