When the phrase hot water furnace first comes up in conversation, sometimes what comes to mind is a hot water heater, which is actually completely different. A hot water furnace, is actually the heating system for your home. Many old style hotels and some residences used hot water to heat a building, and you may have seen them, they look like a radiator, with the fins, and the clanking sounds when the pressure came up.

For a simple explanation of what a hot water furnace does, there is a boiler, usually located in the basement, and water is heated up by a fuel source, whether gas, electric or solar. When the water boils, either the steam is pushed out through pipes into each individual radiator, or the heated water flows through out the house. In the beginning this was one of the standard ways of heating your home, with fuel oil running a close second.

There are all kinds of different hot water furnaces these days, and the technology involve with the manufacturing of these products, the range of applications, has grown quite considerably. Not only can you find more efficient base board heaters that distribute the heat better, you have floor radiant heating as well. Floor heating consists of running small pipes directly into the sub flooring, and running heated water through them to heat the house. Since heat rises, this is an excellent way to eliminate those cold floors in the morning.

You can also have your heating system tied into you hot water system that you use for personal needs. In the winter, why heat water separately, one for your home and another system to wash clothes, take a shower, etc. It seems like a great waste of energy, and can be fixed simply by connecting the two. You will of course want to put in some kind of cut off valve, for warmer months.

There is also a relatively new concept, that has to do with geothermal energy. A lot of people relate to geothermal as hot water geysers coming out of the ground, and harnessing this natural renewable source. While this is certainly a good idea, it is not the same, because otherwise it wouldn’t really help many people.

Here is how it works. No matter what kind of climate you live in, the temperature below ground stays relatively the same all year long. And since it absorbs up to 47% of the suns energy during the day, it can maintain it longer and better. Geothermal energy taps into this by using looping piping in the ground called an earth loop. Cold water goes in one side, and come out much hotter on the other side. With a system of heat pumps, this water can then be distributed to all the other parts of the house. This can also act as an effective cooling system as well, because the process can easily be reversed.

You can find more information on all kinds of furnaces online. You can check into this geothermal hot water furnace, and even what qualified people can help you install one. You can also find many companies that sell furnaces, just make sure you get the best and longest warranty. With so many models to choose from, you really have to do some researching to find the one that is right for you.