Home Heating

Performance detail on furnaces and boilers.

Propane provides more versatility, affordability, and home comfort than any other heating choice — it's that simple. Propane home-heating systems can be configured as central or zone, forced air or radiant. Best of all, propane systems can help a homeowner slash energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions — up to 68 percent, in fact. Here are a few considerations for your project.

• Propane Furnaces. Like a natural-gas furnace, a propane furnace cycles on and off, using a fan or blower to force heated air through ducts throughout the home. Some models are available with vent dampers, which close when heat demand has been met, increasing efficiency. Propane furnaces come in all shapes and sizes and have a typical operating life of 15 to 20 years.
• Radiant Floor Heating. A propane water heater or boiler heats water that is pumped through a floor tubing system. By delivering more even heat, and more heat closer to the floor, these systems can be far more energy efficient than a conventional furnace-and-duct system.
• Fireplaces and Log Inserts. These can be turned on and off with a thermostatic switch or remote control and will heat a room more evenly and efficiently than wood-burning fireplaces. Most models are virtually maintenance-free, don't produce ash or soot, and don't require electricity.
• Hearth Stoves. A free-standing propane stove produces instant radiant heat and adds aesthetic value to a room. Venting options make installation easy and flexible.
• Space Heaters. Propane space heaters can be freestanding or wall-mounted, can include thermostats and blowers, and typically work even in an electrical outage. They also produce fewer greenhouse gases than space heaters using fuel oil.

Many of these propane appliances are available in Energy Star-qualified models — more than electric in many categories.