Apartments and flats in the United States (US) are required by the law to be comfortable enough for those living in them. However, it’s often not the case. During wintertime, an apartment might have air leaks or poor insulation due to poor maintenance of heating solutions.

If you’re a landlord, you ought to provide your tenants with optimum living conditions during the cold months of the year by adopting reliable and efficient heating solutions. Fortunately, there are plenty of selections you can look into.

How will you make a choice then? It all goes down to knowing the available heating options for apartments and flats. These are:

1. 1. A Furnace

A furnace is also referred to as a central heating system. It consists of the following:

• A metal cabinet;
• Burners;
• Fuel (propane or gas);
• Heat exchanger; and so on. 

A furnace can provide heating to your flat by igniting its burner. Your chosen fuel will have the burner maintain a steady flame. Cold air from the surroundings will enter the furnace and the heat exchanger where it warms up. The blower fan will push out the warm air into your apartment or flat. 

The cycle continues until your desired indoor temperature is attained. When this is done, the gas or propane valve will turn off, and the ignition is stopped.

As you buy a furnace, ensure you install it correctly. You want to avoid gas leaks that can lead to fires and carbon monoxide poisoning. Seek commercial plumbing Sapulpa, OK services, or where you’re located, ensuring they’re well-qualified and can install your furnace correctly.

1. 2. A Boiler

A boiler can either be hot water or steam-based. A hot water boiler will rely on hot water to heat your flat, while the steam one relies on steam. 

Boilers consist of the following:

• Boiler;
• Hot water;
• Fuel (natural gas or oil);
• Combustion chamber; 
• Radiator; 
• Heat exchanger;
• Circulation pump; and others. 

The boiler starts working with the fuel – firing the burner for flame in the combustion chamber. Heat then moves to the heat exchanger, which contains your water. The water absorbs the heat and heats up to approximately 175°F. 

With a hot water boiler, the heat from the water moves to the radiator, where it circulates into your home. The cycle contains until the desired room temperature is reached. 

For efficiency, it’s best to have several boilers to suit the number of flats. Sometimes, one boiler might not be enough to heat several spaces without cold spots. Also, place the boiler close to the pipes supplying it with water, ensuring you connect the pipes correctly. 

Should you experience leakages, call a plumber. Watch this video for other signs necessitating the services of a plumber:

1. 3. Ductless Mini Split Systems

Ductless mini split systems are a heating solution that’s a part of many Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) units. They’re also referred to as heat pumps. 

A ductless mini split system mostly consists of the following:

• Outdoor compressor unit;
• Indoor handling unit;
• Refrigerator tubing;
• Condenser drain;
• Suction tubing; and the like. 

The ductless mini-split system is often used to cool your space. However, it can also heat your apartment through reverse refrigeration, where it’ll adopt the operating mechanism of a heat pump.

With the heat pump system, heat from the ground or outside passes over the external part of the heat exchanger. The warmness of the heat will evaporate the refrigerant liquid into gas. The gas then goes into the compressor, where it’s subjected to pressure that increases its temperature.

This gas is hot enough to heat your apartment. It’ll pass over the internal heat exchange surface where it’s blown in your apartment. As this happens, the gas temperature reduces, converting to liquid. The reverse refrigeration cycle repeats itself until you achieve your desired temperature.

Where you’re using a ductless mini split system to heat a large apartment, it’s best to have a backup heating solution in place.

1. 4. Electric Space Heater

An electric space heater is portable and has a plug-in system. It’s ideal for heating a small space, preferably one apartment. Take note that it can’t heat an entire apartment complex.

The electric space heater system requires the following to run:

• Oil;
• Cooling fans;
• Electricity; and the like. 

Once you plug the system into your electricity source, it converts electricity to heat. The fans will then expel the hot air into your apartment. It’ll do this by convention, where it rises and replaces the cold air in the top space. 

1. 5. In-Floor Radiant Heating

As the name suggests, the in-floor radiant heating solution is installed on your floors. It can be in the subfloor, underlayment, or below your slab or flooring solution. It consists of the following:

• Plastic tubing/ conduits;
• Fuel source (boiler, solar heater); and
• Pumps.

Start by connecting the conduits (spread across your floor) to the boiler or solar heater. The boiler will provide hot water, which the pumps pump into the plastic tubing. The water radiates heat, which conducts into your subfloor. Conduction will go on until it gets to your floor.

The result is an evenly heated apartment floor. This heat will rise into your apartment space by convection, further heating it. 

Conclusion

With the discussion above, you’re now informed of the available heating solutions you can use for your apartment and flat. Use it to help you picking the best heating solution that’ll meet your needs and specific situation.