Preparing for winter is an essential for surviving the earth’s harshest season. The most important item on everyone’s agenda is how to stay warm when those thermometers begin to drop. Here are three of the most used heating systems and the benefits of each.

One of the most common types of heating is HVAC. Heat pumps are one of the most popular heating and cooling systems because of their energy efficiency. Since most run on electricity, the average monthly bill is less than the typical gas furnace. While the heat pump allows you the comfort of a lower bill, your home may not “feel” as warm as a gas fueled system.

Most will just dress accordingly, or use a blanket while watching TV to combat this issue. Since gas prices tend to fluctuate, those living on fixed incomes may be better served with a heat pump where the electric usage is easier to gauge.

If feeling warm and cozy is more important than price, then you might want to invest in radiant flooring. Ever heard that if your feet are warm, the rest of you will be too? This simple concept applies here as the floor is warmed and as you walk you feel this comfort. Warm air rises, so it makes sense that a warm floor will fill the entire home with heat.

A cable coil runs underneath ceramic or stone tile and a film-like sheet is used under laminate or floating wood flooring. These floors tend to feel much cooler to the touch than carpet, so this is one easy fix for those without wall-to-wall rugs. There are easy to follow instructions, so installing an electric radiant flooring is a nice DIY project for the weekend warrior in you!

For those environment-friendly types, the best way to go is geothermal heating and cooling. Just as the Greek root word implies (geo means earth and therm means heat), this system utilizes a renewable resource of air housed within the earth itself. As one of the largest absorbers of the sun, namely taking in half of its energy, the earth’s natural heating system consists of this constant air that remains at the same relative temperature year round.

Thus, making heating in the winter and cooling in the summer a breeze. One big plus to this natural type of energy system is the lack of green house gases and pollution into the air. Geothermal heating and cooling systems do not emit any carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, or other green house gases.

And your heating and cooling bill can be drastically reduced by 40-70 percent, depending on the size of your home. On the down side, geothermal systems tend to be rather expensive to put in, but depending on the amount of your typical gas or electric bill, the overall monthly savings may quickly make the initial expense worth it.

Let’s recap. Three of the main heating systems are HVAC, radiant flooring, and geothermal. Choose the one that best fits your needs and budget. Remember one of the best ways to prepare for winter is making sure you have adequate insulation as well as windows and exterior doors that are properly sealed. Plan ahead and stay warm this year!

Charlie Teschner started MESA Heating in 1982. Charlie has a journeyman and master plumber’s license. He was raised with a strong work ethic and he now applies those values to tasks such as Longmont, CO heating repair.