Hot Water Heating Systems Are Similar To Car Heaters
Many large buildings and some individual homes use hot water heating systems to provide clean and convenient heat for the building. When considering hot water heat, think of the system like the one that provides heat in most vehicles. As water is used to cool the engine, it can be rerouted to a heating coil inside the vehicle and when the fan is turned on, the air passes through the coil, blowing warm air into the inside of the car or truck.
Except for the fan and the vehicle engine, the concept is the same. A central heat source, usually a gas, oil or propane boiler, heats the water, which is then forced by a pump through pipes in the building. Pipes in hot water heating systems pass through individual rooms an inside the room are covered with small metal fins that help dissipate the heat from the hot water pipes into the room. It works on the principal of radiating heat and does not use a fan to push the air around the room.
The water pipes used in hot water heating systems are in a closed loop and each room in the house can have a separate valve to control when the cold water in the pipes is returned to the boiler, which in turn allows hot water to flow into the room.
Temperature In Each Zone Can Be Controlled
Consider hot water heating systems to have one large loop of pipe that extends from the output side of the furnace, circles the building and returns to the cold water input side. A separate loop is installed for each room of the building with what is known as a zone valve operated by a thermostat. As the hot water heating systems work, no hot water will flow into the room unless the thermostat causes the valve to open.
These types of hot water heating systems are common in large office buildings and apartment complexes where a single boiler provides the heat for every room in the place. Each separate room or apartment controls the amount of heat it receives and when.
This type of hot water heating systems can also be installed in single-family homes with zone valves installed in each room to offer better control of the temperatures in the room. The bedrooms, for example can be kept cooler than bathroom or living room and since they do not use a fan, are considered a cleaner source of home heating.
