The furnace rules the roost when it comes to sheer numbers: there are more furnaces heating homes in the US than any other type of comfort system. But numbers alone don’t mean a furnace is the best pick for every house. Boilers have been around for hundreds of years, and they aren’t going to vanish any time soon—not unless someone discovers something as convenient and inexpensive as hot water for transferring warmth!

• Energy efficient: The standard boiler has a higher energy efficiency than a forced-air system, a group that includes the furnaces and the heat pump. The reason is boilers use water for heat transfer, and water is a better medium for this job. Just think of the difference when you put your hand into a stream of hot water and into a gust of hot air! You can expect to save money on annual heating costs with a gas boiler as opposed to a gas furnace.
• Fewer repair issues: A boiler doesn’t have many mechanical moving parts in it, so there is less strain against its components as it runs. Less strain means fewer parts that wear down, and subsequently fewer repair needs. The reduction in repair is another way a boiler saves money. It’s more convenient as well.
• Longer system life: This is connected to the fewer number of repairs. The reduction in work stress on a boiler helps it last longer than a furnace or heat pump. A boiler still requires professional maintenance service each year (otherwise corrosion may become a threat), but with routine care you can expect a boiler to last for 20 years or more.
• Quick, even heating: A boiler sends heat into a room by raising the temperature of objects in the room, such as radiators and baseboard heaters. The radiant heating spreads evenly through a space, leaving behind few cold spots. It doesn’t rise to the ceiling the way air sent out through vents does, and this helps it heat the space quicker.
• Quiet operation: A boiler doesn’t use noisy fans or compressors to run. You’ll hardly hear the sound of a boiler heating your house.