A boiler heats water (or makes steam) and circulates it through radiators, baseboard heaters, or radiant floor loops to warm the home. Common in older Wheat Ridge, Denver, and Lakewood homes built before forced-air dominance, and in newer luxury homes with radiant floors.
Boilers vs. furnaces
- Boiler — heats water, circulates through pipes. Even, quiet, no ductwork. Doesn’t cool.
- Furnace — heats air, blows through ducts. Allows central AC on same ducts. More common in newer homes.
Boiler efficiency tiers
Boilers are rated by AFUE like furnaces. Standard boilers run 80-84% AFUE. High-efficiency condensing boilers reach 90-95% AFUE. The premium tier is modulating-condensing (mod-con) boilers that match output to demand.
If you have a boiler and want air conditioning, the typical solution is adding a ductless mini-split system rather than adding ductwork.
Related: AFUE, Furnace, Ductless Mini-Split.
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Right Way Mechanical is a family-owned HVAC contractor serving Wheat Ridge, Arvada, west Denver, and the Colorado foothills.